Lifesaving Information for Emergencies

The Brevard Community Healthcare Coalition, professionals from a wide variety of healthcare settings and services, is taking action to keep people out of hospitals. The Coalition was established in 2015 to improve communication and collaboration throughout all avenues of the healthcare spectrum. Its main goal: to reduce readmissions to hospitals.

The impact on seniors is significant.

2,822 of 16,046 of Medicare beneficiaries admitted to a hospital in Brevard County returned to the hospital within 30 days and 2 out of 5 people were readmitted within the first week according to the Health Services Advisory Group.

The Vial of LIFE initiative, adopted by Brevard County Fire Rescue, gets Lifesaving Information For Emergencies into the hands of the healthcare professionals treating them. With proper information about medication and health conditions, health care outcomes improve.

Included in the Vial of LIFE are a vial (looks like a cold cream jar), 2 green stickers (one for the front door and one for the refrigerator door), and a medical information form (listing conditions, medications, allergies, emergency contacts, physician, etc.).

The issue is that many seniors fail to complete the form, place stickers, and store the vial properly. The Coalition’s goal is to improve that process by providing the Vial of LIFE and assisting seniors to complete the vital healthcare information contained within the Vial of LIFE.

Through the Coalition’s Vial of LIFE campaign, Coalition members will be available at specific community events and health fairs to assist seniors at locations throughout Brevard County during April. Locations include: