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Portland is a Sanctuary City

Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT)

Information
CHAT team member assists community member
The CHAT Program has achieved estimated health care system savings in excess of $10M since 2021.

To address the growing number of non-urgent 9-1-1 calls, PF&R has created Mobile-Integrated Health (MIH) teams. These teams provide care in the community and follow up within 24 hours to re-engage and provide support.

The Community Health Assess and Treat (CHAT) teams offer one-on-one support from medical professionals to:

  • Assist 9-1-1 callers with non-emergency health concerns, providing immediate care and connecting them to long-term resources like doctors, health plans, and treatment options.
  • Educate the community on how to access the right healthcare services, so 9-1-1 is used only for true emergencies.
  • Reduce unnecessary emergency room visits for minor medical issues.
  • Keep fire and ambulance crews available for life-threatening emergencies.
CHAT team member responds to 9-1-1 call

The CHAT Program is designed to add value to the Emergency Response System (EMS) and healthcare system by:

  • Responding to non-urgent 9-1-1 medical calls
  • Increasing access to healthcare services
  • Improving population health over time
  • Enhancing the patient experience
  • Improving first responder satisfaction and resilience
  • Reducing the overall cost of care
CHAT team members administer care

CHAT Operations

  • CHAT Overdose Response Teams (ORT) respond to overdose calls instead of Fire apparatus in the Downtown Core, Old Town, and Southeast neighborhoods.
  • All CHAT response teams respond within 15 minutes of the 9-1-1 call.
  • CHAT Aftercare teams work 6-days a week to re-engage with clients to reassess needs, provide connections to resources including access to health insurance plans, healthcare and basic needs.
  • CHAT Aftercare teams work with Multnomah County and community-based organizations on frequent callers to 9-1-1 to provide health education, and access to care to reduce additional 9-1-1 calls.

 CHAT Call Types

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Allergic Reaction
  • Assault (not dangerous)
  • Back Pain
  • Bleeding (minor)
  • Choking (not now)
  • Cold Exposure
  • Diabetic (alert and normal)
  • Drowning (alert, breathing ok)
  • Fainting now alert
  • Falls (not dangerous)
  • Headache
  • Heart Problems/ Chest Pain (with no priority symptoms)
  • Heat Exposure
  • Injury (> 6 hours ago)
  • Overdose
  • Public Assist Falls
  • Seizure (previous or impending)
  • Sick Person
  • Stroke (low-acuity only)
CHAT program impact graphic
CHAT Program Overview 2025 graphic
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