A question about emergency services in St.Mary's

[mackco79]

I was wondering the same thing-thanks!

 

[mackco79]

Yeah, and how much do you think her level of care went down the second time they had to go out there? lol. This is what I'm talking about by taking yourself or getting a ride. If her jaw hurt from having a tooth pulled, maybe she needed to go back to her DENTIST! Not the ER! This is why the public complains about us volunteers! Because they call for non-emergencies numerous times a day! The 911 operators know quite a few people by first name by the number of times they call, and they know what they're calling for before they even say it! Talk about abuse!!!

We have one girl who fakes passing out has the ambulance called just so she can catch a ride to leonardtown. Once at the hospital she refuses all care and walks out. But the law states we have to take her because someone called 911.

 

[sparkysgirl]

While I admit that I'm up in Pittsburgh at college, I still come home once a month to maintain my LOSAP scholarship. Every time I come home I hear so many BS calls it amazes me. Nursing homes especially. The one right behind Solomons has a contract with AAA, yet calls us for the DNR-B pt with trouble breathing because their O2 is at 94%. Never mind that the pt has emphysema, COPD, and a page of other diagnosis. Did I mention the pt was resting comfortably and sleeping when the shift change nurse thought it was an emergency??

It's unbelievable the abuse the 911 system faces.

 

[Lilypad]

Yeah, and how much do you think her level of care went down the second time they had to go out there? lol. This is what I'm talking about by taking yourself or getting a ride. If her jaw hurt from having a tooth pulled, maybe she needed to go back to her DENTIST! Not the ER! This is why the public complains about us volunteers! Because they call for non-emergencies numerous times a day! The 911 operators know quite a few people by first name by the number of times they call, and they know what they're calling for before they even say it! Talk about abuse!!!

It's pretty sad when I know as much personal data about some patients as I do my own family members-I can usually fill out much of the call sheet before I even get on scene.
I take every call very seriously, don't get me wrong but the drama of "repeat callers" wears you out after awhile.

 

[toppick08]

We have one girl who fakes passing out has the ambulance called just so she can catch a ride to leonardtown. Once at the hospital she refuses all care and walks out. But the law states we have to take her because someone called 911.

That's just plain pathetic.

 

[Lilypad]

That's just plain pathetic.

This is pretty routine-especially at the first of the month.

 

[toppick08]

This is pretty routine-especially at the first of the month.

:snort:

 

[mackco79]

This is pretty routine-especially at the first of the month.

 

[sparkysgirl]

It's pretty sad when I know as much personal data about some patients as I do my own family members-I can usually fill out much of the call sheet before I even get on scene.
I take every call very seriously, don't get me wrong but the drama of "repeat callers" wears you out after awhile.

We have one in Solomons, lives literally...3 minutes away lights and sirens at the most. By the time I get to her street, her history, chief complaint, address, the fact there is ETOH present...just about everything besides her current vitals and which hospital is trying to kill her now is written down. And the saddest part? I've never been wrong.... Makes me want to

 

[Haley]

Oh yeah, one more thing! Just a small amount of information for some people who may not know. Every night, from usually around 9 in the evening until about 5 or 6 in the morning every rescue squad in the county has a staffed ambulance crew. Ridge Rescue Squad and Lexington Park Rescue Squad provide staffed crews 24/7! Maybe that will help some people sleep better at night!

 

[Qualcom Troll4]

Almost daily a local "Nursing Center" will call our duty officer requesting a non-emergency transport to St Mary's. This procedure usually does not take very long. But if the duty officer takes more than 10 minutes to get a transport crew in place, the nurse will call 911. EVERY SINGLE TIME. This is suprising considering they have a contract with a private ambulance service. When we get there and ask why it is an emergency, they absolutely need to go to the hospital because the doctor said to send them. I have never once seen a doctor there. They basically call us so A DOCTOR, not THE DOCTOR will see them. Usually the patient is sleeping, or has no idea whats going on, and many times DOES NOT EVEN WANT TO GO BECAUSE THEY FEEL FINE. Yes there are true life threatening emergencies that occur, but 90% is bs. Oh, and since these patients are usually bedridden, we cannot put them in the waiting room. Which means, our area can be without an ambulance for up to 90 minutes sometimes while they try to find a place for them.

 

[bcp]

When we get there and ask why it is an emergency, they absolutely need to go to the hospital because the doctor said to send them. I have never once seen a doctor there. They basically call us so A DOCTOR, not THE DOCTOR will see them. Usually the patient is sleeping, or has no idea whats going on, and many times DOES NOT EVEN WANT TO GO BECAUSE THEY FEEL FINE.

and then there are the people like me.

I called the doctors office and asked what I should take to get rid of the heartburn I had been suffering from all day.
after a few questions, he said to go to the ER.

so, I drove on over and told them what he had told me. (come to find out the doctor had really wanted me to call 911 for the free ride)

about 2 hours later when they finally got to me after all the illegals with the sniffles, they discovered that I had had a heart attack earlier that day, and that I needed to go to Washington Hospital Center for a stent.
so I did. (this time the hospital made me take an ambulance from Annapolis to WHC. )

maybe, just maybe if the ER response time was a little better than 2 to 6 hours to be seen for walk ins, people might just not abuse the Emergency service quite as much.

 

[Haley]

and then there are the people like me.

I called the doctors office and asked what I should take to get rid of the heartburn I had been suffering from all day.
after a few questions, he said to go to the ER.

so, I drove on over and told them what he had told me. (come to find out the doctor had really wanted me to call 911 for the free ride)

about 2 hours later when they finally got to me after all the illegals with the sniffles, they discovered that I had had a heart attack earlier that day, and that I needed to go to Washington Hospital Center for a stent.
so I did. (this time the hospital made me take an ambulance from Annapolis to WHC. )

maybe, just maybe if the ER response time was a little better than 2 to 6 hours to be seen for walk ins, people might just not abuse the Emergency service quite as much.

OMG, I am so sorry that happened to you! Emergency Service Providers can not make excuses for the hospitals, but you do make a very good point! I have always thought going out to the public and educating them about the real intention for the 911 system and the reality of care between EMS and the hospitals would be so much better than just complaining about it. No one ever took me up on it though...

 

[wineo]

OMG, I am so sorry that happened to you! Emergency Service Providers can not make excuses for the hospitals, but you do make a very good point! I have always thought going out to the public and educating them about the real intention for the 911 system and the reality of care between EMS and the hospitals would be so much better than just complaining about it. No one ever took me up on it though...

You should contact the EMS office in Leonardtown or Sheriff's office and suggest it again. Maybe call St. Mary's Nursing Home, Bayside and Cedar Lane and schedule a training with them. Might make a difference. JMO

 

[Haley]

You should contact the EMS office in Leonardtown or Sheriff's office and suggest it again. Maybe call St. Mary's Nursing Home, Bayside and Cedar Lane and schedule a training with them. Might make a difference. JMO

Check your PMs.

 

[Bay_Kat]

I think all nursing homes should have contracts with private ambulance companies. I know in Calvert alone there are so many calls to nursing homes daily for things that really aren't emergencies, this ties up our resources especially during the day when most people are working their paid jobs and staffing is at a minimum at the stations.

Another thing, if people got charged for the amublance ride, it may cut back on the "frequent flyers" looking for a free ride into town. Again, free up our resources for real emergencies. In a perfect world this might happen.

 

[bcp]

Another thing, if people got charged for the amublance ride, it may cut back on the "frequent flyers" looking for a free ride into town. Again, free up our resources for real emergencies. In a perfect world this might happen.

I would only charge if they were not seen by the staff once at the hospital.
as hard as it is to believe, there are people out there that dont have the money for an ambulance ride, but still get sick just the same. However its done, you have to make sure that someone that really does need the transport to the hospital, gets it.

 

[BravoFarp]

I think all nursing homes should have contracts with private ambulance companies. I know in Calvert alone there are so many calls to nursing homes daily for things that really aren't emergencies, this ties up our resources especially during the day when most people are working their paid jobs and staffing is at a minimum at the stations.

Another thing, if people got charged for the amublance ride, it may cut back on the "frequent flyers" looking for a free ride into town. Again, free up our resources for real emergencies. In a perfect world this might happen.

Unfortunately, we as EMS providers cannot refuse treatment or transport once we are dispatched. For our own safety we do not wave the BS Flag on anybody. We just bite our tounges and report the incident later. 911 abusers do create a paper trail for themselves. There was a call a few months ago where a person admitted to the ambulance crew that they were in the waiting room, sat there for 30 minutes, then drove to a grocery store and called 911. The crew that picked this person up knew that they were abusing the system, but could not do a thing about it because they run the risk of being sued if they are not 100% polite and do whatever is asked of them. End result: Straight back to the waiting room but at the end of the line again. There is no doubt in my mind that this person was courteous, polite, and grateful to all persons who cared for them that day. They had a headache.

 

[smcop]

Unfortunately, we as EMS providers cannot refuse treatment or transport once we are dispatched. For our own safety we do not wave the BS Flag on anybody. We just bite our tounges and report the incident later. 911 abusers do create a paper trail for themselves. There was a call a few months ago where a person admitted to the ambulance crew that they were in the waiting room, sat there for 30 minutes, then drove to a grocery store and called 911. The crew that picked this person up knew that they were abusing the system, but could not do a thing about it because they run the risk of being sued if they are not 100% polite and do whatever is asked of them. End result: Straight back to the waiting room but at the end of the line again. There is no doubt in my mind that this person was courteous, polite, and grateful to all persons who cared for them that day. They had a headache.

This is why everybody going to the E.R. in an ambulance should be strapped down on a back board, and transported that way, then held like that until seen. I think this might cut down on the frequent fliers...

 

[bcp]

This is why everybody going to the E.R. in an ambulance should be strapped down on a back board, and transported that way, then held like that until seen. I think this might cut down on the frequent fliers...

they did that to me when I went for my back.
the back board is not a pleasant mode of transport for someone that suffers anxiety when strapped down or confined.

(I wasnt faking though, I ended up with the surgery the next morning)