A question about emergency services in St.Mary's

[wineo]

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...

I agree When I ran rescue years ago, we had a call in the middle of the night for someone that couldn't walk, before we loaded him on the stretcher, he jumped up and grabbed his cigs, then start with the whinning again about the pain is his legs I was sleeping and got up for that, makes you wonder about people sometimes.

 

[Haley]

I ran a call 2 years ago, a motor vehicle accident with 2 cars. One car rearended the other. The receiving vehicle (lol) had 3 kids in the backseat ages 4,7, and 9 I believe. The back door was jammed so we were going to pop the door open. Well the kids were freaking out, the mother who was in the driver's seat was complaining of neck and back pain but turned herself 180 degrees to yell at me before popping the door, then turned another 180 degrees to pick each child up from the back seat, pull them out of the front seat and carry them to the median strip. After all 3 children were out of the car the mother put herself back in the driver's seat and we had to extricate her from her seat. She would not walk to the ambulance, we had to collar her, transfer her to the backboard, and strap her down right there. What was the point of all of this? It took all I had not to yell at that woman and tell her she was an idiot but because I'm proud of what I do, I restrained myself. I just shake my head and laugh at her now when I think of that. Turns out she didn't have anything wrong with her. Oh yeah, and her car was totalled anyway! lol.

Maybe she thought she'd be seen sooner if she was pulled from the vehicle? I don't understand the point of her actions, but it was enough to drive me nuts! lol.

 

[itsbob]

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.

I can't remember where I lived at the time.. but to battle this abuse they started charging what the normal allowable rate was for most insurance comapnaies for ambulance service. $500!!

Now since inurance covers it it won't be a financial burden on most, but those that take advantage I would assume probably aren't insured, and after they get the first bill in the mail would think twice before calling again.

There were some caveats to charging for ambulance or emergency services.. like reporting to credit agencies, collections etc.. but it cut down a LOT on stupid frivilous ambulance calls... AND it helped support the local EMS and volunteer squads.

I know in PA we had taxpaid FT fire services, but our emergency services were private and they would fight over your business, even recruiting memberships for particular ambulance companies.

The only question I have.. having lived next to Asbury Nursing Home.. WHY do the drivers insist on lights and SIRENS at 2 AM driving on the private road back to Asbury??? I can understand the lights, but who, exactly, are the sirens for?

 

[sparkysgirl]

I can't remember where I lived at the time.. but to battle this abuse they started charging what the normal allowable rate was for most insurance comapnaies for ambulance service. $500!!

Now since inurance covers it it won't be a financial burden on most, but those that take advantage I would assume probably aren't insured, and after they get the first bill in the mail would think twice before calling again.

There were some caveats to charging for ambulance or emergency services.. like reporting to credit agencies, collections etc.. but it cut down a LOT on stupid frivilous ambulance calls... AND it helped support the local EMS and volunteer squads.

I know in PA we had taxpaid FT fire services, but our emergency services were private and they would fight over your business, even recruiting memberships for particular ambulance companies.

The only question I have.. having lived next to Asbury Nursing Home.. WHY do the drivers insist on lights and SIRENS at 2 AM driving on the private road back to Asbury??? I can understand the lights, but who, exactly, are the sirens for?

It's a cover your ass thing. If we get in an accident and do not have our emergency lights and sirens on we are automatically at fault pretty much.

 

[This_person]

would you rather have someone doing it for the money.
or
would you rather have someone doing it because they care and are exceptionally good people.?

Would you rather have someone doing it who dedicated their life (personal and professional) to doing it, or someone who does it as a side hobby?

It can be spun either way. The answer is, I want someone doing it who wants to do it, and both volunteers and paid do it because they want to. And, I want those that do it to be properly compensated for it.

 

[This_person]

VOlunteers don't get paid at all!??

A friend of mine was a volunteer in the town FD in NH.. he didn't get paid as he wasn't salaried, but anytime they got a call, they got paid.

I don't know about full time FD and Rescue, but I have NO problem with paying them for what they do now.

If we go to FT paid fire services, we are probably going to lose 60% of our emergency services... no way we can afford to pay the size force we have now FT salaries.

I thank all of them for what they do, and the sacrifices they make, and thank the families for putting up with the disruption in their lives so their loved ones can continue to serve.

I believe ours only get $3000/year off of their taxes (taxes, not income), and a retirement if they've earned it. IMO, they earn more, and should receive it.

 

[itsbob]

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.

You are assuming abuse on the Nurses part.

How often do you see this patient?

The nurses see these patients more than they see their own kids. They notice changes in behaviors, demeanor and even the slightest change that can point to something serious. They love these patients as if they were their children, or their very own parents.

What you may perceive as a normal patient, healthy, and "feels fine" may have suffered a stroke and what you are seeing really isn't "normal' for this particular patient. I know personally of several that have been unecessarily sent to the hospital to discover they've had a stroke or serious internal brain injury.. hemorraghe etc. Because the nurse noticed an irregularity in their personality, nothing more.

I'll side with the nurses on this one, as they know these patients better than any doctor, ambulance crew, or probably even the family.

Nurses in a hospital get to know patients for a couple days, maybe a week or two, Nursing home nurses are around their patients 8 - 12 hours a day, at least 5 days a week for YEARS.. who do you think knows them bettter?

 

[sparkysgirl]

You are assuming abuse on the Nurses part.

How often do you see this patient?

The nurses see these patients more than they see their own kids. They notice changes in behaviors, demeanor and even the slightest change that can point to something serious. They love these patients as if they were their children, or their very own parents.

What you may perceive as a normal patient, healthy, and "feels fine" may have suffered a stroke and what you are seeing really isn't "normal' for this particular patient. I know personally of several that have been unecessarily sent to the hospital to discover they've had a stroke or serious internal brain injury.. hemorraghe etc. Because the nurse noticed an irregularity in their personality, nothing more.

I'll side with the nurses on this one, as they know these patients better than any doctor, ambulance crew, or probably even the family.

Nurses in a hospital get to know patients for a couple days, maybe a week or two, Nursing home nurses are around their patients 8 - 12 hours a day, at least 5 days a week for YEARS.. who do you think knows them bettter?

Most of the time these nurses do have the pt's best interest at heart. However, dealing with them face to face it is painfully obvious at times that there is no reason for the pt to go via emergency ambulance. Now the pt's that fell 5 hours before and they sat in a chair with bi-lateral hip fractures needed the ambulance....

Don't get me wrong, I examine every pt thoroughly and never assume anything at the time. Just trust me from someone who has dealt with them many, many times. There is a good majority that do NOT need an emergency ambulance and can easily be handled by AAA if the nurses were willing to wait. I've had the "their doctor wants them to go" excuse given to me many times.

 

[BS Gal]

Some of the calls I hear on the scanner for an ambulance are ridiculous, i.e., bladder infection, headache, etc. Ya gotta love the rescue squad volunteers who can put up with it without losing their patience or temper.

 

[Lilypad]

Some of the calls I hear on the scanner for an ambulance are ridiculous, i.e., bladder infection, headache, etc. Ya gotta love the rescue squad volunteers who can put up with it without losing their patience or temper.

Thank you.
I have responded to all sorts of calls-"I stepped on a caterpillar", "My eyes hurt", "I don't look right", "I think I ate some of that poison peanut butter (almost a year ago) I don't feel so good", "My feet hurt", etc.
Granted one never knows what you'll actually find when you respond to one of these calls cause laudy we all know "what we're toned out for and what we get" can be totally different.
I give every patient 100%-the best care I am trained for and due respect.
Nothing worse then when transporting a "frequent flyer" you hear a dispatch for a pediatric emergency or an elderly patient’s emergency.

 

[sparkysgirl]

Thank you.
I have responded to all sorts of calls-"I stepped on a caterpillar", "My eyes hurt", "I don't look right", "I think I ate some of that poison peanut butter (almost a year ago) I don't feel so good", "My feet hurt", etc.
Granted one never knows what you'll actually find when you respond to one of these calls cause laudy we all know "what we're toned out for and what we get" can be totally different.
I give every patient 100%-the best care I am trained for and due respect.
Nothing worse then when transporting a "frequent flyer" you hear a dispatch for a pediatric emergency or an elderly patient’s emergency.

I agree one hundred percent. I've been dispatched for back pain to find a person in the middle of a heart attack. I've been dispatched for back pain to find an elderly man who fell in his yard 3 hours before in 87 degree heat, suffering from dehydration as well.

On the other hand, I've been dispatched to the chest pains call and got there to hear the pt tell me "No it's not my chest, I've had this cough all day"

Or the dehydrated pt who has had diarrhea for two hours.

Or the toothache at 4 am who wanted me to take her to the hospital after she had just taken 2 percocet...guess what? Her husband followed behind the ambulance.

 

[Bay_Kat]

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.

There are also those who like to go, get seen by the staff for some BS thing just to get pain killers. So a free ride and they get their happy pills. Bottom line, there is no way to stop the BS calls which is really sad if there is truly an emergency and the responding ambulance has to come further away than the first due ambulance who would get there faster.

 

[GreenHornet]

Yes.

 

[sparkysgirl]

Just getting this back up to the top so we can continue our discussion without digging through old posts

 

[GreenHornet]

Just getting this back up to the top so we can continue our discussion without digging through old posts

Thank you.

 

[sparkysgirl]

Thank you.

No problem

 

[BravoFarp]

Just getting this back up to the top so we can continue our discussion without digging through old posts

DITTO

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

How about when you run a call, and you pull up to the address, and your patient is outside with a small suitcase in her hand waiting for you. Or you run a sick call for a 17yr old, he may have been 16 and he's waiting outside, we ask him to go back inside (its dark out)so we can check him out better and all of a sudden his father comes out of a back bedroom and says whats going on he doesnt even know that the ambulance was called till he see's the flashing lights boucning off his bedroom walls, we take him to the ER, (Civista)they are really busy no beds, he's to go to tirage out front, but since he is a minor we cant leave him out in tirage, we have to wait for his Aunt to get there, ties us up for about an hour in the ER waiting for a family member to arrive.

 

[BravoFarp]

How about when you can't even find the address because they never bothered to mark their driveway or their house? Or when they squeeze a house onto the back of a family member's land? That way, the 5 digit address doesn't fall where it is supposed to fall, sometimes a few more miles away.

 

[keepsmiling]

How about when you can't even find the address because they never bothered to mark their driveway or their house? Or when they squeeze a house onto the back of a family member's land? That way, the 5 digit address doesn't fall where it is supposed to fall, sometimes a few more miles away.

it would make sense to allow people to have their mailboxes in their own yard vs across the street and up a block or two....but seriously everyone does need to have numbers visible for your local fire departments to find.