Healthcare Reform? I know a great place to save money!

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Permalink Reply by Tim Selement on August 15, 2009 at 6:36pm

This is a tough subject for me to defend. My wife works in a homeless shelter and has dealt with the local fire dept and EMS personel in these situations. Sometimes the staff makes the 911 call and sometimes the clients make the call without the staff's knowledge. There are definitley situations that warrent help because they are endangering themselves or others, and I know she would not allow a client to endanger another. I dont believe they are trying to get rid of their less desirables, they have already taken the responsibility to care for societies less desirables. As for the less desirables, they will ALWAYS be a part of our society and there will always be a need to care for them. I too have worked at the shelter for a year (a year that seemed like two) before getting on the job and have seen both sides of this story now. We know the calls by the address and are already putting on our ugly faces. She has seen those faces. But they still deserve our best! Thats why we have earned the respect that we have now, because on those tough days we get on the truck with a smile and goodness in our hearts.
And for the nurses and doctors, I have no experience with those types of calls but I feel ya brother, it seems something needs to be changed. But charging the shelter? They are the brave who take the jobs no one wants, and havent ignored the Broken. I can respcet that!

Permalink Reply by Mike Walker on August 15, 2009 at 9:09pm

Well said Tim, and as far as respecting and even admiring those who are willing to work with the homeless is a good thing. I also agree with you that we, the service providers, should always demonstrate the highest level of professionalism but that isn't my point. I am refering to the millions of dollars that are completely wasted on obviously bogus calls. Taking someone to the hospital by ambulance that supposedly has a spider bite but is exhibiting absolutely no signs or symptoms of a reaction, is wasteful.

I have actually responded to a homeless shelter on " a person who is having stomach problems." When we arrive he in fact does have stomach problems, he's hungry. He missed chow at the shelter and they refused to feed him. Their solution? Call 911 so an ambulance can take him to the hospital and they'll feed him.

I'm not joking, it happened.

I've made too many of those types of calls to recall. It is wasting tax money.

Permalink Reply by Tim Selement on August 17, 2009 at 10:30pm

Well said brother. I agree that they are wasting tax dollars. And if the shelter employee called they are in the wrong. Great discussion, looking toward the next one.

Mike Walker said:

Well said Tim, and as far as respecting and even admiring those who are willing to work with the homeless is a good thing. I also agree with you that we, the service providers, should always demonstrate the highest level of professionalism but that isn't my point. I am refering to the millions of dollars that are completely wasted on obviously bogus calls. Taking someone to the hospital by ambulance that supposedly has a spider bite but is exhibiting absolutely no signs or symptoms of a reaction, is wasteful.

I have actually responded to a homeless shelter on " a person who is having stomach problems." When we arrive he in fact does have stomach problems, he's hungry. He missed chow at the shelter and they refused to feed him. Their solution? Call 911 so an ambulance can take him to the hospital and they'll feed him.

I'm not joking, it happened.

I've made too many of those types of calls to recall. It is wasting tax money.

Permalink Reply by Brian Arnold on August 18, 2009 at 10:33am

I've got a couple of examples for you.

Regular that calls and wants us to get a coke out of the fridge for him or make him something to eat. But he can still reach the bottle of Wild Irish Rose on the floor next to him.......the cops won't even bother with him anymore.
or

the regular, who has serious medical issues that would call us out to adjust his A/C. Never knew when it was going to be legit or a bogus call. We finally got social services to get involved and take him away.....

Just wait until the free ambulance rides kick in and see how many people start using it for a taxi. I predict that alot more of those free rides will be sitting in the triage area of the hospital instead of getting a "go straight to a room ticket" like they used to.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Schwering on August 18, 2009 at 10:38am

Mike,
I agree with what you are saying, completely. My Department doesn't run an ambulance, we use a private company for transport, I know, different disscussion totally. We run an paramedic/ Engine on these type of calls, talk about wasteful. Do to the money crunch in our town, I can't take my crew out on weekends due to fuel prices, for building familiarization, but I run code 3 to an urgent care, that only requires the ambulance for transport. When it's talked about, we need the runs for our own survival, or the city hall dwellers my try to cut more than they have already.