I listen to the scanner daily, and over last few months I’ve been noticing an alarming trend. The number of 911 calls coming out of Salisbury Rehab & Nursing Center (Genesis) has to be taking an emense toll on available local EMS resources. SRNC is calling 911 over 10 times a day, and some days it’s close to 20. That is totally absurd. There’s no way that all those transports are true medical emergencies.
Just yesterday, I heard 2 ambulances go to SRNC for 2 diffent patients at the same time. Doing so depleted Salisbury’s ambulances (the others were responding to other real emergencies in the city), and therefore Salisbury had to call Hebron to assist answering calls in the city, and then Hebron got a call for a patient in cardiac arrest. The patient in cardiac arrest definitely had a delay in care as a direct result of SRNC calling 911 to transport patients that could otherwise be transported by a private ambulance company.
Private ambulances are there to transport patients between facilities, in both emergency and non-emergency situations. EMS personnel on private ambulances have the same training as their 911 counterparts. Private ambulances have the same equipment and capabilities as 911 ambulances.
The 911 EMS system was never designed to transport 10-20 patients a day from one facility to another. My tax money is not supposed to be used to bypass private ambulance companies.
This issue needs to be addressed before more people have a delay in care due to SRNC hogging the city’s available resources.
49 comments:
It’s not alarming, they are making obscene profit on these transports. 5 minute ride, 400$ USD. + medical supplies. A plastic puke bucket is 27$ USD. The hospital bills it, collection agencies rub you for it. It’s called, pay us an annual extortion fee or we will shake you down. They are thieves not civil servants. I thought this was why we paid taxes!
So your solution is to stop service to the nursing home? I want my tax dollars used wisley also if it not being done now you need some put out some ideas for a solution. Do private company have the equipment needed for the most fragile citizens in salusbury. you do know that ambulance service is Bill to insurance companies.
I listen to the Worcester county scanner and there is a very similar problem at the Berlin Nursing Home. Berlin EMS gets several calls a day to transport a senior to the emergency room...which is on the other side of the parking lot!! Berlin EMS must be making a killing from those poor nursing home residents. There must be a better way to move a patient across the parking lot, without deploying a full EMS unit.
REALLY?? It's an old folks home. You know were people with chronic health issues. Turn the scanner off and go out side. Give your brain some oxygen.
Geeze ppl, there are LOTS of patients there. And incase you didnt know, older ppl have many accidents. Get a life and read a book or take up some kind of hobbies besides being nosey.
it isn't. I had to pay for my own transport.
I thought nursing homes had Dr's and Nurses
Liberals always wanted to kill off our seniors to save money tisk tisk tisk
Our tax dollars are not being spent on nursing home calls. Trust me these people pay dear for the ride to hospital. Our tax $ ate spent on nonworking, benifit collecting slugs, who want everything for free.
If the facilities are in the city/town than they pay taxes like other businesses. In many cases the people in those facilities pay taxes as well. Why should they have to use a private company and pay more for the same service of someone that lives next door to a nursing home? The city needs more ambulances and less fire trucks. That has been obvious for a long time.
As some one that has done the gomer shuffle many years ago and elsewhere, it's a CYA on the part of the nursing homes. They do not have onsite labs or xray so say your patient spikes a high fever or has a fall - no one at the home can legally make a diagnosis as to the severity. Is it just a small infection or full sepsis? Sprain or compound fracture? Better to err on the side of worst case scenario and call EMS for transport. As for why a private company cant do it, not sure. We were a private company that alternated city EMS calls with another private co.
berlin nursing home is a joke! the abuse the patients and call ems so the dont have to take care of them. they cant keep help.
Interesting bc the call log only shows one call to 911 on 5/31. Also interesting that the person who posted this refers to the building as SRNC.
Its simple EMS are used and abused by Nursing homes - WHY - because there is 1 licensed nurse for the whole facility. Doctors are called, and their standard answer is "CALL 911". Nursing homes no longer bring Doctors in on full-time basis. You have a bunch on CNA's with the intelligence of a fast food server. The one RN could be good, or she could be overworked. Let me guess a lot of calls are in AM when shift change, or in PM on shift change. Anything in between they lay in bed unnoticed while CNA's play cards. Doctor Kevorkian had a better option to Nursing homes.
The residents of the nursing home pay taxes also and are citizens of the county. They are entitled to the same services as you or any other person.
I also listen daily and they do not have 10-20 calls a day there. Yes occasionly they will have more than one call at the same time there and yes occasionly they will have several calls a day there, but they do not have 10-20. They also use private ambulance services for patients Dr appts etc.
7:16, yes the LifeStar ambulances are fully equipped to do the transports and accept insurance as well. Maybe a little competition would bring the costs into a more competitive range so you would't have to pay such high insurance premiums? That IS where the money comes from, you know. Your pockets and mine.
So your solution is to stop service to the nursing home? I want my tax dollars used wisley also if it not being done now you need some put out some ideas for a solution. Do private company have the equipment needed for the most fragile citizens in salusbury. you do know that ambulance service is Bill to insurance companies.
June 1, 2018 at 7:16 AM
What they are saying is that the Nursing home is abusing the service. Hope your not laying around waiting for an ambulance while you are in cardiac arrest.
Ha Ha Ha...here's the solution! Turn your scanner to the off position and get the hell out of that basement and contribute something to society! I wonder why they call it EMS oh, hell that stands for Emergency Medical Service, DUH, when these stations are called they (responding service provider) are told the situation which in turn lets them effectively know which and how much Ambulance staff is required. Many times the Nursing Homes do use the private Ambulance Services, you just need to gripe!
Bunch of idiots listening to scanners. Try reading a book.
Get off your high horse. IF any tax monies are being used, they would probably be medicare or medicaid money that the person paid into (medicare). If the state paid for it, it would have to be APPROVED by the state, as well as any fed money.
I can see your point though, it does seem like something is being abused. But if that's the only way the home can have patients transported, what do you suggest?
Maybe the home buy a passenger van and hire a driver? Either way the patient needs to get to where they are going.
A lot of times these calls are due to the fact that insurance won’t pay for commercial ambulance transport as it isn’t “medically necessary” for the patient. They then call 911 because SFD won’t refuse to take the patient whether they can pay or not. The facility (SNRC-Genesis) should be fined when they abuse 911.
As a former 911 operator in a different state I can say that many times the nursing homes asked for a transport which has a lower priority
than a 911 emergency call although it was handled the same way. However if a priority one medical call came in and the ambulance going to the nursing home was closer to the emergency, they would be diverted and another ambulance would be sent for transport.
My guess is that the nursing home does not wish to contract with a private ambulance service for some reason.
They key would be to find out how much money actually gets collected from these transports vs what is actually billed. Then you can address if the nursing home is taking advantage of the local EMS or not.
They do have a contract with a private ambulance service. If the transport is not covered for the private ambulance then they call 911. Often times it will be dispatched as a priority call but that’s not what is found once 911 arrives..,
The state took away the ability for the nursing homes to restrain folks to keep them from hurting themselves. So you are going to have more falls and injuries. Law states if they fall and bruise you have to send them to the hospital. Don't fault the care on the workers either. It is not their fault that all of the facilities are understaffed. It is the facilities themselves. It is still a business to them and the bottom line is the deciding factor. They only have 1 RN per area per shift and that could cover 40 plus patients. So yes when someone is questionable they do ship them out under doctors order.This then frees up the RN for the other 39 patients. Sad but thats how it works.
The first thing you need to understand is that Salisbury EMS isn't calling 911. The staff is. They are doing what is called DUMPING. The staff doesn't want to deal with the patients and don't feel like waiting for the transport units. Therefore they call Salisbury. The abuse throughout the country is out of control and not isolated to Salisbury.
Hope your not laying around waiting for an ambulance while you are in cardiac arrest.
June 1, 2018 at 10:34 AM
You don't think they prioritize ambulance calls? Turn off the scanner and go read a book.
Many are frequent transports or not emergency at all. When the dispatched ambulance tried to bill for it, Medicaid declines and it costs the company or tax payers, that transported.
Agreed. Complaining like a bunch of old women...over NOTHING .
"Private ambulances are there to transport patients between facilities, in both emergency and non-emergency situations. EMS personnel on private ambulances have the same training as their 911 counterparts. Private ambulances have the same equipment and capabilities as 911 ambulances."
I was thinking this was a paid farmin from Salisbury belly aching about having to take calls at this nursing home until I came upon this statement. This is obviously someone connected with those private body haulers who do the Winkled Butt Shuffle. They are bitching because they are losing "business" to a real ambulance service. Just because "EMS personnel on private ambulances have the same training as their 911 counterparts" does not mean they are capable or qualified to treat and save lives.
I can't name 1 person working at any of the private ambulance companies such as Lifestar that I would hire to run real emergency 911 calls. The paramedics at Salisbury aren't the best, but I trust them more than I do you clowns. STFU!!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I listen to the Worcester county scanner and there is a very similar problem at the Berlin Nursing Home. Berlin EMS gets several calls a day to transport a senior to the emergency room...which is on the other side of the parking lot!! Berlin EMS must be making a killing from those poor nursing home residents. There must be a better way to move a patient across the parking lot, without deploying a full EMS unit.
June 1, 2018 at 7:46 AM
"Berlin EMS must be making a killing from those poor nursing home residents."
So you think it's better for Lifestar to make a killing from those poor nursing home residents?? How do you know that the Berlin Fire Department charges for their calls? We know Lifestar charges the same rates.
Get a life you Lifestar A$$ Jockey!
Anonymous said...
If the facilities are in the city/town than they pay taxes like other businesses. In many cases the people in those facilities pay taxes as well. Why should they have to use a private company and pay more for the same service of someone that lives next door to a nursing home? The city needs more ambulances and less fire trucks. That has been obvious for a long time.
June 1, 2018 at 8:31 AM
You are 100%, positively correct with your comment.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Interesting bc the call log only shows one call to 911 on 5/31. Also interesting that the person who posted this refers to the building as SRNC.
June 1, 2018 at 8:42 AM
It's someone from Lifestar or another one of those for-profit ambulance companies trying to steal business.
Personally, I think Wicomico County should run all private ambulances out of town and have a division of the 911 service run strictly interfacility transports. It can and should be done.
Anonymous said...
Its simple EMS are used and abused by Nursing homes - WHY - because there is 1 licensed nurse for the whole facility. Doctors are called, and their standard answer is "CALL 911". Nursing homes no longer bring Doctors in on full-time basis. You have a bunch on CNA's with the intelligence of a fast food server. The one RN could be good, or she could be overworked. Let me guess a lot of calls are in AM when shift change, or in PM on shift change. Anything in between they lay in bed unnoticed while CNA's play cards. Doctor Kevorkian had a better option to Nursing homes.
June 1, 2018 at 8:47 AM
What he said^^
Anonymous Michael Franzese said...
The first thing you need to understand is that Salisbury EMS isn't calling 911. The staff is. They are doing what is called DUMPING. The staff doesn't want to deal with the patients and don't feel like waiting for the transport units. Therefore they call Salisbury. The abuse throughout the country is out of control and not isolated to Salisbury.
June 1, 2018 at 10:05 PM
Nursing homes and private ambulances commit the most Insurance Fraud. If the Insurance companies and Medicare would start investigating these abuses then you would see a lot of nursing homes hiring doctors and more nurses full time. You would also see these abusive ambulance runs reduced and these unneeded for profit ambulance ripoff companies would go out of business.
Do you remember this case? It's not an isolated case, they all do it.
Medicare Fraud Lawsuit Names Private Ambulance Company & PRMC
Federal authorities are investigating claims a private ambulance company committed Medicare fraud with the participation of Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
A lawsuit filed in federal court outlines an alleged scheme to rake in tens of millions of dollars by over-billing Medicare on tens of thousands of non-emergency trips.
Anonymous said...
A lot of times these calls are due to the fact that insurance won’t pay for commercial ambulance transport as it isn’t “medically necessary” for the patient. They then call 911 because SFD won’t refuse to take the patient whether they can pay or not. The facility (SNRC-Genesis) should be fined when they abuse 911.
June 1, 2018 at 2:03 PM
No, what should happen is all nursing facilities including Health South Chesapeake Rehab Center should have to pay the ambulance transport immediately and then it should be up to the nursing facility to collect the insurance for the transport. I bet you would see a major decline in ambulance transports.
Did y'all know that at one time Salisbury Nursing Home had their own ambulance?? It was a Cadillac ambulance and it was staffed with EMT's.
They need to get their own ambulance again.
This story gives me the creeps because I knew it was written by one of those Lifestar clowns. Most people that I know who work at private ambulance companies are misfits. They are wannabe medics who want to run lights and sirens but can't get real EMS jobs so they have to settle for a private ambulance company like Lifestar.
Then one misfit like Chuck Ward gets a real job in Berlin then they fire him because he can't comprehend the skills needed to be a real Paramedic. He has been written up by MIEMSS more times than I can count. Then he has to work part-time in the volunteer fire companies throughout Wicomico County which is just as bad as working for Lifestar. Most of those misfits are working for $12 and $13 per hour in Powellville, Pittsville, Allen, Parsonsburg. These are not careers, these are volunteer fire companies buying nice toys with county tax dollars and ambulance billing. The part-timers are working for minimum pay just to keep the county from taking over and creating a countywide EMS system.
The whole system sucks.
Private ambulance employees are like the useless CNA's and medical assistants in the nursing homes.
Now that I am thinking of it I haven't heard the ambulance dispatched to Deers Head Hospital lately. I've always wondered why they called themselves a hospital but always sent their patients to PRMC.
Berlin Fire Department charges everyone. They have to make up for the funds they lost when they wrongfully fired that paramedic. And for the funds the Town won't give them because apparently they don't know how to handle money.
One way to resolve this, or at least reduce the number of ambulance calls would be for the family of the patient to take their loved one to their doctor appointments. If they care enough, or at all.
I know most people dump their family member in these places and hope to never be bothered with them again so that probably isn't a viable option in most cases. And some patients need skilled transport and the family simply cannot provide that themselves.
They would have to know how to read first. Knuckle dragging, mouth breathers like that are not able.
Wow, someone must not like me. Whoever you may be you might want to fact check a little. I have never worked lifestar. I did do the private ambulance thing for a couple years prior to my EMS career but that was 20 years ago. I have never been written up by MIEMSS in any way. Lastly being fired by Berlin was not for my skills it was a personal vendetta by a member of the department.
So please don't throw me into your issues with other providers in this area that you have a problem with.
If you feel the need to talk to me you can get my phone number from any provider in this area. Until then I will continue to pray for you. God Bless You.
Chuck Ward
Hey Chuck, you should pray for your lack of skills and lack of knowledge.
You are right, the management at Berlin didn't like you because you are the worst paramedic in Worcester County.
Keep praying buddy.
I saw the press release where Jake Day appointed his little buddy John Tull as the new fire chief. We all knew the biggest butt kisser would get it.
Jake Day you are an idiot and you wasted everyone's time with those fake interviews when you knew already you were going to appoint that clown.
The Salisbury Fire Department is still going to be the same ole, same ole.
Joe I just saw that press release from Jake Day saying he was pleased to announce that he hired John Tull as the next fire chief of Salisbury.
Didn't the City recently pass legislation stating that all new department heads are going to be required to live in the city limits of Salisbury?
I have a feeling that John Tull will not be moving to Salisbury.
Anonymous said...
Berlin Fire Department charges everyone. They have to make up for the funds they lost when they wrongfully fired that paramedic. And for the funds the Town won't give them because apparently they don't know how to handle money.
June 3, 2018 at 11:24 PM
How much did they lose over wrongfully firing that paramedic?
Anonymous said...
Joe I just saw that press release from Jake Day saying he was pleased to announce that he hired John Tull as the next fire chief of Salisbury.
Didn't the City recently pass legislation stating that all new department heads are going to be required to live in the city limits of Salisbury?
I have a feeling that John Tull will not be moving to Salisbury.
June 5, 2018 at 4:52 PM
What a F'n joke Jake Day and John Tull over. After that stupid boondoggle with the Station 1 volunteer, you would think Jake Day would have had enough brains to hire someone from outside the department to clean that mess up.
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