Re: Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

[Guest guest]

For what it's worth, we can not take anyone to the main triage area(also

defined in our ER's as waiting rooms). We take them into the ambulance area,

have

to give the report to an RN....and transfer either back to a bed, or leave

them with the RN or tech to take out to the waiting area.

Kathi

[Guest guest]

For what it's worth, we can not take anyone to the main triage area(also

defined in our ER's as waiting rooms). We take them into the ambulance area,

have

to give the report to an RN....and transfer either back to a bed, or leave

them with the RN or tech to take out to the waiting area.

Kathi

[Guest guest]

I do believe that you answered your own question in your second email that

just appeared. Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something should

happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door. Usually

they are sue happy and looking for a quick way to get out of a bill. They

could care less if you lose your job over the deal. I know what you are

saying, however I think that to err on the side of caution is better than to

try and embarrass someone just to make a point. You worked hard to obtain

your job as a FF (where ever that may be) and to lose it over trying to make

a point does not make any sense to me. I do not know how long you have been

in the EMS business, but at some point you will probably encounter someone

who has and learn first hand the hell that they go through. All of it just

to make a point.

Joby Berkley (real name)

Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

> " Hope you never get burned on the WALK to the ER part. You would not

> be the first " ...

>

>

> Could you clarify this a wee bit for me? Let me establish that the

> person being " escorted " from the ER to triage is someone along the

> likes of the frequent flyer " needing a ride " to the hospital

> because " I am out of my psych meds since last August " .

>

> DFW

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just my 2 cents on this. I had a patient actually try to " fall " out of the back

of the ambulance as we were loading him into a wheelchair for his trip to the

triage area.

After he was placed safely in his bed in the treatment room (following the

handoff) the staff returned to find.............

You guessed it!! The patient lying on his back in the treatment room floor.

Ain't saving lives grand??

Re: Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

I do believe that you answered your own question in your second email that

just appeared. Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something should

happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door. Usually

they are sue happy and looking for a quick way to get out of a bill. They

could care less if you lose your job over the deal. I know what you are

saying, however I think that to err on the side of caution is better than to

try and embarrass someone just to make a point. You worked hard to obtain

your job as a FF (where ever that may be) and to lose it over trying to make

a point does not make any sense to me. I do not know how long you have been

in the EMS business, but at some point you will probably encounter someone

who has and learn first hand the hell that they go through. All of it just

to make a point.

Joby Berkley (real name)

Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

> " Hope you never get burned on the WALK to the ER part. You would not

> be the first " ...

>

>

> Could you clarify this a wee bit for me? Let me establish that the

> person being " escorted " from the ER to triage is someone along the

> likes of the frequent flyer " needing a ride " to the hospital

> because " I am out of my psych meds since last August " .

>

> DFW

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just my 2 cents on this. I had a patient actually try to " fall " out of the back

of the ambulance as we were loading him into a wheelchair for his trip to the

triage area.

After he was placed safely in his bed in the treatment room (following the

handoff) the staff returned to find.............

You guessed it!! The patient lying on his back in the treatment room floor.

Ain't saving lives grand??

Re: Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

I do believe that you answered your own question in your second email that

just appeared. Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something should

happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door. Usually

they are sue happy and looking for a quick way to get out of a bill. They

could care less if you lose your job over the deal. I know what you are

saying, however I think that to err on the side of caution is better than to

try and embarrass someone just to make a point. You worked hard to obtain

your job as a FF (where ever that may be) and to lose it over trying to make

a point does not make any sense to me. I do not know how long you have been

in the EMS business, but at some point you will probably encounter someone

who has and learn first hand the hell that they go through. All of it just

to make a point.

Joby Berkley (real name)

Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

> " Hope you never get burned on the WALK to the ER part. You would not

> be the first " ...

>

>

> Could you clarify this a wee bit for me? Let me establish that the

> person being " escorted " from the ER to triage is someone along the

> likes of the frequent flyer " needing a ride " to the hospital

> because " I am out of my psych meds since last August " .

>

> DFW

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

We do the wheel in and then bring a wheel chair and assist them in to it and

then give a report to the nurse in presence.

Re: Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

Joby,

You make some good points, but then do we transport every patient to the

back of the ER solely for liabilities sake?

Not making any friends with the ER staff there I can tell ya'!!

The extreme would be someone like Doc mentioned, " I ran out of Dilantin and

I don't have a ride " , would you put that person on your stretcher and wheel

him straight back? Or would you consider waking him into the triage area?

How do you tactfully tell someone that they are wasting not only your time,

but the ER's as well? Like DFW, we have a policy to transport everyone who

requests it, regardless of medical neccessity (or lack thereof), or ability

to pay. Some of the facilities that we transport to understand when we say

" Patient is triage acceptable " , and ask us to place them there, do you wheel

them in on the stretcher, drop it in the middle of the triage floor and have

them take 2 steps to a chair? Seems like that would cause extra embarassment

to the patient, not to mention liability to us for wheeling our big

stretcher through a crowded triage room, smacking granny in the head, and

running over Junior's foot.

We have a habit of putting them in a wheeelchair and wheeling them into

triage.

Grey area.............

Mike

> Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

> you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something

should

> happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

> patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

We do the wheel in and then bring a wheel chair and assist them in to it and

then give a report to the nurse in presence.

Re: Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

Joby,

You make some good points, but then do we transport every patient to the

back of the ER solely for liabilities sake?

Not making any friends with the ER staff there I can tell ya'!!

The extreme would be someone like Doc mentioned, " I ran out of Dilantin and

I don't have a ride " , would you put that person on your stretcher and wheel

him straight back? Or would you consider waking him into the triage area?

How do you tactfully tell someone that they are wasting not only your time,

but the ER's as well? Like DFW, we have a policy to transport everyone who

requests it, regardless of medical neccessity (or lack thereof), or ability

to pay. Some of the facilities that we transport to understand when we say

" Patient is triage acceptable " , and ask us to place them there, do you wheel

them in on the stretcher, drop it in the middle of the triage floor and have

them take 2 steps to a chair? Seems like that would cause extra embarassment

to the patient, not to mention liability to us for wheeling our big

stretcher through a crowded triage room, smacking granny in the head, and

running over Junior's foot.

We have a habit of putting them in a wheeelchair and wheeling them into

triage.

Grey area.............

Mike

> Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

> you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something

should

> happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

> patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Actually they get very angry and you still don't get paid. Like I said don't

worry about you money .

Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

" Yeah, it's a LOT more fun to wheel them into triage anyway, that way

everybody gets to see that coming by ambulance doesn't get you in

first. I'm covered, the patient has nothing to complain about and

the liability is on the ER. The look of shock and confusion on the

face of somebody who thinks they fooled the system and got ahead of

everybody else is priceless. "

I am down with that! You're cool and the gang!

DFW

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Actually they get very angry and you still don't get paid. Like I said don't

worry about you money .

Re: Responsibilty vs. Liens for EMS bills

" Yeah, it's a LOT more fun to wheel them into triage anyway, that way

everybody gets to see that coming by ambulance doesn't get you in

first. I'm covered, the patient has nothing to complain about and

the liability is on the ER. The look of shock and confusion on the

face of somebody who thinks they fooled the system and got ahead of

everybody else is priceless. "

I am down with that! You're cool and the gang!

DFW

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Joby,

You make some good points, but then do we transport every patient to the

back of the ER solely for liabilities sake?

Not making any friends with the ER staff there I can tell ya'!!

The extreme would be someone like Doc mentioned, " I ran out of Dilantin and

I don't have a ride " , would you put that person on your stretcher and wheel

him straight back? Or would you consider waking him into the triage area?

How do you tactfully tell someone that they are wasting not only your time,

but the ER's as well? Like DFW, we have a policy to transport everyone who

requests it, regardless of medical neccessity (or lack thereof), or ability

to pay. Some of the facilities that we transport to understand when we say

" Patient is triage acceptable " , and ask us to place them there, do you wheel

them in on the stretcher, drop it in the middle of the triage floor and have

them take 2 steps to a chair? Seems like that would cause extra embarassment

to the patient, not to mention liability to us for wheeling our big

stretcher through a crowded triage room, smacking granny in the head, and

running over Junior's foot.

We have a habit of putting them in a wheeelchair and wheeling them into

triage.

Grey area.............

Mike

> Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

> you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something

should

> happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

> patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door.

[Guest guest]

Joby,

You make some good points, but then do we transport every patient to the

back of the ER solely for liabilities sake?

Not making any friends with the ER staff there I can tell ya'!!

The extreme would be someone like Doc mentioned, " I ran out of Dilantin and

I don't have a ride " , would you put that person on your stretcher and wheel

him straight back? Or would you consider waking him into the triage area?

How do you tactfully tell someone that they are wasting not only your time,

but the ER's as well? Like DFW, we have a policy to transport everyone who

requests it, regardless of medical neccessity (or lack thereof), or ability

to pay. Some of the facilities that we transport to understand when we say

" Patient is triage acceptable " , and ask us to place them there, do you wheel

them in on the stretcher, drop it in the middle of the triage floor and have

them take 2 steps to a chair? Seems like that would cause extra embarassment

to the patient, not to mention liability to us for wheeling our big

stretcher through a crowded triage room, smacking granny in the head, and

running over Junior's foot.

We have a habit of putting them in a wheeelchair and wheeling them into

triage.

Grey area.............

Mike

> Walking someone from the unit into the ER is a chance that

> you are taking and not only will you be held responsible if something

should

> happen to the patient but so will your employer. For some odd reason, some

> patients seem to slip and fall between the unit and the ER door.