Edgar Co. – (ECWd) –
The Northern Edgar County Ambulance Service is on shaky ground with their Medical Director, Michael Smith MD FAEMS.
A recent letter sent to the NECAS outlines patient care concerns and points to it being an ongoing problem. The Medical Director who has oversight over NECAS as a provider in their system has made it crystal clear their options are limited.
Reading the letter may well point to a lawyer’s dream; documented failure to meet the appropriate medical standard to include a major deviation from current ILS care under the Region 6 Sepsis protocol. Although the letter points to one specific patient care incident, it does make it clear there is a past pattern of patient care deficiencies over the last year. I’m sure the people and their families using this ambulance service will take interest in the letter.
As we understand at the time of our reporting, NECAS is still operating at an Intermediate level of service (ILS). Looking at the options provided in the letter by Carle Hospital, it would appear NECAS has taken option #1 which permits them to operate at the ILS level for 30 days and they are required to find another system to sponsor them.
During the last meeting, the Board of trustees for the NECAS issued pay raises although there was nothing on the agenda pertaining to such action as required by law. Even though they were informed of the deficiency, they chose to vote anyway.
You can download the letter at this link or read below.
Letter from Carle to NECAS
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1 Comment
Kelly Brackett
Posted at 22:02h, 03 SeptemberWhen was this letter issued? I don’t understand Carle leaving NECAS in “good standing” for a period of thirty days as a matter of “professional courtesy” nor do I understand Carle “…providing the requisite good standing letter during this period.” Seems to me, Carle is putting themselves in civil peril and the general public in actual physical peril / risk by leaving NECAS in good standing while simultaneously documenting that “…repeated reviews, education and remediation have not been successful in producing an acceptable level of quality of care rendered at the ILS level.” We all know what happens when “professional courtesy” is invoked…in any vocation / profession. It spells bad news for everyone involved and to those purportedly being “served.” Perplexing to say the least.