Lowell IN, and Tri-Creek EMS

[toddk]

Tonight, Jan. 27, 2011, @ 7 pm there will be a meeting at the Lowell Community Center.

The Cedar Creek Trustee is having a public meeting to discuss dropping the contract with Tri-creek EMS for providing emergency medical care to it's citizens. She would like to start a contract with a private service. (Prompt or Superior.)

In my personal opinion this would be a huge mistake for several reasons:

1. Tri-Creek EMS was originally established to replace the sub-par service that the citizens of the Lowell area received from Superior ambulance service. (Long response times due to ambulance being out of the area was the main problem.)

2. While Tri-creek usually runs two paramedics on each rig, the privates will run AT MOST, one paramedic, and one EMT, more likely will be a Basic life support ambulance with the paramedic in a chase truck to be called in for certain calls.

3. While the staff from a private service can provide the same level of treatment, I believe they won't be able to provide the same level of care.

4. The men and women of Tri-Creek EMS are a dedicated group of LOCAL medical professionals. Most are Firefighters from local departments, and they are our neighbors, friends and Family. They have a stake in this town, and are here because they care. I feel that it would be hard to match this level of commitment and dedication with a private service that is staffed with part-time individuals here for a paycheck only.


I'm sure that a private service could do it cheaper, however what are we willing to sacrifice for the savings. Luckily I do not live in Cedar Creek Twp, But I do have friends and Family that do, and I fear for the care that they will receive if the call 911.

I urge any and all people that live, work, or have family in Cedar creek TWP, to please come to the meeting tonight, and let your opinion be known. They did this in Merrilville, don't let it happen here!

Sorry for the late notice, just got the details today...

 

[Disposable Heart]

Help me out regarding #3: What is the difference twixt care and treatment?

 

[toddk]

Treatment is the medications and interventions performed.

Care is the above along with bedside manner, professionalism, and comfort/ familiarity with the medical provider. (the whole package.)

 

[iamaclone45]

Bad situation to be in.

The private service will be all about the money. They may start out ok, but high turn over levels and low pay while being over worked will lead to employees who simply don't care.

A private company will also probably make an excellent deal at first, a low priced contract and then once they have you in, they will jack the price.

Good luck and glad I'm not in your position.

 

[Greatestsin]

I work for Superior, and can tell you that we provide the care too with 95% of our employees. When I worked for Prompt, it really depended on the employee as to whether care really comes with it, and it seemed like less than 50% of the employees. But, I am very glad that they opted to stick with Tri-Creek. Prompt has a very longstanding habit of illegally underbidding(illegal because they bid lower then the legal level allowable, which is set to prevent 'bribing' with the bid) and would most likely have won the contract. I knew a lot of good people at Prompt, but just as many that shouldn't be in the business. Better to not take on a private service at all, because like already stated, money is the bottom line. The problem is that EMS and Fire service are not a profitable business, and private companies can sometimes absorb the cost of running EMS better than the town can.

 

[Loco179]

Anyone that says 911 is not a profitable business is not doing it well. I know Rural Metro was making a huge huge profit from their 911 contracts in Indianapolis. A hospital based service is at a severe disadvantage in the billing end of things.

A good EMS service is hard to find in Indiana. The huge problem is the treatment of employee's.