From the LVRJ: The Las Vegas Fire Department is transporting more patients from Summerlin and wealthier neighborhoods on the west side and leaving more inner-city hospital transports to American Medical Response, according to a report by local research firm Applied Analysis.
“I’d suggest the data shows they are cherry-picking those calls,”said Scott White, general manager of the private ambulance company which paid for the study.
Applied Analysis said the fire department is showing a preference for “areas with higher incomes, less diversity, higher rates of insurance and ultimately, higher expected emergency medical services collection rates.”
The report also concluded that because of delays in contacting AMR by the Fire Department, some residents in wealthier areas are waiting longer to be transported. The average wait time before the department contacted AMR was nine minutes in March.
White believes the department is waiting longer to contact AMR in those areas because people there have better insurance and are more likely to pay.
The new hospital transport policy implemented by Fire Chief Willie McDonald on March 3 went from an automatic dual response of both the Fire Department and AMR units to a “we’ll call you when we need you” approach toward AMR.
Under dual response, the Fire Department responded to all emergency medical calls but only transported someone to the hospital about 30 percent of the time. AMR handled about 70 percent. McDonald has said he wants to increase his department’s share of hospital transports to 75 percent, but his immediate goal is 50 percent. So far, the department is transporting about 43 percent.
The study found in lower income areas, the Fire Department is reducing the number of hospital transport calls. Both the city and private ambulance companies charge to transport patients to hospitals. http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/fire-rescue/report-las-vegas-fire-department-medics-abandoning-poor-minority-neighborhoods
You would think that people would be calling for the racist fire chief's head....
But the fire chief is black, so like Oama, he will get a pass.
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