Frequent Flyers or Transport Tommys?

[Richard B the EMT]

In a recent posting, I saw a reference to someone who would use EMS to transport the individual from wherever, to an Emergency Department, where the individual would then sign out of the ED, and walk the remaining 2 blocks to his home, effectively using the ambulance as a taxi.

As apparently, per the poster, the individual had done it numerous times, the poster referred to this individual as a "Transport Tom".

Many of our systems represented here have problems with either people who misuse the system, or make many trips in a short period to an ED.

My question is actually not on how to cure this admitted problem, but what nicknames you have for them. I already mentioned one: "Transport Tom". My agency nickname for them is "Frequent Flyers".

What does your agency call those people who either misuse the system a lot, or even legitimately use the services of your agency more than once a week (had one, multiple times in a day!)?

[FireGuard69]

We called em Pain in the Ass.

We had one guy, who DID have a medical reason for going......once in a while. The rest of the time (3x a day when he was broke, or cold, for a hot meal) he just wanted a hot meal. MUTT.

[strippel]

Don't really have a name for them, just a$$holes.

Every now and again, we'd have someone use the ambulance as a taxi. Since we are stationed at the hospitals, we can see them walk out.

For a while, we had some druggies who lived about 10 miles north of the city. Just so happened there was a community hospital there. They would get a ride into the city, sell their drugs, buy others, and use them. They would then OD, pass out, and someone would call us. When we woke them, they wanted transported back to their hometown hospital, so they didn't need to call for a ride, take a bus or cab. Just after the second trip with them to their home town, it was figured out. Now, they go to one of our fine city establishments.

[captainstandup]

Where is the Clevland EMS Commissioner? I'm sure he could offer us his limpwristed poitically correct phrase.

[mstovall]

Frequent Flyer is some one who is always calling.

Transport Tommy is someone who is using you for a desired result. Named after an individual that was once noted as a frequent flyer, but would bend the system to the uptmost. He would get kicked out of a homeless shelter or motel or resident program and then use us to either get another place or just shuffled through a system that would have to take care of him. Feel free to use this as I think it is kinda catchy.

Michael

[amraam840]

I call them our tax dollars hard at work.

[Richard B the EMT]

OK, so far we have "frequent Flyers,""Transport Tommys,""Pain in the Butts" (keep it somewhat clean, folks), and "Mutts". Some also call them a variety of "Skells".

What else we got out there?

[AnthonyM83]

In a recent posting, I saw a reference to someone who would use EMS to transport the individual from wherever, to an Emergency Department, where the individual would then sign out of the ED, and walk the remaining 2 blocks to his home, effectively using the ambulance as a taxi.

I think that would qualify as a PD call the next time it happened, at least from some behavior persuasion even if they don't have a case.

As for the daily fliers, we usually just take them until one of the medics or captains snaps and chews them out...then they usually call again, anyway

[Richard B the EMT]

I think that would qualify as a PD call the next time it happened, at least from some behavior persuasion even if they don't have a case.

As for the daily fliers, we usually just take them until one of the medics or captains snaps and chews them out...then they usually call again, anyway

Don't see it happening here anytime soon. We had a case where an FDNY EMS crew gave a patient and his family a choice between hospitals equally qualified, and at similar distance, from where they encountered the patient. They chose the one hospital, because there was a McDonalds Hamburger across the street, so they could eat while the patient was being seen.

As the other hospital was about to put the first private service ambulance,under contract to them (the hospital) into the 9-1-1 system, and the FDNY EMS union was protesting this, the FDNY brought charges against the crew for "Patient Steering," claiming transporting the patient to the hospital that actually received the patient was an "obvious protest". The 2 EMTs had no seniority, and were initially fired without a departmental trial.

Go after the system abusers? No, go after the crews trying to do both the right thing, by rulebook and following patient and family request.

(Someone know if these 2 guys got reinstated? I am lacking that answer. )

[rdenman26]

Could not possibly say what we call them. But like every were system abuse is on the increase.