Paramedics punished for not treating crash victim (San Anton

[mahabreta]

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news.../0925crash.html.

Paramedics punished for not treating crash victim

Texas State student was passenger in 2007 wreck in San Antonio.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Thursday, September 25, 2008

SAN ANTONIO — The certifications of three San Antonio paramedics who responded to a traffic collision in which a severely wounded woman went untreated for hours have been suspended for six months.

The victim, 23-year-old Erica Smith of Austin, was eventually taken to a hospital, where she died.

The Texas Department of State Health Services suspended the certifications of Mike Gardner, William Bullock and Jeremy Huntsman beginning Sept. 13, the San Antonio Express-News reported in its Wednesday online editions.

After the six-month suspension, they will have a probation period of six months.

The agency had considered suspending the paramedics' certifications for one year but reassessed after meeting with them and discussing the fatal crash. The agency also withdrew a proposed reprimand of a fourth paramedic, Michael Collins.

"There's just nothing anybody can do to bring Erica back," her mother, Lisa Smith, said. She declined to comment further and referred calls to the family's attorney, Greg Turman of Corpus Christi. Turman couldn't be reached.

Carrie Williams, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that the paramedics were cooperative and had no previous disciplinary records.

"The medics understand their mistakes and are determined to learn from them," Williams said.

Early on Dec. 16, 2007, a Pontiac GS driven by Jenny Ann Ybarra of Seguin veered into oncoming traffic on Loop 410 and collided with a Honda Accord in which Smith, who attended Texas State University-San Marcos, was the front-seat passenger. The Accord driver and a passenger in the back seat both had minor injuries. Ybarra was indicted in June on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault; the Accord driver was charged with driving while intoxicated.

Smith, her brain exposed, was presumed dead by the medics and left untreated in the Accord. The state agency in part accused Gardner of failing to check her for vital signs after he saw her move.

Collins and Gardner left the scene. Bullock and Huntsman returned after a medical examiner's investigator noticed that Smith still was breathing. The state agency in part accused Huntsman and Bullock of not checking Smith's vital signs.

After the accident, the San Antonio Fire Department permanently barred Gardner from working as a paramedic in the city and transferred him to the firefighting division. It also temporarily deauthorized Huntsman, Bullock and Collins as San Antonio paramedics and transferred them to the firefighting division — a condition that still stands, said fire union President Chris Steele.

Gardner can never work as a paramedic in San Antonio again and is barred from working as a paramedic anywhere in the state for the next six months.

Additional material from staff writer Tony Plohetski.

Does this seem excessive to anyone else?

[ERDoc]

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt when you ask if it was excessive and assume that you were being sarcastic. I think these guys got off lucky. They should have had their cards pulled permanently. A young girl died because of their actions, or lack thereof. There is no was to tell if she would have died from her injuries if she were treated properly, but the fact that she survived for several HOURS without care makes me think that she had a chance. I will admit though that I don't understand where the punishment for Bullock and Huntsman came about. They were called to the scene after the ME called and said she was breathing. Did I miss something?

[DwayneEMTP]

"...the San Antonio Fire Department permanently barred Gardner from working as a paramedic in the city and transferred him to the firefighting division. It also temporarily deauthorized Huntsman, Bullock and Collins as San Antonio paramedics and transferred them to the firefighting division"

Standard fire punishment. Can't hang as a medic? Then let's punish you by allowing you to sit and do nothing at full salary. What? You meant that's what you wanted all along? Amazing.....

Dwayne

[pguy280]

This is nothing new have seen and read many stories such as this from both the private sector an municipal. Having no idea what the punishment policies are there I will not comment on that. Can gather there were circumstances involved there that were not published that led up poor judgement being made on that call (what transpired on original scene) Dwayne your amazed that there now on a fire truck or that the punishment was to leanent. Could you clarify

Thanks

[JakeEMTP]

) Dwayne your amazed that there now on a fire truck or that the punishment was to leanent. Could you clarify

Thanks

I will not try to answer for Dwayne but knowing him as I do, his comment drips with sarcasm. The fact that a FF gets taken of the ambulance and put on a engine is not punishment. It is their ultimate goal.

[Asysin2leads]

Give them a break. If they're not on fire they kinda get lost as what to do. In my book, not checking vital signs at all... unless say the brain is in the back seat... but not checking them after seeing movement especially, isn't just a breach of duty, it really borders on a criminal act.

But hell, we need to get accountability into medicine itself before it trickles down to EMS.

[mobey]

We have a policy that states we have to confirm Asystole (or PEA) with a 6 second strip on every patient we deem dead, even if thier brain is in the back seat. Although I think it is a joke, maybe it needs to be a standard.

Ahhh what the he11, how about just check for pulses and resps?

This is sad!

Worst part is, now these yahoo's are "polishing thier brass" in some fire hall making money way more efficiently than ever before.

[DwayneEMTP]

I will not try to answer for Dwayne but knowing him as I do, his comment drips with sarcasm. The fact that a FF gets taken of the ambulance and put on a engine is not punishment. It is their ultimate goal.

That's it exaclty...Thanks Jake....

[Just Plain Ruff]

they should have been fired, licenses pulled and restricted to flipping burgers at Mcdonalds.

these guys are a disgrace ot this profession.

I'll bet the mothers attorney is getting ready to file a multi million dollar wrongful death lawsuit,

"Ma'am, who do we write the check out to? " and can we name the fire department building after your daughter?

[defib_wizard]

I have believed for a long time that there should be a different name for fire medics and career paramedics.

No dustdevil, monkey medic is not an option! ( It would cost too much to print that on their shirts )