Health Care Crisis..how it will WE cope?

[Laura Anne]

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/1...mobile-clinics/

Hope this link works....

Basically, as a group of health care providers, how are we going to cope with this mess our country is in? Eventually our EMS system is going to really circle the drain, if it hasn't already, due to this horrible spiraling out of control event.... How can we as providers help our country out? thoughts?????

[Christopher.Collins]

Well... stop responding to calls?

Seriously though, I come from a town where it took an entire fiscal year to vote on the budget... just months before the next fiscal year was it approved. After many cuts to emergency services, which essentially also put 1 police officer on duty in town.... we talked candidly amongst ourselves about not taking calls and putting signs up on the station requesting more adequate funding.

Ethically though, we could and never would do that. But the day an outdated piece of equipment causes a delay in care... or lack of manpower causes a death or injury... someone might wake up.

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On a simillar note I was just accepted into my (new) local fire department. They are the busiest district in town with 1500 calls a year fire and medical... and about 1800+ calls a year throughout the town and mutual aid. They have 52 members... only about 8 are active, 3 of the 8 are paid. Thats pretty bad. Most people who apply drop off the radar once they find out they have to obtain certification. Which is sad but also understandable, who in this economy has time to devote about 180hrs to train for an unpaid job? During my interview I handed them a small packet of my certifications.... they didnt even do the interview, they looked at it and said "your in."