Another Idiot Opposes Progress in NJ EMS Standards

[spenac]

Suck it up and pay for proper medical care for the tax payers.

http://www.politickernj.com/bguhl/25379/do...ostly-mandate-l

By bguhl

DOHERTY EXPRESSES CONCERNS THAT BILL PROPOSING EMT STANDARDS WILL BE ANOTHER COSTLY MANDATE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

Assemblyman Michael Doherty today said he is concerned that new legislation to be considered early next year proposing uniform standards for training and credentialing of New Jersey volunteer EMT’s will result in costly new mandates that will be borne by taxpayers in small communities across the state.

“There is no question that we must ensure our Emergency Medical Services are being provided by properly trained individuals,” said Doherty, R-Warren and Hunterdon. “My concern is that this legislation will create a new level of bureaucracy and red tape for local EMS providers resulting in higher costs and that this will eventually be a cost that local communities cannot afford.”

After a report issue last year raised concerns about the quality of services being provided by the state’s largely volunteer EMS system, the State Emergency Medical Services Council formed a committee to study the issue and that panel has sent draft legislation to the state Health Department aimed creating new training standards.

No legislation has been introduced, and State Senator Joseph Vitale, the chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, told the Star-Ledger that legislative hearings will take place early next year to reach a “consensus” on the issue before a formal bill is introduced.

“We need to make sure that we are not doing more harm than good by creating a new series of mandates so onerous that towns will no longer be able to provide these services,” Doherty said. “Rural and suburban New Jersey communities are already facing too many costly mandates from the state which ultimately hurt our taxpayers. We must be mindful that good intentions sometimes result in negative consequences.”

[dahlio]

And yet, another one.

"It is better to get to someone in 10 minutes with a driver and EMT than have someone wait 40 minutes just to have two EMTs," she said.

The East Brunswick Rescue Squad, which responded to more than 4,000 calls last year, allows volunteers who have trained in CPR and taken a standard first aid course to work on an ambulance under an EMT's supervision. These trainees also must be working toward an EMT certification.

Mary Kerslake, president of the East Brunswick squad, said she worries that mandating uniform standards would make it hard to keep such volunteers.

"To be quite honest, if I was offered a choice between a newly certified EMT and a first-aider who has been riding on an ambulance for a year, I would take the first-aider because they know what they're doing," she said. "The EMT would have book knowledge, but it's the same as a doctor without having any hands-on experience with patients."

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/p...ng_statewi.html

How about to expect an ambulance in less than ten minutes at any time? Why should 40 minutes even be close to acceptable? Why, as a citizen, can't I get two professionals, and get a high level of care. If they're having that much trouble, why aren't they going paid.

“We need to make sure that we are not doing more harm than good by creating a new series of mandates so onerous that towns will no longer be able to provide these services,”

How is providing a higher standard care doing more harm? It's all about the numbers with the politicians. Maybe setting these standards will provide a wake up call for townships that EMS is unacceptable. The only ones complaining about these standards are the volunteers and the politicians, wonder why the professional services haven't spoken up? Coincidence? Think Not.

[BushyFromOz]

yep. Happy i not living there :shock:

[scratrat]

If every other State can do it, why can't they? Well, because of the mental midgets at the First Grade Council. Opps. Sorry, read First Aid Council, my bad. They believe it's perfectly acceptable in this day and age to have volunteers respond who have nothing more than CPR training, ambulances that do not require ANY minimum amount of ANY equipment, and any response time is perfectly acceptable. These numb nuts need to go first. Then maybe we'd make some progress.

[ERDoc]

Just to go completely off topic, I want to address one thing that Mary Kerslake said. You will NEVER find a doctor without "hands-on experiece." We get 2 years of hands on experience (minimum) prior to graduating medical school. Only after that are we let loose on the pts. Just something to keep in mind as the education discussion continues.

[spenac]

Just to go completely off topic, I want to address one thing that Mary Kerslake said. You will NEVER find a doctor without "hands-on experiece." We get 2 years of hands on experience (minimum) prior to graduating medical school. Only after that are we let loose on the pts. Just something to keep in mind as the education discussion continues.

Fred the head and annie give me enough hands on. Real people are easier. :roll:

My paramedic program gets lots of gripes because they require way more patient contacts and skills during clinicals than the state requires. Personally I like it because the more contacts I get under experienced people the greater chance any wrong understandings or methods should get caught and I can get corrected. Then when I'm turned loose I'll already be a full fledged paragiant.

[WolfmanHarris]

Gets gripes for way more contact?! I wish we had even more than we do and I get about 700hrs rideout and 100 in hospital. We do hospital every other friday and I wish we did it every friday.

The fact that this politician would rather have an experienced first aider than a new EMT is kinda scary. I don't know how first aid is taught down there, but up here they aren't even familiarized with any of the equipment they'd be helping an EMT with. So would I want an experienced first aider whose picked up anything he does know along the way and may have been taught wrong, or would I want an EMT who was unsure of themselves but atleast spoke the same language as me and knew the equipment? I'd take the EMT any day.

[mediccjh]

You get what you pay for..... Stop (NJ) Volunteer Ambulances, like my bumper sticker says.

[Rescue0ne]

Same story, different state.

There are people in my area of Virginia that try to justify a volunteer ambulance showing up with just a driver and EMT on board, (because of staffing issues)and transporting them to an ER. "At least they showed up, it's better than nothing", ie: nobody showing up at all.

WRONG! It's that mentality that is killing our patients, as well as the profession. If you're satisfied with that kind of prehospital care, then move to NJ, or wherever the state considers that crap to be acceptable.

Myself, personally, would rather wait a few more minutes for qualified EMS providers, than allowing "Granny the EMT" and "JoePlumber the Driver" to transport me ANYWHERE, let alone an ER.

Too often have I heard, on my portable radio, the following ecerpt of a radio report; "...complaning of sever chest pain, rated a 9 on 1/10 scale. Patient is on 3 liters O2, by nasal cannula, resting comfortably. vitals are within normal limits. We're about 5 min from your facility". So...no ASA, no assisted NTG, not even High-Flow O2???? They didn't even request an ALS intercept from an agency with available ALS. How is a brand new EMT-Basic going to know what in blazes is considered normal vitals? SEVERE CHEST PAIN! No 12-lead...not even a 4-lead! ST elevation...what's that?

Our county has a new Emergency Manager, and she is taking a very close look at the volunteer EMS folks. She has already placed one agency on "probation", just so happens that the agency in question is the one mentioned in the paragraph above.

I'm looking forward to what will happen next.

[JPINFV]

To be fair, my understanding is that a nasal cannula is appropriate for patients suffering from chest pain absent shortness of breath. If the hospital they are transporting to has a cathlab and it's only a 5 minute transport, why waste time calling for paramedics?

Edited April 16, 2010 by JPINFV