Frequent fliers make the news

[Kaisu]

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa...s.92b88044.html

At some point, wouldn't you think SOMEONE would go the extra mile and do something about this - call APS, a social worker, something. I know its an issue we all face and I have developed some strategies to deal with these patients. Social services are woefully inadequate in this state, but there are things we can do for the homeless, drug addicted and alcoholic patient. What are some things that we can do?

[Richard B the EMT]

9 patients made nearly 2,700 ER visits in Texas <h5 class="vitstorydate">01:26 AM CDT on Thursday, April 2, 2009</h5> Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas – Just nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in the Austin area during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report. The patients went to hospital emergency rooms 2,678 times from 2003 through 2008, said the report from the nonprofit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of health care providers who care for low-income and uninsured patients.

"What we're really trying to do is find out who's using our emergency rooms ... and find solutions," said Ann Kitchen, executive director of the group, which presented the report last week to the Travis County Healthcare District board.

The average emergency room visit costs $1,000. Hospitals and taxpayers paid the bill through government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, Kitchen said.

Eight of the nine patients have drug abuse problems, seven were diagnosed with mental health issues and three were homeless. Five are women whose average age is 40, and four are men whose average age is 50, the report said, the Austin American-Statesman reported Wednesday.

"It's a pretty significant issue," said Dr. Christopher Ziebell, chief of the emergency department at University Medical Center at Brackenridge, which has the busiest ERs in the area.

Solutions include referring some frequent users to mental health programs or primary care doctors for future care, Ziebell said.

"They have a variety of complaints," he said. With mental illness, "a lot of anxiety manifests as chest pain."

While deplorable that they travel by the local EMS so much, at least they have real diagnoses. What I want to have fines imposed on, are those who use the EMS to get to the hospital, then run away to across the street to eat in the fastburger place.

[CBEMT]

No different in my local urban area. They actually had one guy (ONE!) who accounted for $1.3 MILLION in hospital care.

He's dead now, after taking a few thousand more dollars with him- hit his head on the sidewalk, head bleed, few days on a vent.

Social services don't and will never work for many of these people- this winter one died of hypothermia on the sidwalk, and other homeless people interviewed about him were universal in stating that he didn't want help, services, or anything else. Just a bottle. Do-gooders with cellphones and annoyed shopkeepers ensured he made 4-5 trips to the hospital per week.

Edited April 6, 2009 by CBEMT