Acadian

[GulDukat]

I am coming across as an apologist for bad private EMS so I want to make it clear now. There are many private Ambulance services that should not operate. They are a bane to our entire field & ultimately they will fail.

I don't know a thing about Acadian other than what I've read on-line & seen on the news but they seem like a reputable company that puts money into field operations. During our last hurricane season I know many large private company's that sent help immediately to the gulf area. (Government agencies did as well)

Nate of anybody on here, or in the world for that matter, you can attest that just because a municipality runs an Ambulance service it does not mean that they put the patient care as the # 1 priority.

[Nate]

I am coming across as an apologist for bad private EMS so I want to make it clear now. There are many private Ambulance services that should not operate. They are a bane to our entire field & ultimately they will fail.

I would say 99.9% of the private ambulance services in the Houston area don't need to be open and for business. I can actually only name maybe four or five who are actually good companies.

I don't know a thing about Acadian other than what I've read on-line & seen on the news but they seem like a reputable company that puts money into field operations. During our last hurricane season I know many large private company's that sent help immediately to the gulf area. (Government agencies did as well)

Everyone that I know who works for them said they were decent, I have no first hand information to share. I'm not saying every service that is private is owned, just that there are an overwhelming majority who leave a bad taste in people's mouth.

Nate of anybody on here, or in the world for that matter, you can attest that just because a municipality runs an Ambulance service it does not mean that they put the patient care as the # 1 priority.

Yes I can, and to be honest...most of us down here were truly shocked.

[flight-lp]

"I would say 99.9% of the private ambulance services in the Houston area don't need to be open and for business. I can actually only name maybe four or five who are actually good companies."

I was thinking even less than that.....................

Sadly, unknown to many, Goldstar's decision to pull out of Galveston County had little to do with the bankruptcy or the federal investigation...........It really left an already sour county helpless for a while though........

[bullmedic]

Acadian has done similar things in Louisiana. If not completely pulling out they simply hold the parish hostage by using threats of leaving. This is the best way to bilk more money out of the local governments. "If you don't give us some financial assistance we will have to leave."

This is of course not the fault of the medics. There are some good medics that work for Acadian. This is simply the corporate model for profits. You have to protect your investments and if you are not profitable you close shop. EMS as a whole should not be a venture that is purely fueled by profits. If we relied on profits to make police departments profitable where would we be?

Zuschlag has worked his way into every political niche he can and has even made a $5000 contribution to Jefferson's defense fund.

What will Orange do if Acadian comes to them 5 years from now and says hey we aren't profitable pay up or we are out of here? Just hope the tax payers in Orange realize there ambulance bills are going to be a lot more than they have been in the past.

[StarTarveler649]

Having work for the big green machine for 7 years before being paroled, it is defintniely a better company looking in then looking out.

The main goal of is to keep competition out and profits rolling in.

They have been caught for illegal billing practices fines to the tune of $4 mil + to Blue Cross and $2 mil + to Medicare. They adjust patient care reports to make them easier to bill Medicare, this is after the medic has signed it, they do not alllow their medics to use certain terms regardless of the patient's condition, so as not to be denied billing by Medicare.

First thing they try do in a new parish is to have the parish / city gov't change the law to prevent another provider from coming into the parish. They also usually require a monetry guarantee from the parish to assure that a profit is made.

There are several parishes that would give an operating license at the drop of a hat to get some compeition to come in. And guess what ? Where there is competition, the response times are shorter, there are more units in the parish and routine transfer times are decreased considerably.

Acadian fed my family for over 7 years, but don't paint them as God's gift to EMS. They are responsible for may EMS problems in this state. They are responsible for many a paramedic giving up their career due to being fed up with the Acadian way of life. You would be hard pressed to find a paramedic who has left and regretted it !

[GulDukat]

Having work for the big green machine for 7 years before being paroled, it is defintniely a better company looking in then looking out.

The main goal of is to keep competition out and profits rolling in.

They have been caught for illegal billing practices fines to the tune of $4 mil + to Blue Cross and $2 mil + to Medicare. They adjust patient care reports to make them easier to bill Medicare, this is after the medic has signed it, they do not alllow their medics to use certain terms regardless of the patient's condition, so as not to be denied billing by Medicare.

First thing they try do in a new parish is to have the parish / city gov't change the law to prevent another provider from coming into the parish. They also usually require a monetry guarantee from the parish to assure that a profit is made.

There are several parishes that would give an operating license at the drop of a hat to get some compeition to come in. And guess what ? Where there is competition, the response times are shorter, there are more units in the parish and routine transfer times are decreased considerably.

Acadian fed my family for over 7 years, but don't paint them as God's gift to EMS. They are responsible for may EMS problems in this state. They are responsible for many a paramedic giving up their career due to being fed up with the Acadian way of life. You would be hard pressed to find a paramedic who has left and regretted it !

That is the one thing that I am adamantly against no matter who is the provider of the 911 service. There should be no exclusive anything. If a family chooses to use another service then so be it, the government should not have the right to dictate to people who they can and cannot use for their health care.

As to the company making profit? As long as they pay their taxes & their payroll, make certain that their patient care standards are up to snuff & that their units run and have A/C in the summer & heat in the winter then nobody should have a problem with them making profit.

[StarTarveler649]

True, making profits is what keeps everyone in business...I don't think anyone would have a problem with that...it is the means to the end that is circumspect.

[parabrandi]

i know this is an old thread, but when i read it I felt the need to add my 2 cents. I worked for acadian as a new basic all the way thru paramedic school and then as a paramedic. I can honestly say that I got great training and had state of the art equipment, that's where the positives stop. At acadian, you are a number and that's all. You are a warm body without a name to fill a seat and make money for the CEO to go duck hunting at one of his "homes or camps" with the governor and whoever else he can buy. Profit is the name of the game, at any cost. Now I know we all need profit to pay the bills, but it is almost sadly funny the lengths that they will go to to make a dollar. Gaining a refusal from any call, no matter what, is NOT an option. Thirsty old lady at night calls 911 so someone will come over and fix her a glass of water?...better transport her for dry-mouth. Homeless guy at bus stop calls beacuse he wants a ride to the shelter? better transport him for abdominal discomfort and exposure to the elements. I'm not kidding! And God help you if you have children or a life outside of work, because they are the least family-friendly place you could possibly work. As you can tell, I was able to get away from them and am now a happy, hospital based paramedic. My only fear is that the green monster will eventually ooze over into this area and take over, and trust me, that's always a possibility with them. So, my advice if you work for acadian is "leave if you can" and my advice if you are considering a job with them is "RUN!!!!!".