Monday, March 14, 2011

** Oklahoma medics crying out for more funds for rural EMS

** Florida man sues paramedic who took his traumatically amputated foot and leg from accident scene

UNITED STATES NEWS

** Rural ambulance response times in Oklahoma are too lengthy and putting patients at risk, one advocacy group claims. The Oklahoman (John Estus/March 8) said the situation is so bad many out of city residents wait nearly 90 minutes just to get an ambulance on scene. Medic Institute executive director Rodney Johnson said his group is lobbying the Health Department to infuse $6.2 million into trauma centers to fund both ambulance services and extra EMT training. Without the money, Johnson said prehospital provision could dip to dangerously low levels by the year’s close. Further deterioration of ambulance care, however, could be on the horizon. Two proposed bills making their way before the legislature would allow nurses without EMT support to work in ambulances, as well as non EMTs to drive them. The latter pertains to populations of less than 5,000.

** A Florida paramedic, who removed a traumatically amputated foot and leg from an accident scene on September 19, 2008, is being sued by the patient to whom the parts belonged. That is the word from the TCPalm (Tyler Treadway/March 7) which said the suit against former St. Lucie provider Cindy Economou was filed one week ago and claims Economou’s actions were outrageous and beyond the bounds of human decency. Economou, who acknowledged the theft, said she used the parts to train her dog in body recovery. She said she discovered the foot and leg at a time when the patient had already been taken to hospital and reattachment was no longer a possibility. Economou was charged with second degree petit theft for the heist;she served six months probation without being formally convicted of the crime.