I wonder if the facilities involved, Hospital, Urgent Care, EMT's could work out a plan, together or using consultants, that would encompass the concerns that are stated here again and again.
Expand Urgent Care facilities, i.e. hours, services. EMT's could be instructed to divert certain cases to our neighbor hospital ER's with larger facilities. Then they could drop and return to their post.
Long term, use the history of incidences in the ER to see what is warranted, expansion, personnel, complete revamp of the admissions. Money, yes, as with all a cost is involved, but as our population increases and ages, every health care service will have to increase also. Reimbursement is a major concern in the long term, especially after the new health care fires up, so does that mean only the large survive?
That example of the small brush fire behind the guard shack at the Sanibel gate did happen. Our neighbor saw the smoke and fire starting as he was driving through the gate, he drove to the fire station about 100 yards away, and it was closed. Was it because they were transporting and waiting with a emergency case at the TV hospital, and could not drop and go back? Another Fire station answered the call, but what if it was a home on fire with the potential of spreading, and a station that was a 100 yards and minutes away was closed.......
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