Sumter County EMS

[sunny46]

Has anyone had a recent bad experience with the new Sumter EMS company? We did on Tuesday the 25th. First, they were slow responding to our call and I was told the dispatch mixed up our call! The EMT didn't know how to get out of The Villages to go to Munroe. The EMT working on my husband blew his vein since she didn't know how to do the procedure. I was told Sumter County only has 2 trucks for the whole county!! They recommended we go to Munroe Regional since The Villages nor Leesburg had an EMT doctor. Guess who saw my husband @ Munroe, after laying on a gurney for 6 hours.... a nurse practioner. She said no ENTwould be called. This is a disgrace when the builder just had to build a new cancer center here while we have a great one in Tampa and in the Villages. Why didn't they build a trauma center here instead? There were 5 calls in The Villages while we were in the ambulance!!! Yet traumas have to go to Tampa, Orlando or Gainesville with our aged population!

[pooh]

The new company is Rural/Metro and they provide service in 20 states and approximately 440 communities throughout the United States. Are you sure they said only two ambulances in the county? Maybe the EMT meant two ambulances in The Villages? I see them going up and down Morse behind my house quite a bit lately.

I'm so sorry you and your husband had an unpleasant experience. I do hope he is better...it's frightening when those we love are ill or in pain. Why did he have to go so far away? No ENT doctors on duty at TV hospital? The EMT's know this? Munroe has a good reputation I've been assured. A six hour wait seems excessive without a doubt. I'm not sure what medical situation you and your husband were faced with. I do hope your were assessed upon arrival!

Again, I'm so sorry that a stress filled situation was made worse for you. I do hope recovery is underway and it will be swift and complete.

[cappyjon431]

My wife has been an ER nurse for over 20 years and she is currently working in the ER at The Villages Hospital. She said that there is always an ER doc on staff in the ER, but she is concerned that the ER at the Villages Hospital is somewhat understaffed for the population it serves.

While TV frequently bills itself as America's "healthiest" hometown, the truth of the matter is that it is a retirement community and has primarily elderly residents. When my wife worked at other ERs around the country she saw lots of broken bones, cuts, burns, scrapes, etc. These are never pleasant, but for younger patients they are rarely life threatening. For older patients, these types of injuries can be much more serious. Combine that with the increased numbers of heart attacks and other serious health problems that often affect the elderly and it is easy to see why the Villages Hospital ER is not sufficient for its target population.

Another problem with the local hospital is that it is relatively small (I believe they only have 225 beds). While it is possible to take patients into the ER, sometimes there are simply not enough beds to admit patients after they are stabilized in the ER. If there are not enough available beds in the hospital, it is frequently necessary to divert patients to other, larger facilities.

This is not meant to diminish The Villages Hospital. It is a beautiful facility and their staff is excellent. My wife says the staff in the ER rivals any that she has ever worked with in their committment to excellent patient care. It is my understanding that another hospital is on the drawing board for TV south of 466A. Hopefully, with another hospital and ER in TV it will alleviate some of these problems.

[faithfulfrank]

I have been in EMS for over 20 years, and am an EMS Instructor for New York state. I know a few years ago Lake/Sumter EMS was voted the best in the state, which made me happy.

Here in NY where I live, (at least for the next 5 weeks), we have spent 20 years fighting Rural Metro and we have kept them out of our area. Then I read that for a lousy few bucks Sumter county split and went with Rural Metro. This saddened me, as this is happening all over the country and the result afterwards is ALWAYS a downgrade in service.

I'm so glad my Florida home is in Lake county, and I will still be served by Lake county EMS. I will be there for good in 5 weeks, and if the bean counters in Lake county ever try to do what Sumter county did I will fight hard against it.

Frank ( Professional Firefighter/EMS Instructor, IAFF local 896)

[Hancle704]

Since moving into TV almost 14 years ago, I have seen a significant improvement in medical services for the growing tri-county area. Sadly, the population growth has always been faster than the growth of medical services. We have gone from a volunteer fire dept. serving the Sumter portion to a Village wide Public Safety Dept/Fire Dept. that is nothing short of first rate by any standard. their response times are better than almost any other EMS service in this country and for this we are indeed fortunate, because many lives have been saved that in the past would have been lost.

TV Hospital was a long time in arriving and has struggled to keep up with area growth since it first opened. This will probably continue as home sales continue with new arrivals moving in daily. We can hope that at some point we will see another hospital open in the southern part of TV but that will also take time before it becomes a reality. When we see the increased ambulance traffic and medevac helicopters serving this area, I wonder why the planners did not see the growth coming and start work on building a trauma center that could serve the tri-county area and possibly be located in or, close to TV instead of transporting patients to Orlando or Gainesville. There is no doubt that the Moffitt Cancer Center in TV is a good addition, but why no planning for a trauma center?

Just as many of the roads in the area north of CR 466 were never built with the idea of handling the volumes of traffic that TV growth brought and parking areas around the existing town squares poves to be inadequate very often, so too has been the development of medical services. At least we can be thankful that things have improved over time unlike some other areas we might have moved to instead of TV.

[Leafpoker]

You can bet the pawns that are controlled by the morses were all for this cheaping for a buck the services,, it's is the old iceberg theory,, it is not what's on the surface that will get u it is what you don't see that will get you,,, just another case of "keep drinking the koolaide" and keep those $$$ rolling in.. Mmmmmmmm sure tastes good today it must be cherry flavored!,

[golf2140]

You can bet the pawns that are controlled by the morses were all for this cheaping for a buck the services,, it's is the old iceberg theory,, it is not what's on the surface that will get u it is what you don't see that will get you,,, just another case of "keep drinking the koolaide" and keep those $$$ rolling in.. Mmmmmmmm sure tastes good today it must be cherry flavored!,


Do you live here? Being so negitive maybe living somewhere else would help.

[red tail]

I have been in EMS for over 20 years, and am an EMS Instructor for New York state. I know a few years ago Lake/Sumter EMS was voted the best in the state, which made me happy.

Here in NY where I live, (at least for the next 5 weeks), we have spent 20 years fighting Rural Metro and we have kept them out of our area. Then I read that for a lousy few bucks Sumter county split and went with Rural Metro. This saddened me, as this is happening all over the country and the result afterwards is ALWAYS a downgrade in service.

I'm so glad my Florida home is in Lake county, and I will still be served by Lake county EMS. I will be there for good in 5 weeks, and if the bean counters in Lake county ever try to do what Sumter county did I will fight hard against it.

Frank ( Professional Firefighter/EMS Instructor, IAFF local 896)

does belonging to a union make for a better ems??

[graciegirl]

You can bet the pawns that are controlled by the morses were all for this cheaping for a buck the services,, it's is the old iceberg theory,, it is not what's on the surface that will get u it is what you don't see that will get you,,, just another case of "keep drinking the koolaide" and keep those $$$ rolling in.. Mmmmmmmm sure tastes good today it must be cherry flavored!,

Dear Leafpoker.

I went back and read all of your posts. I think perhaps you are trying to get things going on here.

Kindest wishes,
Gracie

[Tom Hannon]

My wife collapsed a few months ago at The Light House and EMS was there in less than five minutes. I was very happy with the response time.

[graciegirl]

Since moving into TV almost 14 years ago, I have seen a significant improvement in medical services for the growing tri-county area. Sadly, the population growth has always been faster than the growth of medical services. We have gone from a volunteer fire dept. serving the Sumter portion to a Village wide Public Safety Dept/Fire Dept. that is nothing short of first rate by any standard. their response times are better than almost any other EMS service in this country and for this we are indeed fortunate, because many lives have been saved that in the past would have been lost.

TV Hospital was a long time in arriving and has struggled to keep up with area growth since it first opened. This will probably continue as home sales continue with new arrivals moving in daily. We can hope that at some point we will see another hospital open in the southern part of TV but that will also take time before it becomes a reality. When we see the increased ambulance traffic and medevac helicopters serving this area, I wonder why the planners did not see the growth coming and start work on building a trauma center that could serve the tri-county area and possibly be located in or, close to TV instead of transporting patients to Orlando or Gainesville. There is no doubt that the Moffitt Cancer Center in TV is a good addition, but why no planning for a trauma center?

Just as many of the roads in the area north of CR 466 were never built with the idea of handling the volumes of traffic that TV growth brought and parking areas around the existing town squares poves to be inadequate very often, so too has been the development of medical services. At least we can be thankful that things have improved over time unlike some other areas we might have moved to instead of TV.

bump for the highjack I just did.

[faithfulfrank]

does belonging to a union make for a better ems??

Of course not.
I have spent the last 20+ years training hundreds of volunteer EMS agencies and full time professional agencies. This is not a union issue.

One can do the research. Rural Metro is a country-wide for profit business headquartered in Arizona. There are literally hundreds of places in the country who have switched to them to save a few bucks and now regret it. They promise the world, then after they are the only game in town they downgrade. In many places they tell their Medics to take their rig and park in a parking lot and stage there for their 8 hour shift. Less overhead that way.

Bottom line is that when something is not broke, then do not fix it. I have seen first hand the quality care the Lake/Sumter EMS provided. They won awards for their quality. When I read the little amount they were going to save by switching I felt it was a bad move. Before I buy something I do some research, read reviews, etc. Rural Metro has a track record of bad reviews.

That being said, I'm sure they have some good medics. And perhaps in Sumter county they are great. I do not know.

I know where my Florida home is around one mile from a full time Fire dept with quality Advanced life support. When my neighbor was having a cardiac incident they were there fast. I watched and even helped a bit. As an instructor I was impressed. They did everything correct. The rescue truck got there first and within 2 minutes did a 12 lead EKG, spiked a bag and got a line in and pushed the first line drugs. Lake/Sumter EMS came just after and took over care transitioning well. It is my area of expertise, and I was impressed.

All I know is that I am getting older. I care about the quality of EMS where I live. I know that statistically I will need them someday. When that day comes and I'm having "The widowmaker" I will not care if I had to pay a couple of bucks extra in my taxes.........especially when my Florida taxes are nothing compared to what I pay in NY, but that is another story.

Look.....I'm not stirring the pot here. I did not start this thread. Let me see if I can get more positive here. Folks, do you know what to do if you had to call 911? Do you know CPR? Do you have a list of Medications handy? If you have advanced directives like a "Do Not Resuscitate" order can you put your hands on it QUICKLY? Is your house uncluttered enough so EMS can GET to a person with a gurney? Is your house number clearly posted on your house? All these things are suddenly important when you need emergency services. Hope this helps.

All I know is that if I'm moving to Paradise, I want to stay healthy there as long as possible. Enjoy!

Frank

[faithfulfrank]

Allow me to just add that with even the best EMS agencies, some calls just "go bad". No one is perfect, and the best medics at times get bad info, make a mistake, etc. We are human, and that is why there are erasers on pencils.

I have no knowledge of the quality of Sumter county EMS. I hope for all who live there that they have good EMS. I'm guessing that perhaps they do, as you do not read that many posts here on the subject. Folks complain more then they praise, so perhaps they do a good job. I do not know.

My last post was simply saying that the savings from them switching seemed very small, and did not seem to be a wise move, IMHO.

Frank

[spk7951]

Has anyone had a recent bad experience with the new Sumter EMS company? We did on Tuesday the 25th. First, they were slow responding to our call and I was told the dispatch mixed up our call! The EMT didn't know how to get out of The Villages to go to Munroe. The EMT working on my husband blew his vein since she didn't know how to do the procedure. I was told Sumter County only has 2 trucks for the whole county!! They recommended we go to Munroe Regional since The Villages nor Leesburg had an EMT doctor. Guess who saw my husband @ Munroe, after laying on a gurney for 6 hours.... a nurse practioner. She said no ENTwould be called. This is a disgrace when the builder just had to build a new cancer center here while we have a great one in Tampa and in the Villages. Why didn't they build a trauma center here instead? There were 5 calls in The Villages while we were in the ambulance!!! Yet traumas have to go to Tampa, Orlando or Gainesville with our aged population!


As a former Firefighter/EMT from CT I have followed this transformation since the County commissioners announced the change was a consideration. Personally I am a bit skeptical of the need for the change.
In the Sumter County portion of TV we have now gone from three 24hr staffed ambulances to two 24hr and one "high demand time" coverage rig. Not sure how the logistics of population growth warrant a reduction in coverage but then again there may be future coverage plans that I am not aware of. I also read that the number of former Lake/Sumter medics moving over to the new company were less than anticipated, which means new folks who most likely are not familiar with the coverage area staffing rigs. I would hope at least the crews are split to have old and new riding together. I have had a couple of occasions to see Lake/Sumter at work and have the utmost respect for them. Just last week we did experience the new folks at our neighbors house and had no issues. In most instances my opinion would be to give it time and let the bugs get worked out but personally I would rather have seen higher coverage and then a reduction if necessary vs where we are now. Just an opinion.

[Carla B]

Wow, only two 24hr staffed ambulances? They seem to have been very busy lately. We Sumter Co. residents need to follow this issue closely. If the new service is truly inferior, we should demand remedies from the county gov't.

If you google "FL trauma centers" you'll find there are 22 hospitals in the state of Florida that qualify as trauma hospitals. Seven are "Level 1" centers capable of delivering the highest level of care in the shortest possible time. As Sunny was told, the closest trauma centers to us are UF Shands, Orlando Regional, and Tampa General, all of which, fortunately, are Level 1.

I have a question for Frank and Spk: on what basis is the decision made for a patient to be transferred to a trauma center and is it the EMS personnel who decide? Are only those with severe injuries transferred there or are heart attack, stroke victims, etc. taken there also?

And in this case, why did the EMS personnel suggest going to Munroe and then not know the direction?

[faithfulfrank]

Carla,
As I am still a few weeks away from being a full time Florida resident, I can only answer your question as it pertains to my experience here in NY.

As a patient, YOU have the right to go where you want or to not go at all, as long as you are making a INFORMED decision and are medically capable of making that decision. For instance, if you say had an injury in which it was clear you had an altered mental status, I could not allow you to "sign off" receiving care, as you were not showing that you could think rationally at that point. Before a person can refuse care they must be able to understand the consequences of that decision.

Sometimes it is partially determined by the "busy status" of a hospital.

Sometimes it is simply where your own doctor has staff rights to work.

Sometimes it is up to if you are stable or not. Some protocols say you must be taken to the nearest facility to be stabilized before going to a higher level of care.

Sometimes it is up to what the injury or sickness is. Say you had a severe hand injury......you should go to a hand center if one is close. More importantly, if you showed signs/symptoms of a stroke, you DEFINITELY should be taken to a stroke center. You should insist on that, as it makes all the difference in the world as to your outcome. Like a heart attack where "time is muscle", with a stroke "time is brain".

Most helicopters cannot transport a person who needs CPR, as there is not room to do it. The patient needs to be stabilized first.

Not sure if I answered your question, but I hope I shed a little light on the topic.

Frank

[Carla B]

Thanks, Frank, for taking the time to answer my question. From your explanation, there are many variables involved. It sounds like we should educate ourselves on which facilities are best able to handle heart attack or stroke symptoms and how far away they are.

My husband has used Munroe twice for planned surgery, both of which involved overnight stays. We were really impressed with the level of care there. Munroe is farthest from us in distance but he wanted to go there based on his first experience.

However, having to enter any hospital through the ER may be disappointing, depending on how busy they are and how well staffed.

Congratulations on finally getting to be a year-round resident.

[spk7951]

Wow, only two 24hr staffed ambulances? They seem to have been very busy lately. We Sumter Co. residents need to follow this issue closely. If the new service is truly inferior, we should demand remedies from the county gov't.

If you google "FL trauma centers" you'll find there are 22 hospitals in the state of Florida that qualify as trauma hospitals. Seven are "Level 1" centers capable of delivering the highest level of care in the shortest possible time. As Sunny was told, the closest trauma centers to us are UF Shands, Orlando Regional, and Tampa General, all of which, fortunately, are Level 1.

I have a question for Frank and Spk: on what basis is the decision made for a patient to be transferred to a trauma center and is it the EMS personnel who decide? Are only those with severe injuries transferred there or are heart attack, stroke victims, etc. taken there also?

And in this case, why did the EMS personnel suggest going to Munroe and then not know the direction?


If service problems do become an issue then yes I would agree that is something we as a community need to address with the County but I did not mean to infer that the new service was inferior to what we had.
I can not speak to what requirements are used in FL to transport to a level 1 or any other hospital. Back when I used to be an EMT we would transport to a hospital we knew was best suited to treat certain injuries/conditions so long as the patient agreed. Or the patient would request transport to their particular hospital. Sometimes it is a tough call as I remember times when I felt a patient would be best served going to one hospital but the patient/family dictated otherwise. I would suspect that the medics have protocol they need to follow as to what injuries/conditions should go where for treatment.

[Mudder]

The Villages hospital is now a certified Stroke center.

[billethkid]

now if we all remember this subject when the annual survey from TV is taken, we can get a little emphasis on the REAL needs of TV residents and not just the needs of the brass to build their medical empires.

I agree with an previous post in this thread....there are many, many alternatives available for cancer treatment within TV geographic area. There is a not so obvious, not so glamorous need for accute and emergency care/treatment/response.

Don't forget to put it in your survey.

btk

[skip0358]

I to am sorry you had a bad experience. I to was involved in the Ffire service. The decission to change EMS coverage came from the county. Why because it saved them money. It was discussed for several months and was even brought up a the county meeting at Colony Cottage. I agree 100% if it's not broken don't fix it. The other service was working fine. I believe they're on a 1 year trial basis. Hopefully this was just one of the calls that went bad. If they don't improve then the county meetins are the place to address your concerns.

[spk7951]

I to am sorry you had a bad experience. I to was involved in the Ffire service. The decission to change EMS coverage came from the county. Why because it saved them money. It was discussed for several months and was even brought up a the county meeting at Colony Cottage. I agree 100% if it's not broken don't fix it. The other service was working fine. I believe they're on a 1 year trial basis. Hopefully this was just one of the calls that went bad. If they don't improve then the county meetins are the place to address your concerns.


If I remember correctly the decision was based on both money and quicker response times promised by Metro. Now if indeed Metro does provide better response times along with quality care then that is certainly a plus for our community. I hate to say it but this looks like a wait and see situation.

[drdodge]

They charge you to ride in the rescue wagon. About 2 months ago I had the opertunity to ride to the emergency room from the village of Duval and the charge to my insurance was 555.00 dollars
drd