[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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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