County Commissioners Block Ambulance Competition

Is it possible that our County Commissioners will block a private ambulance company from competing for business that could benifit us? I say vote carefully men!

notyamama be careful what ya ask for. The private ambulance service might lower the amount of ambulances in the county and replace the good medics we have with some not near as good. All i got to say is just look what calhoun county had!!!!

Is the out of state ambulance service a preferred provider for BCBS-FL. Non-preferred providers increase most policy holders out of pocket expenses tremendously.

Why would I want to pay a private business instead of the county that my property taxes support? The money generated by the county's EMS goes into the county's general fund. Why would Jackson Hospital want to spend their money (or the patient's money)out of state? This makes no sense to me.

The private company is competing for services that is provided by the county to it's citizens and our 2 hospitals. As for a "business that could benefit us", I trust Jackson County F&R to get me trans. in a timely manner. I just wish Chief Wesley would let the EMT's just take me (or my family) straight to Dothan and bypass Jackson Hospital.

A little info for you Do Not STOP. The paramedics at Jackson County Fire Rescue can and have the power to bypass Jackson Hospital if they think the patient is stable enough and needs to be take to Dothan, Panama City, or Tallahassee. Such patients would be like: broke bones, heart attack, stroke, resp disease, or if they have a primary doctor in these towns. It is hard to take a non emergency patient any where other than Jackson Hospital. They also have very aggressive protocols that allow them to treat patients A LOT better than any private service could ever give you. Also please contact your County Commissioners and show your support for Jackson County we have some of the best Paramedics and EMT's around they need all the support we can give them.

Private ambulance companies come in to an area and only worry about making money for themselves. They use minimum ambulances for the county and do not care for your family. They bring their own equipment and people. These paramedics and EMTs here are paid lower than any other county ambulance service in the surrounding counties, however they have a huge responsibility and can do their job very well. We are fortunate in Jackson County to have 5 ambulances staffed 24 hrs a day and 7 days a week.....as opposed to Washington County who has 2 ambulances, Holmes County has 2 ambulances, Calhoun County has 2 ambulances, Liberty County has 1 ambulance (and no hospital), and Gadsden County has 4 ambulances (and no hospital). We (the citizens) of Jackson County need to be very thankful for the low paid EMTs and Paramedics who go to work every shift to protect us and our families. We also need to be thankful for the adequate amount of medical coverage in this county...Just think it could be worse...The 911 operator could tell you that there is no ambulance to send you right now...It has happened before in close surrounding counties!!!!!!!

I can say for a fact that this ambulance service is only here or actually being used just to help out our EMT's. You all have to stop and think that if it were one of your relatives that were dying and all the county and city fire and rescue were tied up and couldn't get to that person, then they would have to lay there and die. With this ambulance service..it would only be to assist the county not to take over. Stop and think about that and get all the facts before you judge. I know as a parent that I wouldn't want to wait a long period of time on an ambulance if something were to happen to one of my children. Sure..I could take them to the hospital myself but what if it were a case that I could not..

no one will wait very long if all five of the county ambulances are tied up we have mutual aid with surrounding counties that respond very quickley as we do for them also.

this is true and I do agree but if you know how many ambulances there are in the whole county and that they get assistance from other counties then you know just as well as I do as do others that there will be a time when even other counties wont be able to respond. I am not for them putting in an ambulance service here in jackson but for the service to assist our county..our community..that I see nothing wrong with and a lot of fire fighters will agree as well as EMT's and some of the counties volunteers that get to see first hand some things that happen that they themselves can't do anything about because they are having to wait on an ambulance or fire fighters.

I guess Jackson Hospital is just trying to contain their costs. Oh well, maybe I should send them that darn "Dime a Day", oops I meant fifty cents - one for each in my household.

I think the county should put a day truck in use with personnel who would like to make a little extra money. It could take care of non emergency transfers and back up calls if needed. I also think this problem arose to quickly and the county should have appropriate time to find a solution. Getting ahead of yourself and not communicating with others can be a disaster.

Jax Hosp used/uses the out of town ambulance service for routine transfers from the hospital to the nursing homes and vice versa. Jax has tried for months if not years to neg. with the County for better rates for this simple service. I believe negotiations are on going.

Jackson County's fine EMS service still handles all emergency calls in the county.

A very uneducated statement.... The private ambulance service could care less about anything but making money. I worked for them years ago. I was also a director of operations for a private ambulance company for many years. I am telling you first hand that the one and only driving force is profit. Not all, but almost all private companies do not pay competitive salaries to attract, and more importantly retain, experienced medics. They train only at a very basic, required minimum (that costs money. Would you want an entire workforce of green, unexperienced medics treating you? Medicine is an art and a science. To be a truly good practitioner requires experience. Most importantly, all medics ARE NOT EQUAL. Alabama paramedics do not have the scope of practice, medications or equivalent abilities that our county medics do. It is also a fact that local Jackson County Paramedics are experienced in transporting critically ill patients from one hospital to another without nurses going with them on the transport. Ask medics from alabama how often they transport a critical patient without an RN and often RT with them. If they come to our county and transport a very ill person to another facility are they going to have the experience to handle what may go wrong? The statement that they are only here to help is comical at best. They are here to make money, end of story. While that is not wrong to be paid for your service it is wrong for it to be the primary driving force and that is the case. Educate yourself about what your local medics can do, what they are capable of, what medications and procedures they cary and can perform. You will probably be shocked.

unknown wrote:

I can say for a fact that this ambulance service is only here or actually being used just to help out our EMT's. You all have to stop and think that if it were one of your relatives that were dying and all the county and city fire and rescue were tied up and couldn't get to that person, then they would have to lay there and die. With this ambulance service..it would only be to assist the county not to take over. Stop and think about that and get all the facts before you judge. I know as a parent that I wouldn't want to wait a long period of time on an ambulance if something were to happen to one of my children. Sure..I could take them to the hospital myself but what if it were a case that I could not..

Just say no....

I support Chief Wesley and I appreciate the county comm. looking out for the people of Jackson co best interest.

I did not get to see it but I heard there was a retraction in the Thursday or Friday paper because Chief Wesley's comments about how the charges were made to patients vs. the hospital were not true.

Trust me a private ambulance service is only out for ONE thing MONEY. They are not in it for patient care or employee benefit. The residents and the employees of Jackson County would pay the ultimate price. Ambulance coverage and patient care would be sub par. Ask anyone that has worked for a private service.

The reasoning behind your comment holds water; but instead of asking for a service that provides minimum care for your (dying) relative which the county would have to contract out and pay money for anyhow. Petition the county to put on another ambulance JCF&R that has the same protocals. Why ask for an ambulance company that is only in it for the mileage.

unknown wrote:

I can say for a fact that this ambulance service is only here or actually being used just to help out our EMT's. You all have to stop and think that if it were one of your relatives that were dying and all the county and city fire and rescue were tied up and couldn't get to that person, then they would have to lay there and die. With this ambulance service..it would only be to assist the county not to take over. Stop and think about that and get all the facts before you judge. I know as a parent that I wouldn't want to wait a long period of time on an ambulance if something were to happen to one of my children. Sure..I could take them to the hospital myself but what if it were a case that I could not..

Can anyone tell me how you can practice medicine in florida without a license. The state EMS Offfice has NO record of the Dothan Amb Service having licensure in the state of Florida. How about the medics and emt's...Do they posess the credentials to practice in Florida??? I believe I recall Jackson Hospital associating themselves with unlicensed medical personel in the past. One last question...is it true that a case manager with Jackson Hospital has a very close relative working with the private service?? Slight conflict???