Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/13/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

   
  Complaint: 20597718
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Upon the ***s arrival ************************* was talking in a way that it was obvious he had lost touch with reality.  I (******'s wife of forty years) stated that the VA Nurse Line had stated that he obviously had a neurological issue, therefore we were directed to take him to our hospital were they had just seen him approximately 2 weeks earlier after a fall and had the proper doctors on duty.  The *** (********) insisted that she had called the local VA  and they had accepted him.  The local VA does not have a neurology department open on weekends and holidays.  When I tried to explain the situation to her, she fluttered her eyes and gritted her teeth to state he was going to the VA.  Upon arrival she was very friendly with the male nurses obviously her friends or whatever.  

  Five hours later the VA found that ****** had a brain bleed and at least two pockets of blood that were putting pressure on his brain.  So ****** had to be put back in another ambulance and transported to the hospital that I requested from the start. Thank God this was not immediate life or death as ********'s ego took precedence over her patient and delayed proper treatment by five hours.  He did have surgery first thing the next morning.  Physically he is in pretty good shape.  Mentally he still is in a confused state.

  So going by your statement there were several failures in this case:

  1.  Even the fire fighters knew he was not able to walk all the way to the ambulance.  They grabbed the ****** and ran over to help grab him so he would not hit the ground.  (******** was just standing there.) So she obviously does not truly care for her patient's safety.

  2.  After commenting on the wild story he told upon the ***s first arriving, it was obvious that my husband was not capable of making a decision and needed a logical voice..  So she did not listen to the primary family member's wishes.

  3.  ******** refused to listen that the VA Nurses Line stated he needed to go to a hospital that could take care of his issue right away.  Instead she took him to where she wanted to go.  So my husband was not taken to the appropriate hospital, even after being notified that the doctors and nurses needed would not be there.

  There are many other rules you listed but they seemed redundant to the issue at hand.  By your own words, your employee broke many of your rules.  

  What am I asking for:

  It is up to the VA and ******** if they pay you for both runs. I just believe it to be unjust.

  But I do not want ******** on my property again!
  

  How can I say that:

  1. My son was an ***. He is not a Physicians Assistant.

  2.  Having both grandparents having farms (and a mother, multiple aunts and cousins being nurses AND a father being a Highway Patrolman), I have been in the situation of ******* ill and injured family members and friends to emergency runs to hospitals.

  3.  I worked for a shop that cared for Ambulance and Police vehicles among others for over 20 years.  I was assistant manager over the shop and technicians on the road in *******, **.  I have seen before egos ruin a good employee.  

   

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2023

  Could you please provide a copy of the ***** Release regarding this complaint?

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2023

  Could you please provide a copy of the ***** Release regarding this complaint?

  Business Response

  Date: 09/28/2023

  A proper HIPAA release has not been provided and in general federal law prohibits ** from discussing any case.  Any release will have to be satisfactory to **.  In other words, we need an ability to judge whether the person executing the release for us to discuss the case is authorized to let us comment to BBB.
  

  As a general statement our hospital destination policy states the following:
  

  Our goal is to deliver the highest possible patient care while respecting the patients rights and desires as an individual. To accomplish this, patients will be transported to the closest, most appropriate facility.  Employees must not encourage patients to utilize one facility over another. The patient is to be taken to the hospital of patient request, if medically appropriate. If the patient is unable to communicate, the patient is to be taken to the hospital of immediate family request.  If the patient or family preference is unavailable, the patient is to be taken to the closest, most appropriate facility.   Special patient needs *** dictate transport to a hospital that *** not be the closest, but is the most appropriate facility (i.e., burn patients, dialysis needs).  Hospital destination should be determined prior to transport. This will help assure that family members, physicians, care givers, etc. know where to meet the patient.When determining a destination, it will be necessary to ascertain the status of the requested hospital to assure they are open (this is more likely necessary in the winter months).  On occasion,there *** be a change in hospital destination during transport due to either patient condition or change in hospital status. Employees will make every effort to notify family members (and/or sending nursing or skilled facilities)of where the patient has been transported. If the patients hospital of choice is not appropriate due to medical condition (i.e. trauma, STEMI, etc.), the paramedic will advise the patient why transport to a more appropriate facility is critical to their health and safety.  If the patient refuses transport to the most appropriate facility for their medical condition as recommended,the paramedic will consult with online medical control.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2023

  Unfortunately I do not currently have a printer.  So I am unable to complete the HIPA.  I did try to download the document to a .doc format to no avail.

  Please let me know of another option to comply.

  Thank You,

  ****************************

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/12/2023

  In there statement it states that a hospital that can care for the patients needs.  I told the *** that the VA Nurse agreed that his symptoms followed those of neurological.  The local VA does not have Neurologist acting through the VA on nights and weekends.  

  I do not have q printer.  For some reason I am not allowed to move the hippa to a .doc or wone that would allow me to draw my name on the screen.  
  

  I have been unavailable over the last 1 12 weeks because ****** had a second brain surgery. a week ago and the nurses could not keep him calm like I could. He is now iin the VA for rehab for physical, occupational and cognitive. He has not been home since the September 5th incident.  

  If someone would mail me a Hippa form, I would be glad to sign them.  Yes them because you would need one for ***** who has seen him September 5th or 6th through October October 10th.  The other one would be for the VA who saw him from September 5th in the ** and then off and on after surgeries through the next month or two.

  Thank you,

  ****************************

  ************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  PatientCare EMS is a Covered Entity as defined by 45 CFR ******* and therefore is compelled to comply with HIPAA Privacy Rules.  If a request is being made for a patients records, the requestor must be the patient themselves or a Personal Representative authorized to request a patients records.  If the requestor for a patients records is asserting that they are an authorized Patient Representative, PatientCare EMS is required to have some certainty the person is authorized to receive such records requested.  Proof that a person is an authorized personal representative can be in the form of a ***** of ********* Court Appointment, information provided by a medical professional that the patient is somehow mentally incapacitated or other similar type documentation.
  
  If a request is being made for a patients medical records by an authorized Patient Representative, please contact our Director of Compliance at ************ or at **********************  and provide an address, fax number or an email address and a HIPAA release form will be forward to you with instructions for providing identification and documents demonstrating the designation as a Personal Representative.