Re: [Fwd: Foo]

[Guest guest]

Mr Kellow, as usual, speaks the clear, unvarnished truth. By the way, Jack

Stout has become quite well-to-do selling his SSM to people who didn't know

any better. I happen to know how much he spent on his septic tank at his new

house in land. It's more than I make a year.

So, you say, what does that prove? P.T.Barnum was right. There's a sucker

born every minute. A good salesman with a computer and copying machine can

make a fortune selling the same thing over and over.

By the way, I've got some waterfront land in Georgia I'm looking to sell.

Any takers?

Gene Gandy, JD, LP

In a message dated 2/9/2000 10:24:37 Central Standard Time,

bkellow@... writes:

Foo,

is right - you are wrong. It's difficult to imagine why people

like you still spew the same old drivel about SSM. EVERYONE knows that

the unit hours are most often the determining element of a competitive

bid. Such companies often engage in the " Name That Unit Hour " game. And,

that is what means when he says " on the back of... " . Look at what

happened in Ft. Worth. The current provider seriously underbid the unit

hours of the previous provider ... and won the MedStar contract. Have

you checked their response time performance lately?

Another problem is the pre-occupation of such companies to festoon their

ambulances with technologies that are unwarranted in terms of

practicality and costs. Why spend $17,000 for 12 lead EKG's when the

provider doesn't administer prehospital thrombolytics? Multiply the cost

difference by the number of units and give everyone a pay raise.

Noooooo, they can't do that because they won't be percieved as a

" high-performance " provider. Can we all think of other

" institutionalized " technology cost savings that could be passed on to

the field people or (God forgive me) customers?

I quake in my shoes for when I think that you are telling Jack and

Jay! has only known them for decades. In fact, was out there

making ambulance calls before anyone ever heard of Stout or Fitch. How

juvenile.

I believe that the only people who continue to defend SSM are either

folks who are aspiring to a management position and are parroting the

popular mantra or are already in one. Remember, while SSM managers are

sitting at their computers in their cashmere sweaters eating croissants

and drinking Starbuck's ... their crews are being posted all over town,

sitting uncomfortably in their smoking units in a Texaco parking lot,

drinking day-old " coffee " and eating Hot Fries! And you have the gall to

suggest that criticism of this barbaric practice is devisive for your

" brothers and sisters " ?

SSM is a classic example of form dictating function. We shouldn't care

if the field people are underpaid and overworked. We shouldn't care if

the turnover rate is 100% a year. Should we? After all, the method is

much more important than the outcome or its effects - isn't it?

I've said it a million times and I'll say it again ... when you boil all

the fat and stupidity out of today's " high-performance " EMS systems you

are left with the two hands and brain of the field providers. They are

the essence of our industry. And, if they are the essence, why are they

always our last priority? Think about that as you contemplate increasing

your UH/U!

By the way, Foo, please share your real name with those of us on the

list-serve.

Bob Kellow

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Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2000 10:34:35 -0600

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>>

[Guest guest]

Hello, Steve. Nice to see you on here. For those of you who don't know Mr.

Athey, he is a totally agreeable and nice person. He is also one of Jack

Stout's inner circle, having managed numerous of Jack's SSM made-over

systems. He's a very successful business man and can crunch

UnitHourUtilization as well as any and better than most. He commands the

kind of salaries that very successful business men (SUITS) earn, and I can't

blame him for that. We live in a capitalist society, thank God.

Unfortunately, he has not, I venture to say, ever posted all day in a Type

III that they won't fix the air conditioner on in a Texas summer nor run 30

calls in a 24-hour period. Therefore, he's not the best authority on

paramedic working conditions. Nor is that his primary interest. It's in

getting and keeping contracts, and running services for a profit, at which he

is very, very good.

Please don't take this as a flame. I don't mean it to be. I respect your

talents and experience. I'm just trying to point out to those who are

interested and don't know your background what position you play on the team

so that they can evaluate any comments you make about SSM.

Best,

Gene Gandy, JD, LP

In a message dated 2/9/2000 10:35:08 Central Standard Time, SLAthey@...

writes:

geez Bob start your morning with decaf

Steve Athey

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