RE: Jasper,Texas Ambulance shortage documented for last five years

[Guest guest]

On Thursday, May 13, 2010 20:57, " ems0115 " ems0115@...> said:

> ...Jasper City Councilwoman Terrya Norsworthy, who vowed an

> investigation into the problem would be conducted.

Hey, why stop with an investigation? Think big! This is an extremely complex

problem, far beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. Jasper should

immediately budget $3.6 million dollars for three separate consultants to study

the situation and recommend three separate solutions. Then an extra million

should be budgeted to a fourth consultant to choose which of the three solutions

is best. I'm sure guys like Jack Stout and Jay Fitch are looking for a new

sucker.

Idiots.

[Guest guest]

How much does a taxpayer in Jasper pay to maintain an EMS system?

Remember you get what you pay for, or in many cases what you do not pay for.

AJL

>

>

>

>

> Jasper ambulance shortage documented for last five years

>

>

>

> 05/13/10

> by Steve W

> stevestewart@... > Respond to this

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> In late April, the ambulance shortage in Jasper hit a critical level when

> police officers, private citizens, and an ambulance from 60 miles away were

> called upon to transport patients to the hospital. Among the patients was

> the brother of Jasper City Councilwoman Terrya Norsworthy, who vowed an

> investigation into the problem would be conducted.

>

> According to KJAS News archives, the ambulance shortage in Jasper was

> beginning to take shape in late 2004, and early 2005 when slow response

> times were becoming an issue.

>

> By December of 2005, the problem had escalated, and a fiery two vehicle

> accident left several people injured with no ambulances available to

> respond.

>

> The following is a compilation of KJAS News stories which documents the

> ambulance crisis in the Jasper area;

>

> Late 2004 to early 2005

>

> Ambulance response times were becoming an issue in Jasper.

>

> April 2005

>

> Federal agents raided the offices of the troubled Gold Star EMS, which was

> based in Port Arthur, and operated ambulances in Jasper and Newton. The

> raids were the beginning of what would become a two year investigation by

> the U.S. Attorney General's Office, and the Fraud Unit of the Texas

> Attorney

> General's Office.

>

> A few months later, Gold Star EMS announced that they were filing

> bankruptcy

> in Federal Court, and removed its ground ambulances, along with a medical

> helicopter, from Jasper and Newton Counties.

>

> December 13th, 2005

>

> A fiery two vehicle accident occurred in Jasper, leaving several injured.

> No

> ambulances were available, which left police officers and firefighters

> trying to comfort and perform basic first aid on the victims for nearly a

> half hour before the first ambulance arrived at the scene.

>

> February 8th, 2006

>

> Jasper heralded the arrival of Southeast Texas Air Rescue, a medical

> helicopter and crew that was based at Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital.

>

> August 17th, 2006

>

> Louisiana based Acadian EMS, which would later become the largest privately

> owned ambulance company in the United States, expanded their operations

> into

> Texas, and set up shop in Orange.

>

> December 7th, 2006

>

> The FBI began an investigation of Jasper based Priority One EMS, following

> allegations of Medicaid fraud. FBI agents raided the Priority One offices,

> seizing computers and records.

>

> July 13th, 2007

>

> The troubled ambulance company Gold Star EMS, which was based in Port

> Arthur

> and had operations in the Jasper area, was exonerated following a two year

> investigation by state and federal authorities.

>

> December 14th, 2007

>

> An Alabama man was injured in an accident just north of Jasper. Police

> officers and firefighters waited for about a half hour until the nearest

> ambulance arrived, which came from Newton.

>

> January 17th, 2008

>

> Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital unveiled a huge portable hospital, which

> is basically a civilian version of a M*A*S*H unit. The hospital, which is

> completely powered and air conditioned with a large, quiet generator,

> features a complete operating room, along with trauma facilities.

>

> Although the portable hospital cannot alleviate the ambulance shortage, it

> is a comfort to know that it is available in the event of a major disaster.

>

> July 15th, 2008

>

> , an elderly Jasper resident, fell and was injured with an

> open,

> bleeding wound. She pressed her emergency alert button, but no ambulances

> were available. Jasper police officers stayed with her for over a half hour

> before an ambulance finally arrived.

>

> Jasper Police said at the time that the problem of no ambulances available

> had occurred several times in the past month.

>

> October 15th, 2008

>

> Jasper resident Alice Molbert was severely injured in an accident when her

> car struck an 18-wheeler in Jasper. The nearest ambulance responded from

> Kirbyville and arrived 20 minutes later.

>

> February 10th, 2009

>

> Jasper Police Sergeants Payne and Sam Brister were awarded the Life

> Saving Star by Chief Todd Hunter after they carried a man to the hospital

> in

> a patrol car after he suffered a heart attack, and there were no ambulances

> available. The incident occurred in the previous month of January. The man

> survived.

>

> Also recognized was Patrol Officer Shives, and Communications Officer

> Kendra Barron.

>

> February 15th, 2009

>

> Southeast Texas Air Rescue removed its medical helicopter from Christus

> Jasper Memorial Hospital. The company said the recession, combined with

> other economic factors, forced it to discontinue operation of the aircraft,

> which had served Deep East Texas since January of 2006.

>

> March 27th, 2009

>

> The owners of Jasper based Priority One EMS, and Claudette Read,

> both

> 44, were arrested by federal authorities and charged with multiple counts

> of

> health care fraud and mail fraud.

>

> Federal prosecutors said the couple filed fictitious claims to obtain a

> fraudulent amount of almost $1.5 million from Medicare, over a quarter of a

> million dollars from Medicaid, and almost $70,000.00 from Blue Cross & Blue

> Shield.

>

> April 16th, 2009

>

> Newton Police found themselves in a life or death situation when Fedrick

> " Fed " , 90, was found unconscious and near death in his home. The

> nearest ambulance was 90 minutes away in Beaumont, which forced Newton

> Police Chief Tommy to carry the man to his patrol car, and rush him

> to

> Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital.

>

> June 27th, 2009

>

> Acadian EMS, the largest privately owned ambulance company in the United

> States, purchased the Silsbee branch of Jasper based Priority One EMS.

>

> August 25th, 2009

>

> Amid accusations of healthcare and mail fraud, the owners of Jasper based

> Priority One EMS, and Claudette Read, closed the company while jury

> selection was underway for their federal trial in Beaumont.

>

> The closing of Priority One left the Jasper area with two ambulance

> companies; Stat Care EMS and Freedom One EMS.

>

> September 11th, 2009

>

> and Claudette Read, the owners of Jasper based Priority One EMS,

> were

> found guilty by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit health

> care fraud, and 20 counts of mail fraud.

>

> Federal prosecutors said Priority One received; $1,414.877.33 from

> Medicare;

> $265,454.52 from Medicaid; and $68,088.83 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

>

> The couple faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has

> not

> yet been set.

>

> October 6th, 2009

>

> Ricky J. , 49, of Jasper, died from a heart attack at the Burke Center

> in Kirbyville while police officers performed CPR for over an hour, waiting

> for an ambulance to arrive. The nearest ambulance was Acadian EMS out of

> Silsbee.

>

> March 4th, 2010

>

> A Louisiana man, 38-year-old D. Goudeau, died after he suffered an

> electrical shock in Kirbyville. No ambulances were available, and

> Kirbyville

> police officers performed CPR on the man for over an hour until Acadian EMS

> arrived from Silsbee. Goudeau was rushed to Christus Jasper Memorial

> Hospital, where he died a short time later.

>

> April 28th, 2010

>

> 49-year-old lin experienced chest pain in Jasper, no ambulances

> were available. Jasper Police were preparing to take him to the hospital

> when a family member arrived and took him by private auto.

>

> Frances Duckworth, an elderly Jasper resident, fell and broke her ankle. No

> ambulances were available, Sergeant Payne transported her to the

> hospital in his patrol car. Payne was later commended by the department for

> his actions.

>

> City Councilwoman Terrya Norsworthy's brother, who is both a cancer and

> diabetic patient, was unconscious in a diabetic crisis. No local ambulances

> were available, and he was taken to the hospital by an Acadian EMS

> ambulance

> that responded from Silsbee.

>

> Norsworthy later vowed to immediately begin investigating the ongoing

> problem of the ambulance shortage in Jasper.

>

> May 7th, 2010

>

> Acadian EMS, the largest privately owned ambulance company in the United

> States, purchased Jasper based Stat Care EMS. Acadian said they plan to

> assume Stat Care's operations in Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper, Sabine and

> Newton Counties on May 25th, with no interruption of service.

>

> May 10th, 2010

>

> Northeast Texas EMS arrives in Jasper and begins operations. The arrival of

> the company marked the first time since August 25th, 2009 that Jasper was

> being served by three ambulance providers.

>

>

>

>

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