Jasper,Texas Ambulance shortage documented for last five years

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Jasper ambulance shortage documented for last five years

05/13/10

by Steve W

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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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