That Dog Don't Hunt.
Original Post Date: 4/20/08



Like any service, one that I know has bumps in the road; obstacles. Like many, a chief problem with this one is the local hospital. If it isn't C Spine it's IV's, if it's not IV's it IO…always something and nearly always something manageable.

Well, when this week's "something" came up I asked one of the bosses at this service about it, and he agreed that his field personnel were right and that they should approach hospital administration about a policy change on their end. Then, he said something that brought all my delusions of adequacy crashing down.

"With the personalities over there, I don' think anything will change." Wow.

So, and stop me if I got this wrong, if a policy is suggested, adopted by management and put into practice, it can all be negated by "personalities" in the Emergency Department?

Just so we're clear, this isn't an IV KVO. What we're talking about is a treatment that is started in the field and must be actively continued in the hospital to remain effective. Yet, for whatever reason, the hospital staff takes the call from EMS but will not arrange for the treatment to be waiting upon the patient's arrival. Then, they act surprised when either EMS stays in the ER to maintain care or the patient gets worse when the treatment is abruptly stopped. How is this anything but a continuity of care issue? Since when must patients foot the bill in suffering for the wages of pride?

Next time: They don't stop bagging, do they?