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Public Safety hears concerns
The Cocke County Public Safety Committee met Thursday to hears concerns regarding first responders with First call EMS. Several employees of the corporate office of Rural Medical Services, only one of which is a medical professional expected concern regarding a May 29 incident involving CEO Larry Stanifer who suffered an apparent diabetic incident on May 29. The employees said Stanifer was incoherent, but paramedics continued to ask him if he wished to go to the hospital. Maintenance employee Oral Pierce asked who decides if an incoherent patient should be transported even though they are resisting, and he questioned the qualifications of the paramedics who responded. Other employees pointed out that Stanifer was questioned for 30 to 45 minutes, by the ambulance personnel who he said seemed unconcerned about Stanifer's resistance to transportation. Lindsey Shults said those employees who work with Stanifer realized he was incoherent but she said the EMS personnel seemed not to consider the opinions of the employees. "Our concern came from; what if nobody had been there to stand up for him or to say he is not being himself. Would they have just left him there, because he said 'No' ?" There also were concerns that after Stanifer agreed to go to the hospital, he was walked to the ambulance at which time he fell to the ground injuring his leg. The CEO told the committee he doesn't remember much of the incident but he thanked his employees saying "I don't know what would have happened if they hadn't been there." "Our main concern is that we want the best service available to all the citizens of the county. We are not here to beat up anybody per se, we just want the best possible service for everybody. In response, First Call General Manager Lindsey Ellison said she will have to investigate the circumstances surrounding the concerns. She did say her employees are well trained. Ellison added that incoherent patients should not be asked if they want to go to the hospital, "but we cannot force a coherent patient to go to the hospital because that is considered kidnapping." The Rural Medical corporate offices are just across the street from the Newport Medical Center and Stanifer told the committee, "I could have crawled to the emergency room quicker. They were there for an hour before they took me to the hospital." Ellison said the policy of her firm is to take a stretcher to a patient, rather than to have them walk outside. She agreed to investigate the incident and report back her findings to the committee at a subsequent meeting. Commissioner Calvin Ball expressed concern that volunteer firefighters are often asked to provide lift assistance to First Call when they need help with a patient. Ellison said her agency provided Forst Responder training to area volunteer firefighters, rescue squad and Newport firefighters, who sometimes get to the scene of an emergency before an ambulance. The committee also elected Commissioner Terry Dawson it's Chairman.
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Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
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