Care1 vs HVP/ Regional

[EMT348 12]

I personally feel that Care1 EMS is trying to make a full deck of cards out of the jumbled mess of what was HVPS and Regional EMS. They're trying to fix mistakes of prior administrators(those who had their hand in the cookie jar, made bad business decisions and those who just plain pissed off other agencies). If my memory serves me correctly, at one point Regional EMS gave MLSS a run for their money when they held the contracts for New Windsor EMS, Cornwall EMS, St. Lukes - Newburgh Hospital, Florida, Warwick, Chester, Lenape, Port Jervis, as well as a slew of Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living homes. I think that Care1 could be just as successful if they put the rubber to the road and deliver on their guarantees. While I feel that Yonkers is so out of the way for Care1, it's a smart business move for them if they can pull jobs out of the areas there. And they are. It's pretty obvious when the fleet in Yonkers nearly tripled in the last six months to almost match the same number of trucks that Middletown puts out on a daily basis during the week. Tommy, you mentioned the "abuse" of ALS from municipal services to back up BLS units from Commercial Agencies. While most of the time this is improper and I don't agree with stripping any area of coverage, I feel that it does go both ways. There are most certainly times where Municipal EMS is tied up on jobs and exceeds it's ability to answer up for calls. Such was the case a few weeks ago when Dutchess County ran out of ALS in the northern section of the county and requested that Care1 relocate a unit to help service an area that they weren't contracted to, or during an MCI. I think that requesting ALS backup from where ever you can get it is the responsible thing to do rather than just leave the BLS providers to take in a serious patient on their own. They're following NYS protocols. Requesting ALS.

On the whole subject of using lights and sirens vs not using lights and sirens... People should be using a triage system to determine whether or not to send the unit lights and sirens or not. EMD the call.

And finally, I think after working commercial EMS for a while and also working municpal that Care1 is moving in the right direction. Just need to lay out the path they want to take a little more clearly. Get stable on their feet.

[MoFire390 118]

I personally feel that Care1 EMS is trying to make a full deck of cards out of the jumbled mess of what was HVPS and Regional EMS. They're trying to fix mistakes of prior administrators(those who had their hand in the cookie jar, made bad business decisions and those who just plain pissed off other agencies). If my memory serves me correctly, at one point Regional EMS gave MLSS a run for their money when they held the contracts for New Windsor EMS, Cornwall EMS, St. Lukes - Newburgh Hospital, Florida, Warwick, Chester, Lenape, Port Jervis, as well as a slew of Skilled Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living homes. I think that Care1 could be just as successful if they put the rubber to the road and deliver on their guarantees. While I feel that Yonkers is so out of the way for Care1, it's a smart business move for them if they can pull jobs out of the areas there. And they are. It's pretty obvious when the fleet in Yonkers nearly tripled in the last six months to almost match the same number of trucks that Middletown puts out on a daily basis during the week. Tommy, you mentioned the "abuse" of ALS from municipal services to back up BLS units from Commercial Agencies. While most of the time this is improper and I don't agree with stripping any area of coverage, I feel that it does go both ways. There are most certainly times where Municipal EMS is tied up on jobs and exceeds it's ability to answer up for calls. Such was the case a few weeks ago when Dutchess County ran out of ALS in the northern section of the county and requested that Care1 relocate a unit to help service an area that they weren't contracted to, or during an MCI. I think that requesting ALS backup from where ever you can get it is the responsible thing to do rather than just leave the BLS providers to take in a serious patient on their own. They're following NYS protocols. Requesting ALS.

On the whole subject of using lights and sirens vs not using lights and sirens... People should be using a triage system to determine whether or not to send the unit lights and sirens or not. EMD the call.

And finally, I think after working commercial EMS for a while and also working municpal that Care1 is moving in the right direction. Just need to lay out the path they want to take a little more clearly. Get stable on their feet.

When you dont have dispatchers who are EMD you should not be responding lights and sirens to any call. If a true emergency the facility should have called 911. When I worked there management promised us the world. In return we got nothing but sleepless nights and migrains. With the treatment I reviced after during my last week made me really upset to see that somepeople had no choice but to stay there. The road staff at Care1 is good. I still have some good friends who work there. and alot of ex-partners I see every now and then.

[Guest SSDD]

The administration there is fully aware that the dispatching is abysmal. If you know any competent dispatchers they should apply.

[EMT348 12]

When you dont have dispatchers who are EMD you should not be responding lights and sirens to any call. If a true emergency the facility should have called 911.

There are facilities in the region that have been told by Municipal EMS agencies to be nameless not to call 911 anymore. Some Municipal EMS agencies will not respond to facilities and have asked them to contract with commercial agencies instead of dialing 911. I disagree with you that commercial agencies cannot respond lights and sirens to any call because the dispatchers are OR are not EMD certified.

As far as the dispatching being abysmal I would mostly agree. But then again, who's system is perfect?

[sympathomedic 383]

That sounds pretty risky. It is one thing to tell/suggest/pressure a facility not to call 911. It another thing to "Not Respopnd" . If you are a true municipal angency (owned or controlled by the government) or are contracted to be so, and you refuse a call for service, to me that runs counter to everything we do. Can you work with places to try to divert less-then-urgen calls to a secondary providor? Sure. Can you say, "Sorry bud, you've had enough, you're cut off!" I think that is wrong. Remember, visitors and staff have medical emergencies too. Imagine a 7 year old choking to death on a lollipop while visiting grandma. If the NH can show proof they were told to stop calling, that dead girl presents a bit of an issue.

I dunno. I learned how to care for the sick ans injured. I drive around in a truck full of stuff to do that, or a flycar equipped to support those that do it. They send me work, and I do it as well as I can. Doesn't bother me what the adress is, or what color ambulance I am driving or backing up. I not too good to answer whatever calls come to me.

I have noticed that of all the medical technicians- x-ray, lab, EKG, ER etc, ONLY the EMTechnicians feel that certain pateints are beneith them and should be cared for and treated by someone else. Kind of sad, for me and for that 'not good enough' pateint.

[Medic442 15]

Sympathymedic, it's the facilities that for the most part not calling or want 911 to respond. The facililities get upset with a large group showing up. So they for the most part just call a contracted agencys.

Also some volly agency's do not wish to respond into prisons, NHs, & other locations

[sympathomedic 383]

OK. I was responding to EMT 348 who said some agencies were telling NH's not to call them. FYI a number of years ago the Massachusetts state NH association asked the Governor to change a law that REQUIRED them to call 911. They cited the same thing: crowd of guys with loud radios, large diesel left ilding with all the lights on etc. The biggest opponents were the FD's who WANTED the NH calls.

I guess we have steered this thread off its original topic of Care 1, so sorry for that.

[Medic442 15]

No biggie & you are also correct. It has been done before.

[INIT915 1,119]

Sympathymedic, it's the facilities that for the most part not calling or want 911 to respond. The facililities get upset with a large group showing up. So they for the most part just call a contracted agencys.

Also some volly agency's do not wish to respond into prisons, NHs, & other locations

With the overall quality of conditions and staff at most SNF, I would think they'd want all the help they could get to respond.

[Medic442 15]

INIT915, YUP that's what we all would think. As I was told it upsets the residents & visitors when the 911 system responds. That is from 2 different areas that I had worked in.

[EMTBrian 4]

Just had an interview with a Mr Nodar (very nice , upfront and down to earth guy ) up in fishkill for Care1. I used to work for them under HVP/Reg with Mr Rizzo as chief. Besides different color ambulances, according to Mr Nodar the differences are addition of a new base in yonkers (why?) All medics must be westchester remac as well as HV remac, and the majority of the management is long gone. Besides that can anyone comment on any other changes? Is the owner(s) still the same? Pay rates still the same? Operations? Equipment? etc etc.... basically besides new ambulances and faces what can I expect to be better or worse? I've seen some people mention the company on here saying they worked for care1 previously so any info at all will be greatly appreciated in advance.

Oh and hvp/reg website is still up does care1 have a website yet?

What is hiring status in Fishkill? They have what they need far as EMT's or they just looking for Paramedics which I seem to be told every time I check back periodically, or are they

looking to add additional staff for Yonkers?

[EMTBrian 4]

I think what you should look at with any agency but ecspecially at Care1 is employee retention. They may hire a lot of people, but a lot of them don't stay. even a lot of the employees who have been there since empire have recently went elsewhere. I think you'll find a lot of the same problems exist, just hidden differently. I haven't dealt much with Nodar, and those dealings iv'e had havent been bad...however Mr. Welsh is an arrogant joke.

Transcare is the same deal. I was a new emt with limited experience, and didn't put me with one steady FTO, just threw me in with a different crew each day. From what I hear,

Transcare has been doing off and on hiring then cutting back on hours and down sizing.

[EMT348 12]

I think all commercial services are looking to downsize and cut their losses. Emergency services are always trying to put themselves out of business(Fire Departments with Fire Prevention, EMS with safety and health awareness). This isn't all bad, but at the same time it does mean jobs. Look at the situation in New York City where Voluntary Hospital participants in the EMS system are closing their doors and turning everything to the City. FDNY has 3 classes scheduled (One right now and 2 more in the neighborhood of July).