This is the first post on www.peoriasmedicalmafia.com.
Synopsis of Emergency Medical Services in Peoria
Peoria’s Medical Mafia documents thoughts regarding Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Peoria, Illinois. There are approximately 65 posts on this web log, many of them regarding EMS.
Peoria has a population of 113,000. The Peoria Fire Department (PFD) is non transport and provides service at Basic-D level with basic medication. Several years ago the PFD purchased a very nice ambulance using the Foreign Fire Fund. The PFD applied to the Peoria Project Medical Director for permission to outfit this vehicle, their only ambulance, with various basic and advanced life support materials and equipment. This request was denied by the Project Medical Director. The PFD then sold this ambulance because it was not being used.
Peoria has an advanced life support company, Advanced Medical Transport (AMT), which transports patients and gives the only paramedic care in Peoria. It is considered a not-for- profit entity but grosses over 7 million dollars per year. AMT is supported by all three of Peoria’s hospitals. OSF-SFMC, the largest medical center in downstate Illinois, is considered the “resource hospital” for the Peoria Area EMS. All three medical centers have administrators that sit on the AMT Board of Directors. AMT suffered significant legal troubles several years ago when the federal government investigated it for Medicare fraud based on coding and charging. AMT was fined over 2 million dollars by the federal government.
The OSF-SFMC Emergency Department Director is also the Corporate Medical Director for AMT. He was the Project Medical Director for many years in the Peoria area and was salaried by both AMT and OSF-SFMC for his services. Numerous people in the area believe this arrangement constitutes conflict of interest. The PFD also believe that many obstacles have been created over the years to keep them at a basic non transport level so AMT can continue as the only paramedic and transport agency in Peoria.
I believe that Peorians have suffered and died in the pre hospital setting and continue to do so because of the paramedic/transport monopoly. Incredibly, the PFD has paramedics that cannot use their life saving abilities at the scene when they work as firefighters; however, when they “moonlight” for AMT, they are able to use their advanced life support skills.
Similar business arrangements as described above probably occur in other locations around the nation. But just because banks are robbed in many cities, does not mean it is right to rob banks in Peoria.
I hope this web site is informative. Some day Peoria will change for the better regarding EMS and pre hospital care. The system took a while to become this ill and it will take a while to recover.
John A. Carroll, MD
[email protected]
Synopsis of Emergency Medical Services in Peoria
Peoria’s Medical Mafia documents thoughts regarding Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Peoria, Illinois. There are approximately 65 posts on this web log, many of them regarding EMS.
Peoria has a population of 113,000. The Peoria Fire Department (PFD) is non transport and provides service at Basic-D level with basic medication. Several years ago the PFD purchased a very nice ambulance using the Foreign Fire Fund. The PFD applied to the Peoria Project Medical Director for permission to outfit this vehicle, their only ambulance, with various basic and advanced life support materials and equipment. This request was denied by the Project Medical Director. The PFD then sold this ambulance because it was not being used.
Peoria has an advanced life support company, Advanced Medical Transport (AMT), which transports patients and gives the only paramedic care in Peoria. It is considered a not-for- profit entity but grosses over 7 million dollars per year. AMT is supported by all three of Peoria’s hospitals. OSF-SFMC, the largest medical center in downstate Illinois, is considered the “resource hospital” for the Peoria Area EMS. All three medical centers have administrators that sit on the AMT Board of Directors. AMT suffered significant legal troubles several years ago when the federal government investigated it for Medicare fraud based on coding and charging. AMT was fined over 2 million dollars by the federal government.
The OSF-SFMC Emergency Department Director is also the Corporate Medical Director for AMT. He was the Project Medical Director for many years in the Peoria area and was salaried by both AMT and OSF-SFMC for his services. Numerous people in the area believe this arrangement constitutes conflict of interest. The PFD also believe that many obstacles have been created over the years to keep them at a basic non transport level so AMT can continue as the only paramedic and transport agency in Peoria.
I believe that Peorians have suffered and died in the pre hospital setting and continue to do so because of the paramedic/transport monopoly. Incredibly, the PFD has paramedics that cannot use their life saving abilities at the scene when they work as firefighters; however, when they “moonlight” for AMT, they are able to use their advanced life support skills.
Similar business arrangements as described above probably occur in other locations around the nation. But just because banks are robbed in many cities, does not mean it is right to rob banks in Peoria.
I hope this web site is informative. Some day Peoria will change for the better regarding EMS and pre hospital care. The system took a while to become this ill and it will take a while to recover.
John A. Carroll, MD
[email protected]
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