Anyone know anything about Cornerstone, Coastal, or K&G? What are the top companies in Houston? I'm a new EMT-B as well as new to the area and am not familiar with the companies here just yet...
Crap, not bad, and crap.
Coastal isn't a bad gig for a Basic. They have the JSC NASA contract and are the backup for Cypress Creek EMS. Same Medical Director (who is an awesome MD and very well respected in the region) and great equipment. They are definately worth looking at.
Cornerstone has a few small contracts and some crappy dialysis contracts, nothing special there. Equipment is average, overall your typical Houston example of EMS mediocrity.
K&G is a mom and pop in the Woodlands that is trying to be a player. Trying is the key word. They have called me several times requesting consultation services. Their idea of consulting is to give them my entire Critical Care Program on a silver platter. An outright request to just hand over another companies CCT guidelines has been made on several occasions. Unfortunately, they run a very minimalistic level of ALS, so CCT is not even a feasible option for them right now. Maybe they'll grow in the future, but I see them as a rather shady operation.
As previously mentioned, NorthStar also has a decent operation (at least by Houston IFT standards, lol). I'd give them a call as well.
Normally, I would recommend BayStar as an option (although a last ditch option), however they just laid off a considerable amount of staff, so stability would be a concern. Of course, stability is not a quality of Houston EMS overall, so don't get your sights set on a 20+ year plan.
Good luck!