# Fake paramedic treated patients, duped AMR



## LucidResq (Jun 6, 2008)

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=93131&catid=339



> DENVER – Todd Teel was not a paramedic, but he played one in real life for more than a year, with injured patients entrusted to his care.
> 
> Teel, 40, worked as a credentialed paramedic for American Medical Response, AMR, from July 2006 until December 2007.
> 
> ...


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## Flight-LP (Jun 6, 2008)

So, in summation, AMR failed to remotely verify this individual's credentials and was unable to detect any abnormalities in his delivery of care. People, that is some scary :censored::censored::censored::censored:. To think that communities actually entrust this company with the lives of it residents just amazes me.................

The people of Colorado deserve better!


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## Airwaygoddess (Jun 6, 2008)

I am at a loss for words........wow......:unsure:


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## Jon (Jun 6, 2008)

Wow.

Kinda leaves us with a lot more questions than answers.

I'd assume that this guy did at least SOME 911 work, because A*M*R's got 911 contracts out there. Even if not, I'm sure he had some sick patients. Either he always had a medic partner who took over, or he actually had some medical knowledge... he'd have to be somewhat convincing to remain on the street.

I'd almost guess he had some form of medical training... either EMT-B or maybe a military medic.... or perhaps he failed out of medic school. Either that or A*M*R's got no supervision. Next question... how was his documentation? Did billing raise any concerns?

I guess the big question to ask off of this is how easy is it for employers to verify EMS certification status in YOUR state?

PA's got a webpage set up where every active EMS provider is listed.


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## mikeylikesit (Jun 6, 2008)

wow, like Jon stated he must have done something right since it took them a whole year to figure it out. But really how do you pull it off for a whole year without putting a ton on time into learning all of it? He may have had more than 1,200 hours of learning and OTJ training which raises the question...why not go to medic school in the first place and why not forge a document for a higher paying job.


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## Alexakat (Jun 6, 2008)

AMR should've done PRIMARY SOURCE verification.  We do it for doctors and advance practice allied health professionals (NPs, PAs, CRNAs, CNMs) in our hospitals (Joint Commission requires this), they should do it for pre-hospital practitioners as well!


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## enjoynz (Jun 6, 2008)

Reminds me of the news story some years back in Australia, 
of the Paramedic that was posing as a Doctor!^_^

Cheers Enjoynz


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## Jon (Jun 6, 2008)

Can you define? I'm not 100% sure of your terminology.


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## mdtaylor (Jun 6, 2008)

Jon said:


> I guess the big question to ask off of this is how easy is it for employers to verify EMS certification status in YOUR state?


If I interpret the original post Jon, NREMT accepted his credentials, tested him, and gave him a NREMT-P certification, paving the way for the State to give him a state certification (if the state so uses NREMT as their testing facility.) Therefore, verifying an employees state certification would not have picked up on this. Only deep investigations of his prior training together with OTJ performance review would catch this.

He had to have at least self trained in order to pass the NREMT test.


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## Flight-LP (Jun 6, 2008)

I don't think so actually. towards the bottom of the article, it states that he was never a NREMT-P. I think he forged the paramedic certification card. But clarification would be nice. Either way, AMR should have been able to figure him out during a clinical orientation.


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## CFRBryan347768 (Jun 6, 2008)

Flight-LP said:


> Either way, AMR should have been able to figure him out during a clinical orientation.



It seems he was caught because he tried to transfer...what if he performed like a real Paramedic? I think if he never would have asked for a transfer they wouldn't have caught on... yet


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## Ops Paramedic (Jun 9, 2008)

It sounds like this guy could win a Oscar for his acting!!  Shows you how easy it can be done.  One has to wonder if he had the knowledge, as he managed to fool everyone for more that a year.  At the end of day, he was not (officialy) examined on the info.

Odd law of that state, with regards to the impersination??  We also once had a guy who posed and practiced as a peaditrician at government hospital for more than 13 years, only to catch him out on a basic error that he made!!


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## paramedix (Jun 9, 2008)

Beginning of last year a guy was caught out during his interview for an EMT-I position at a private company.

He could not answer the basic questions posed to him during the interview and his practice number was traced - needless to say it did not appear on the system.

Eventually when an off duty cop, who happened to be a medic too, started with his interrogation he got some info out of the fake dude. 

It came to light that he paid some odd R3,000.00 for his certificate and registration card in Johannesburg. They nailed his backside and the guy with his forging factory. The police even uncovered that the guy was selling fake university degrees for a penny. Huh, why study!?


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## wolfwyndd (Jun 9, 2008)

Wow.  That doesn't say much of AMR's verification process.  It looks to me like AMR said, 'oh, look, he's got a paramedic card, looks ok to me' and accepted that at face value.  

I am a little curious about one of the statements in the article though.  it said, "Breese also noted that a defense attorney could challenge results of a blood test based on a sample taken by Teel, say, for a drunk driving case."  In Ohio and MD an EMT-Basic or Paramedic are not allowed to take a blood or urine test for drunk driving or any other kinda of drug screening.  Does that mean that Colorado does allow that?


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## Arkymedic (Jun 9, 2008)

wolfwyndd said:


> Wow. That doesn't say much of AMR's verification process. It looks to me like AMR said, 'oh, look, he's got a paramedic card, looks ok to me' and accepted that at face value.
> 
> I am a little curious about one of the statements in the article though. it said, "Breese also noted that a defense attorney could challenge results of a blood test based on a sample taken by Teel, say, for a drunk driving case." In Ohio and MD an EMT-Basic or Paramedic are not allowed to take a blood or urine test for drunk driving or any other kinda of drug screening. Does that mean that Colorado does allow that?


 
Oklahoma paramedics use to draw for LEOs but as of the last edition of the OK statues, Paramedics were removed from the list of approved healthcare providers for unknown reasons. Some other states allow this also and I have not been able to find the list of their approved levels. 


Oklahoma Title 47.67.752.A. states "Only a licensed medical doctor, licensed osteopathic physician, licensed chiropractic physician, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, physician's assistant, certified by the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, an employee of a hospital or other health care facility authorized by the hospital or health care facility to withdraw blood, or other qualified person authorized by the Board of Tests for Alcohol and Drug Influence acting at the request of a law enforcement officer may withdraw blood for purpose of having a determination made of its concentration of alcohol or the presence or concentration of other intoxicating substance. Only qualified persons authorized by the Board may collect breath, saliva or urine, or administer tests of breath under the provisions of this title".


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## traumateam1 (Jun 9, 2008)

So my question is wouldn't he of gotten caught by doctors or something? I mean if he was pretending to be a paramedic then wouldn't he of gotten caught in the ER with way off dx, or what about IV's and 12 leads. You think someone would of caught on sooner than they did.


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## mikeylikesit (Jun 10, 2008)

well you can learn 12 leads, phamacology and IV's through a book, same wat that medics learn them(only his "hands on" was his first tiem trying it out)


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## traumateam1 (Jun 10, 2008)

Well true true, but isn't a book and the real thing two different things. I mean reading books doesn't give you th experience of doing IV's and ECG interpretations, and whatnot.. I guess he was able to pull it off tho.


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## mikeylikesit (Jun 10, 2008)

traumateam1 said:


> Well true true, but isn't a book and the real thing two different things. I mean reading books doesn't give you th experience of doing IV's and ECG interpretations, and whatnot.. I guess he was able to pull it off tho.


well the book gives you a descent amount of info, the internship is where you really learn for a medic though. But he didn't have to have it down to a science, just enough to fake it.


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## TheMowingMonk (Jun 10, 2008)

im blown away with the, especially now the National reg has it so that you can verify anyones creditials through their website.


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## Alexakat (Jun 10, 2008)

Jon said:


> Can you define? I'm not 100% sure of your terminology.



Not sure if that was directed to me or not, but primary source verification is going straight to the source & requesting the information from them (ie. NREMT, or the school/program certifying that the individual has met the requirements to test) rather than accepting a certificate.

When we credential physicians, we write to medical school, internship/residency program, fellowship, licensing boards, insurance companies (past & present for coverage information as well as claims history), past & present hosptial affiliations, employment, peer references, etc...

A really good book to read is called "Blind Eye" by James Stewart - true story!  People have gotten away with posing as various medical professionals.  It really does happen!


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## Ridryder911 (Jun 10, 2008)

Even unlike the nursing profession, when one presents a RN license, it is verified through the state board. Even if one wants to transfer or obtain another state's license, the new state has to verify to the original state if they were licensed, restrictions, etc. Not, just that they are current. A very detail (and costly) report is sent. I know it costs me $40 (from my original state) every time I get another state that wants to verify me.. yeah, I have to pay my state to say I am licensed to another state. That is the costs of professionalism...

R/r 911


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