Americare is Bad

[Trippl3E]

I want to warn anyone seeking employment to Americare. Do Not Do It. They are a horrible company and probably committing Medicare fraud as I speak. Here are a few things that they do:

1. They do not accurately pay their employees.
2. HR have intentionally screwed up paperwork.
3. For new hires, they do not provide a 3 man after the fact that they promised one. (not too big of a deal if you have been an EMT for a while)
4. No raises ( I think that's kind of standard)
5. No lunches, No breaks, No down time. At any time. Not just one day here or there. Literally you will be constantly working. ER's have become the new rest stops.
6. They will stack call after call. They disregard patient care and will bully you in hurrying up and at times will coerce you to try to abandon your patient.
7. Their FTO's are a joke. Only a few are actually good.
8. They have violated HIPPA laws and OSHA regulations.
9. Dispatch plays favoritism on a regular basis. ( pretty common)
10. They will and always will remind you that you are an AT WILL employee. They will literally have a normal conversation and will insert that line somewhere while talking to you.
11. They tell their employees not to steal but do not supply their employees with proper equipment for the job. So the employee has to liberate what he needs.
12. ALL cabinets are locked and difficult to get into. Some of the supplies are so old that the plastic bags are literally falling apart.
13. Most calls are roughly a 30 mile drive so there is alot of traveling and that can be very draining.
14. Mechanics do not do their jobs most of the time. If you break down you are SOL.
15. They have so much paperwork it'll make you go cross eyed.

Find another company to work for. It's not worth working for them. I wrote ambiguously but I'm pointing out general issues that were a common practice. There are other things as well. Very petty but I didn't want the list to be any longer.

 

[Flight-LP]

Welcome to personal opinion and perception in the world of EMS..............

1. They do not accurately pay their employees.

Then file a complaint with the DOL.

2. HR have intentionally screwed up paperwork.

Such as?

3. For new hires, they do not provide a 3 man after the fact that they promised one. (not too big of a deal if you have been an EMT for a while)

If its not in writing in a binding contract, then it isn't binding (welcome to EMS). Besides, why would you need a 3 person crew for new hires? I could understand a couple of shifts as third, but a new employee can be easily precepted (especially in an IFT environment) with a standard crew configuration.

4. No raises ( I think that's kind of standard)

Again, welcome to EMS. Why would a private for profit entity have an incentive to provide raises to the an EMT when their skills are easily acquired and in plentiful supply?

5. No lunches, No breaks, No down time. At any time. Not just one day here or there. Literally you will be constantly working. ER's have become the new rest stops.

Have I welcomed you to EMS yet? Patient needs are the priority and the business. Your personal wants are not. It is quite easy to be creative in getting a moment or two for your dietary needs (i.e. pack food).

6. They will stack call after call. They disregard patient care and will bully you in hurrying up and at times will coerce you to try to abandon your patient.

Having call after call is a good problem to have for a business. Of course, they will try to hurry you up, your maximum productivity is essential to their business.

7. Their FTO's are a joke. Only a few are actually good.

So what kind of quality improvement can you offer this issue? Can you bring something to the table that will make the situation better?

8. They have violated HIPPA laws and OSHA regulations.

What the heck is HIPPA? I've heard of HIPAA, but not HIPPA. Perhaps you may want to learn the actual name of the law before you spout off how they allegedly are not following it. Also, I am an OSHA consultant and outreach trainer, feel free to inquire about these allegations as well.

9. Dispatch plays favoritism on a regular basis. ( pretty common)

Bienvenido a EMS!

10. They will and always will remind you that you are an AT WILL employee. They will literally have a normal conversation and will insert that line somewhere while talking to you.

As you are, this is a factual statement. Again, at the EMT level, you should be mindful that for every open position, there could be up to 100 applicants. You are disposable.

11. They tell their employees not to steal but do not supply their employees with proper equipment for the job. So the employee has to liberate what he needs.

Such as? If you do not have the required equipment as per your regulatory agency, then you should consider a complaint to them.

12. ALL cabinets are locked and difficult to get into. Some of the supplies are so old that the plastic bags are literally falling apart.

Then replace the supplies if their presence is required. Most things that are locked are difficult to get into, hence the whole locking definition.

13. Most calls are roughly a 30 mile drive so there is alot of traveling and that can be very draining.

Добро пожаловать в ед

14. Mechanics do not do their jobs most of the time. If you break down you are SOL.

Refer to your supervisor for further inquiry to ensure the issue is addressed.

15. They have so much paperwork it'll make you go cross eyed.

Herzlich Willkommen bei EMS

Find another company to work for. It's not worth working for them. I wrote ambiguously but I'm pointing out general issues that were a common practice. There are other things as well. Very petty but I didn't want the list to be any longer.

So while I did lay the sarcasm on pretty thick, my question to you is......................

Have you provided quality input that could improve the situation and work towards a solution or have you just come to gripe on an online EMS forum?

You are not telling anyone here anything we haven't heard before. This is a jacked up industry, occasionally having twisted priorities. But some of it is what it is.

Either be part of the solution, or consider another line of employment. Being part of the problem by *****ing isn't beneficial to anyone, especially you if there are any Americare folks on here (which I believe there is).

By the way, welcome to EMS........................

 

[Chris07]

First I assume that you are talking about AmeriCare in Southern California. If you are speaking about a different company in a different part of the country, then please disregard my entire post.

Is this the only company you've worked for? Most of what you've mentioned are common practice by private companies in SoCal. A couple of them come with the job and should have been expected. I've selected a couple to respond to:

1. They do not accurately pay their employees.

This is something that you should approach management about and question. I personally either photocopy or take a picture of my time card at the end of the pay period to use as evidence in case something comes up later. It's a little hard for them to stiff you when you have proof.

5. No lunches, No breaks, No down time. At any time. Not just one day here or there. Literally you will be constantly working. ER's have become the new rest stops.

This should be expected when running with a busy company. When I was first hired with my company, our Ops Manager said "This is not your standard 9-5 job. If you're expecting to get off on time every shift, or have an hour break for lunch, then this is not the job for you."

8. They have violated HIPPA laws and OSHA regulations.

This does seem a little concerning. How have these been violated?

10. They will and always will remind you that you are an AT WILL employee. They will literally have a normal conversation and will insert that line somewhere while talking to you.

In a place where there are more EMTs than jobs, this is a truth. Although the fact that they blatantly say that may not be the nicest way to speak to employees, but it is true.

11. They tell their employees not to steal but do not supply their employees with proper equipment for the job. So the employee has to liberate what he needs.

What sort of equipment do they not provide? Liberate?

15. They have so much paperwork it'll make you go cross eyed.

Unfortunately, no matter where you go this will stand true. It's an essential part of the job.

 

[Remeber343]

You ask to work there... They didn't ask you...

 

[Amberlamps916]

Welcome to EMS aside, I'm still trying to figure out how this company got the Santa Monica 911 contract. From a curiosity standpoint, I see and hear alot of things going on around Socal and I just want to point out that I often hear negative things about this company. I know their operations manager recently left as well.

If anyone with knowledge of this company can come in here and shed some light and possibly give us a more well rounded observation, much obliged.

 

[TB 3541]

Welcome to EMS aside, I'm still trying to figure out how this company got the Santa Monica 911 contract. From a curiosity standpoint, I see and hear alot of things going on around Socal and I just want to point out that I often hear negative things about this company. I know their operations manager recently left as well.

If anyone with knowledge of this company can come in here and shed some light and possibly give us a more well rounded observation, much obliged.

I'm not speaking from experience, but it seems that there is always someone who is willing to complain about their job (at any job). Many of my father's coworkers complain incessantly about how unfair stuff is at their six-figure jobs.

Perhaps the excessive EMT-B supply here in Southern California has caused some employers to become less inclined to treat their employees well because they know how easily they can be replaced.

And finally, private 911 services are only competitive when they cost less than ALS fire rigs. So obviously, cutting costs is a must. Maybe regulation enforcement has become lax enough here (seeing that California is in so much trouble, financially, and otherwise) to allow dishonest companies to cut corners where legally and morally they should not. But again, whatever balances the books and makes the most profit while still being cheaper than the competition is what matters to them in the end. It has been stated on this forum before that very few to none of the executives from large ALS services have ever worked a day in EMS. They are simply investors in it for the money. :sad:

 

[Danno]

Welcome to EMS aside, I'm still trying to figure out how this company got the Santa Monica 911 contract. From a curiosity standpoint, I see and hear alot of things going on around Socal and I just want to point out that I often hear negative things about this company. I know their operations manager recently left as well.

If anyone with knowledge of this company can come in here and shed some light and possibly give us a more well rounded observation, much obliged.

I've been told their ops manager leaving was an improvement to the company.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

All I've ever heard about Americare are horror stories. An FTO from my company was talking with a supervisor from ameri at lunch and an EMT looking for work asked about ameri. The supervisor even said to him not to go there. He wouldn't even recommend his own company! Not only that, my current coworker worked at Americare for only 2 months and would verify all of those things in a heartbeat. Btw, their paperwork seems absurd. 8 pages on why you go code 3 or use an AED. Stacking calls. 24 hour shifts running all day and night no breaks period. He knows he was shorted OT but doesn't even find the hassle worth complaining too. He has been told not to tell anyone that he put in his two week notice to go to another company or his supervisor will call and blacklist him everywhere. Filing a complaint means you are terminated.

Honestly, it sounds like a :censored::censored::censored::censored: hole from everyone I talk to who was and/or is employed there.

 

[Tigger]

By the way, welcome to EMS........................

Your reply couldn't have covered it better.

OP, here is my sympathy face:


But actually, if laws or other EMS regulations have been violated, report them. If not, find a new place to work.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

But actually, if laws or other EMS regulations have been violated, report them. If not, find a new place to work.

This is why EMS is not a profession. Don't like your company? Move. Never raise the standard. Honestly, some people are ignorant to truly backwards scamming companies. You all jump on this guy about it and don't even look back. If that is the norm stop perpetuating it with the attitude that simply quitting and moving will make things better.

 

[adamjh3]

This is why EMS is not a profession. Don't like your company? Move. Never raise the standard. Honestly, some people are ignorant to truly backwards scamming companies. You all jump on this guy about it and don't even look back. If that is the norm stop perpetuating it with the attitude that simply quitting and moving will make things better.

One very disposable person who makes around $10/hr pushing against a large corporate entity that's doing exactly what every other company in the area is doing?

 

[Amberlamps916]

Fellas, before we get too carried away here, let's get back to OP's qualms with Americare and any attempts at validating/disproving their claims.

 

[Hunter]

One very disposable person who makes around $10/hr pushing against a large corporate entity that's doing exactly what every other company in the area is doing?

It would probably be more than one if people didn't have the attitude of "move on if you don't like it"

 

[Tigger]

This is why EMS is not a profession. Don't like your company? Move. Never raise the standard. Honestly, some people are ignorant to truly backwards scamming companies. You all jump on this guy about it and don't even look back. If that is the norm stop perpetuating it with the attitude that simply quitting and moving will make things better.

Do you think this is an issue unique to EMS? I certainly do not, I think there are many industries that have companies that do not run the most ethical of businesses, and that's how they get ahead. This is a problem as old as capitalism itself.

If no one works for the company won't the company go under? If a company is actually doing something illegal, report it. Put them out of business. No legitimate company is going to look down on someone for blowing the whistle on something legitimate, but they will look at you funny if you talk crap about a company that is basically doing the same as the rest of the industry. My company does some of things on that list and I still love where I work. I understand that I am being paid to work, and in return my company sets firm expectations that are realistic for its employees. And though they work us fairly hard, they give us the tools to be successful as well as the dialogue channels necessary to tell the management when something is not working.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

Sure, let's all focus on an ideal. I'm beyond that. Americare is as bad as that guy is saying. Straight up. I recognize all companies have shady areas. Americare itself is blatant in all aspects of it but one EMT against a company that probably was at one point decent isn't exactly a whistle blower. And most EMT's are afraid of americare if they work there, or do not want to be seen as a whistle blower by better companies if they used to work there. Back to OP though. Agreed, never work for americare. Also, they make minimum wage, not even 10 an hour.

 

[Tigger]

Sure, let's all focus on an ideal. I'm beyond that. Americare is as bad as that guy is saying. Straight up. I recognize all companies have shady areas. Americare itself is blatant in all aspects of it but one EMT against a company that probably was at one point decent isn't exactly a whistle blower. And most EMT's are afraid of americare if they work there, or do not want to be seen as a whistle blower by better companies if they used to work there. Back to OP though. Agreed, never work for americare. Also, they make minimum wage, not even 10 an hour.

I don't get the ideal thing. Supply and demand is a real thing. If a company is indeed so crappy that no one will work there, then it will close. The issue here is that it's a sucky company (and I'm sure it is) but people are probably still lining up to work there because there are so many EMT-B jobs. To me the obvious solution is to make it so there are fewer applicants, and the best way to do that is to raise the barrier of entry to EMS significantly. Face it, we only hurt ourselves by continuing to allow such a large of mass people to compete for jobs as all of the bargaining power rests with the company. In other areas where there are more job openings, private EMS is better.

I'm not going to say that Boston is all cup cakes and roses, but seeing as there are fewer unemployed EMTs here, the companies here do have to be somewhat responsive to their employees or they know that they will just leave for another company. Some companies care about their employees less than others, those places will see significant turnover which is harmful to one's bottom line. New EMTs stay away from those companies and in the end those companies either shape up and become good places to work or the breeding ground of the malcontent.

 

[Trickimaster]

There's an Americare in Tampa, FL too OP what city/state Americare are you referring to?

 

[Level1pedstech]

You ask to work there... They didn't ask you...

Ding,ding,ding we have a winner! If this was a sticky maybe it would cut down the number of posts where people come on here and rip their employers. We all know field EMS is no easy way to make a living but lets get real. Most every issue the OP raised could be easily addressed,actually most are fairly common in entry level positions.

Long hours without breaks,management problems,equipment issues and pay disputes are not only found in EMS. Being busy is a good thing and serves to balance the other half of the profession that complain about sitting to much.

The "welcome to EMS" line is also spot on and should serve as a reminder to all what awaits you out there.

 

[Anjel]

Herzlich Willkommen bei EMS.

You sir. Are awesome.

 

[Level1pedstech]

This is why EMS is not a profession. Don't like your company? Move. Never raise the standard. Honestly, some people are ignorant to truly backwards scamming companies. You all jump on this guy about it and don't even look back. If that is the norm stop perpetuating it with the attitude that simply quitting and moving will make things better.

Repeat after me....Supply and demand. This basic economic prinipal is what allows the less than above board employers to thrive. No amount of increased education,government regulation,protesting or pouting is going to change that.

The schools continue to flood an already tight job market and the employers see this as a chance to make money,am I missing something? To me the answer is to stop flooding the market but thats me.