Americare is Bad

[CrackerBDingus]

The idealism I refer to is that if everyone leaves that americare will shut down. I understand how supply side economics work, and that is not the issue at hand with hiring at americare. The issue is that they take people and treat them like dirt in a fashion unexperienced at even the worst of the IFT companies in socal. I used to think that my old company was bad and I still do, I tell everyone to avoid it unless they need it as a stepping stone to get to a better company. With americare I wouldn't even do that.

I would love if we could reduce the number of emt's pumped out and cut americare's overly fattened throat. But I want to state once more, that's not even the issue. The issue is that you are treated as a tool only, not even a respected tool. Americare has been described to me as synonymous to slavery, with fewer benefits.

 

[Flight-LP]

Idealism is a great fantasy, however the reality to private EMS companies in high supply areas is really simple. They are in business to make the most money possible while spending the least amount possible. That means unless you can show a quality improvement that can increase the quantity of calls and revenue, you are likely SOL.

So what do I mean?

Perhaps instead of everyone moaning and complaining about how horrible life is at a particular service, maybe they could be productive and bring a quality improvement to the table. Why do some agencies have a great reputation? Because their people possess the quality to better the service. If you don't like an aspect, strive to improve it. If improvement falls on deaf ears, then maybe it is best to move on.

I hear some folks not liking the truth. I'm not going to sugar coat it. EMT-B's in Southern California are a penny a dozen. Thousands of students go through the training every year, yet there are typically only few jobs for all of those graduates. Moaning and complaining will only bring negativity and an increased interest in your management to get rid of you. Remember, most of them are in it for the money, not your personal well being or wants. You can be easily replaced by some other desperate graduate who has the twinkle in their eye to do all the "cool stuff" we supposibly do in EMS.

Another aspect for consideration is a lack of appreciation. Out of the original list of gripes from the OP (who I might add hasn't returned for further comment), only a couple are remotely legitimite. What ever happened to appreciation of even having a job? I truly question the quantity of issues that are real issues vs. another example of how society has turned into one of instant gratification.

Too bad work ethic and maturity classes aren't in the required curriculum........................

 

[Amberlamps916]

Oddly enough, Americare just called me for an interview today.....I applied in October!

 

[MRSA]

Oddly enough, Americare just called me for an interview today.....I applied in October!

Really? That's kinda scary for them to hold an app for that long...If I was there HR I'd be kinda ashamed to call so late. That's like 7+ months :\ The standard is they toss it after 3-6 I thought...

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.

Actually I found a really nice emt company myself, and don't have hardly any of these problems. I got really lucky, and I actually love what I do even if it's BLS and a year later. All our stuff is in order, and we get some decent down time from time to time.

And for what it's worth OP I know working back to back sucks, but you're going to do the same at most every other company. Especially Lynch in Anaheim, I hear they're INFAMOUS for that and they'll beat you every step of the call if you aren't quick.

Unfortunately that's just the way the cookie crumbles :\ But look at it this way, when you're that busy at least your day goes by quicker.

How many days a week do you work?? If you work 4, then honestly you'll get used to it and you'll be fine. If you work 5, then I'll feel sorry for you because that's just exhausting but again, you'll eventually acclimate to it.

 

[TatuICU]

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

While this may technically be true, this type of attitude is why the working class in this country will continue to be beaten down. IF those accusations are true, they are not acceptable. When you're hired into a job, there is a reasonable expectation of professionalism and often times, especially with EMS services, you are exposed to the grossly unethical medical and business practices of private services only after having been there awhile. And it is NOT okay. The answer can't always be to leave. At some point EMS has to grow a pair and change things.

 

[looker]

While this may technically be true, this type of attitude is why the working class in this country will continue to be beaten down. IF those accusations are true, they are not acceptable. When you're hired into a job, there is a reasonable expectation of professionalism and often times, especially with EMS services, you are exposed to the grossly unethical medical and business practices of private services only after having been there awhile. And it is NOT okay. The answer can't always be to leave. At some point EMS has to grow a pair and change things.

There been many discussion about this and as it stands right now keep dreaming about anything changing. The only way a thing can change is if a) company start getting paid more(it's going the other way), b) number of emt's go down(it's going the other way), c) regulation come out to force company to do certain thing(unlikely to happen). EMS will not grow a pair and change thing because there is no incentive to do so. EMT'S get pumped out faster than there is open position for them to work at

 

[james88]

Oddly enough, Americare just called me for an interview today.....I applied in October!

Same here, applied in March

 

[Level1pedstech]

While this may technically be true, this type of attitude is why the working class in this country will continue to be beaten down. IF those accusations are true, they are not acceptable. When you're hired into a job, there is a reasonable expectation of professionalism and often times, especially with EMS services, you are exposed to the grossly unethical medical and business practices of private services only after having been there awhile. And it is NOT okay. The answer can't always be to leave. At some point EMS has to grow a pair and change things.

Why should these companies make any effort to change? Is it because they need to be more attractive to applicants becuse its so hard it is to find an EMT these days. Companies are in the game to make money not to provide a high wage job with excellent working conditions for every one that walks thru the door. As far as having a resonable expectation of professionalism well not sure where you got that from.

In a healthy business cycle good companies thrive,which means they are more likely to take better care of their workers. The bad companies run as long as they can then are driven out,some resurface under other names and pick up where they left off.

People need to start seeing EMS for what it really is which is an entry level path to bigger and better things. There are plenty of jobs for nurses,RT's,surgical techs and of course PA's and MD's. If your arguement is that you want to be outside well hope your enjoying the abuse and low pay. Leave the few higher paying EMS jobs to those that have no interest in moving up. Remember its easy to cert back to medic or even EMT and work part time after you have secured a job that offers at least a liveable wage.

 

[TatuICU]

Why should these companies make any effort to change? Is it because they need to be more attractive to applicants becuse its so hard it is to find an EMT these days. Companies are in the game to make money not to provide a high wage job with excellent working conditions for every one that walks thru the door. As far as having a resonable expectation of professionalism well not sure where you got that from.

In a healthy business cycle good companies thrive,which means they are more likely to take better care of their workers. The bad companies run as long as they can then are driven out,some resurface under other names and pick up where they left off.

People need to start seeing EMS for what it really is which is an entry level path to bigger and better things. There are plenty of jobs for nurses,RT's,surgical techs and of course PA's and MD's. If your arguement is that you want to be outside well hope your enjoying the abuse and low pay. Leave the few higher paying EMS jobs to those that have no interest in moving up. Remember its easy to cert back to medic or even EMT and work part time after you have secured a job that offers at least a liveable wage.

I am a fulltime R.N. and a part time Paramedic, so I've made my move in a different direction after a decade of 911 work and am continuing my education to move up the ladder, so I do agree that EMS is an entry level endeavor. That hurts to admit after a decade of waiting for things to change. As far as the reasonable expectation of professionalism, I've never met a single employee who signed up to be treated like :censored::censored::censored::censored:.

EMS is an entry level job, not a career, unless you land the right gig in the right place, which I think we can all agree are few and far between. Part of the reason is that we have such low standards. When you start requiring an AS for medics, things will turn for the better for a number of reasons.

Regardless, unethical and illegal medical and business practices are unacceptable and should be reported to the authorities.

 

[TatuICU]

The bad companies run as long as they can then are driven out,some resurface under other names and pick up where they left off.

Anyone interested in this particular statement can take a look at Southwest EMS of Oklahoma, Integrity (LOL) EMS and Talon EMS as well. The really sickening part of it is that a former state inspector ran Integrity so i guess he knew all the loopholes. I know they didn't have a bariatric truck but were taking bariatric pts on as long as 12-14 hour transfers by removing the cot mount and lying down a tarp and some of that bed foam in the floor, as reported by several employees. Talon still owes employees a ton of money but the owner and operator have disappeared off the face of the earth apparently.

here's one article: http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/former-integrity-ems-employees-still-waiting-for-pay

 

[CrackerBDingus]

People need to start seeing EMS for what it really is which is an entry level path to bigger and better things. There are plenty of jobs for nurses,RT's,surgical techs and of course PA's and MD's. If your arguement is that you want to be outside well hope your enjoying the abuse and low pay. Leave the few higher paying EMS jobs to those that have no interest in moving up. Remember its easy to cert back to medic or even EMT and work part time after you have secured a job that offers at least a liveable wage.

Who was arguing that EMS isn't entry level? The only reason I'm in EMS is to work towards a MD. Does this mean I want to be hired under a company I know almost nothing about to then just be treated like a mule? Not really. Everyone has to do their dues at some point, but there should never be issues as are being presented in the OP. And though this is entry level I still worked at a relatively bad company until I could get hired by a good one. How do we know a good company from bad? I would like to think that non-caas companies are poor in quality. Then caas are better. Followed by 911 competitive caas companies.

 

[Level1pedstech]

I am a fulltime R.N. and a part time Paramedic, so I've made my move in a different direction after a decade of 911 work and am continuing my education to move up the ladder, so I do agree that EMS is an entry level endeavor. That hurts to admit after a decade of waiting for things to change. As far as the reasonable expectation of professionalism, I've never met a single employee who signed up to be treated like :censored::censored::censored::censored:.

EMS is an entry level job, not a career, unless you land the right gig in the right place, which I think we can all agree are few and far between. Part of the reason is that we have such low standards. When you start requiring an AS for medics, things will turn for the better for a number of reasons.

Regardless, unethical and illegal medical and business practices are unacceptable and should be reported to the authorities.

You have taken the right path and are probably comfortable with the phrase "Im a medic because I enjoy being a medic".

No one should ever be expected to endure unreasonable treatment. Really anything short of physical abuse at the hands of a superior in my book is called paying your dues. They know where to find the exit door but wait "there are no other jobs what can I do"suck it up or go play another game.

Life is tough and you know as well as me that many of those just getting into the game think anything short of their dream job is abuse. To be honest if I had a business and had to deal with all the moaning and groaning about how badly workers are treated I would probably close the doors. Speaking for myself and most likely you,I can say I have been there and struggled but I am now at the very top of my ladder and can truly say all the years of abuse (real abuse) were worth it.

As far as the AS for medics Im suprised you think along that line. But then again you have been rewarded for your effort. Please show me the incentive for all that effort you think a perspective medic should put in,all I see is a huge job shortage and horrible compensation. I like your path better and wish I had made that choice twenty years ago.

 

[Level1pedstech]

Who was arguing that EMS isn't entry level? The only reason I'm in EMS is to work towards a MD. Does this mean I want to be hired under a company I know almost nothing about to then just be treated like a mule? Not really. Everyone has to do their dues at some point, but there should never be issues as are being presented in the OP. And though this is entry level I still worked at a relatively bad company until I could get hired by a good one. How do we know a good company from bad? I would like to think that non-caas companies are poor in quality. Then caas are better. Followed by 911 competitive caas companies.

You to are taking the right path and like TatuICU serve as positive examples to those coming up behind you. It is possible to step thru EMS on your way up.

Honestly if I was in your shoes I would be networking hard and try to get a tech job even if it was just on call and you keep your EMS gig until you have your fill. Tech turnover can be high and you could get seniority quickly which would help alot. Tech jobs pay better,offer much more hands on experience and will usually be able to work around your school schedule. I know techs that have done the MD route and their tech job was a great fit. Of course you probably already know this but some others dont.

 

[TatuICU]

As far as the AS for medics Im suprised you think along that line. But then again you have been rewarded for your effort. Please show me the incentive for all that effort you think a perspective medic should put in,all I see is a huge job shortage and horrible compensation..

And that's just the thing. It's a process. I feel that if EMS does want to advance and have a leg to stand on insofar as demanding better pay and treatment, you have to raise the standards and show people we're worth it. I'm not suggesting that an AS helps a medic to do their job any better, I'm suggesting that using the AS as a baseline educational requirement would make the paramedic a degreed health care professional and thus give us a bit more credibility. There would be a job shortage for a time but compensation would have to pick up if there were such a shortage. There was a good bill before a state house here not too long ago that basically said that all medics were to have AS degrees by the year 2015. I think that 4 years is a reasonable amount of time to finish up the basic requirements for something like an AS. Of course the vo-tech mafia lobbied like hell against education and won.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

You to are taking the right path and like TatuICU serve as positive examples to those coming up behind you. It is possible to step thru EMS on your way up.

Honestly if I was in your shoes I would be networking hard and try to get a tech job even if it was just on call and you keep your EMS gig until you have your fill. Tech turnover can be high and you could get seniority quickly which would help alot. Tech jobs pay better,offer much more hands on experience and will usually be able to work around your school schedule. I know techs that have done the MD route and their tech job was a great fit. Of course you probably already know this but some others dont.

Thank you for the information. Yes, I already knew about the ER positions, the hospital 5 minutes away from me is hiring for them in abundance right now. However, I must be honest, I love my current company. There is always the BS of a call at night or something everyone gripes about but this company is so different than any I have heard of by anyone else.

I feel I'm lucky to enjoy this job and especially be happy with my company. Idk anyone else who uses grolwers on the ambulances, all strobe emergency lights, lightbar mounted on the top of the mod instead of the front, traffic flow bars to signal where people should move around, littmans in every rig (multiple in some), etc. And this is a private company. I even work with one of the owners on the rigs sometimes. This company is a perfect fit for me, and they still don't pay as well as CARE or Doctor's do here. I wouldn't trade them for the world though.

 

[Level1pedstech]

And that's just the thing. It's a process. I feel that if EMS does want to advance and have a leg to stand on insofar as demanding better pay and treatment, you have to raise the standards and show people we're worth it. I'm not suggesting that an AS helps a medic to do their job any better, I'm suggesting that using the AS as a baseline educational requirement would make the paramedic a degreed health care professional and thus give us a bit more credibility. There would be a job shortage for a time but compensation would have to pick up if there were such a shortage. There was a good bill before a state house here not too long ago that basically said that all medics were to have AS degrees by the year 2015. I think that 4 years is a reasonable amount of time to finish up the basic requirements for something like an AS. Of course the vo-tech mafia lobbied like hell against education and won.

Your passion is appreciated and like all the others you ideas make sense tu us. However the truth is most of these employers could give a rats butt about your education above what is now the basic requirement. Employers have one goal and that is to make money and the EMS workers are the tools they use to achieve this goal.

My thoughts are that if a few companies were to step up and play along the competition would be even tougher than it is now. Once again we need to see incentive in the form of more jobs that offer better pay.

 

[Level1pedstech]

Thank you for the information. Yes, I already knew about the ER positions, the hospital 5 minutes away from me is hiring for them in abundance right now. However, I must be honest, I love my current company. There is always the BS of a call at night or something everyone gripes about but this company is so different than any I have heard of by anyone else.

I feel I'm lucky to enjoy this job and especially be happy with my company. Idk anyone else who uses grolwers on the ambulances, all strobe emergency lights, lightbar mounted on the top of the mod instead of the front, traffic flow bars to signal where people should move around, littmans in every rig (multiple in some), etc. And this is a private company. I even work with one of the owners on the rigs sometimes. This company is a perfect fit for me, and they still don't pay as well as CARE or Doctor's do here. I wouldn't trade them for the world though.

Sounds like you got a gig you like but having a couple of irons in the fire is security that can only help. You have a long road ahead and should not have to be worried about money should your current gig end. Your main focus as you well know is being the best student you can.

What hospital is doing the hiring Im sure others would appreciate the heads up,keeps the networking thing in play.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

It was HOAG Newport, but that was two month old info, so they may have completed hiring by now.

 

[Level1pedstech]

It was HOAG Newport, but that was two month old info, so they may have completed hiring by now.

I was looking at OC childrens do you ever get thru their ER? My main interest is pediatric emergency medicine and stand alone peds ER's are where Im looking.

 

[CrackerBDingus]

Never been thru a peds facility. Try CHOC in orange tho, they may be expanding and looking.

It's probably terrible, but I've only had one ped before for an IFT and I was the driver, so idk much about where is good for peds.