Employees' paychecks bounce

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Miss. Emergystat employees' paychecks bounce
http://www.ems1.com/products/consultingandmanagement/articles/348302/

By Katherine Crowell
Clarion Ledger
Copyright 2008 The Clarion Ledger

JACKSON, Miss. — At least some employees' pay checks from the Emergystat — the Alabama-based company who halted services in almost two dozen Mississippi counties Thursday — have bounced.

Emergystat,which halted service Wednesday at midnight in 23 counties across the state, has not yet returned calls for comment from The Clarion-Ledger.

Pierce said his supervisor at the Newton County site called a meeting late Wednesday night to tell employees the bad news.

"She was crying and said that as of midnight we're all unemployed," Pierce said. "Some people are a lot worse off than me. They're just sick. We don't know what we're going to do to make ends meet. We live pay check to pay check."
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http://www.ems1.com/products/consultingandmanagement/articles/348302/

Emergencies Declared in 16 Miss. Counties after Ambulance Closure
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=6900

Story by wapt.com

JACKSON, Miss. --

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported 16 counties were placed under a State Of Emergency after an ambulance company went out of business.

According to the Mississippi Department Of Health, Emergystat closed its doors at 12 a.m. Thursday because of financial problems and lack of liability insurance.

The ambulance company serviced 23 counties in the state.
more at
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=6900
 
Apparently, this is becoming a common occurrence. I have seen and heard of EMS that are apparently poor companies. Although, the checks have been cleared upon some there still is communities stuck "holding the bag".

We have recently acquired another small community because of this. Poor management or even lack of causing communities not to have an EMS, and personally leaving EMT's and EMS as having the reputation of a Carney.

Unfortunately, similar to the same ideology that if a medic is good in providing care, they are good in management and teaching. Far from the truth.... what is scary is some are not even considered a good medic. One of I know of could not obtain the ability to obtain the loan due to poor credit and possible legal problems, so the spouse had to obtain it in their name.

In my state we did not have that problem for a while, since we require an million dollar bond before establishing an EMS. Unfortunately, many small communities attempt to circumvent and will lease or allow any company to come in, that bids for cheap services. So far, we have lost several EMS agencies this last year, leaving an emergent situation in health care.

This is a complex issue that we as EMT's and Paramedics must focus upon. Paid or not, it is our problem. Until we obtain higher reimbursement rates, we will continually see EMS services folding up and leaving. Until we raise education level to be able to justify ourselves, we will continually see poor reimbursement rates.. thus the saga continues.. on and on....

I am sorry that Miss. has lost so many services. This not only will prevail hardship upon the communities but those associated as employees as well. What is shameful is that I am sure the "writing" was on the wall, and nothing was done about it, until it was too late. Hopefully, the State will step in and begin to establish some associated funding and regulations to ensure this will not occur again.

R/r 911
 
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Here in British Columbia, we used to have a hodge podge of coverage, private, municipal, fire based, funeral home based....some 30 years ago,
this is why we now have a provincial service, biggest area covered in the world, with the added bonus that medics can transfer to small towns after getting the high call volume and training of the bigger centers.
 
I worked for Emergystat for 6 years until midnight on the 23rd I had one check bounce 2 weeks ago now I'm worried that my last check will bounce also.
 
I worked with Stat in the summer of 2005 while working EMS for a large outdoor music festival in W Virginia. It was a 1/1 medic/basic crew that was assigned. I was part of the festival EMS and we had 1 or 2 buses on standby across the street. I became close with their supervisor and we chat until this day, tho he left the company last year saying they had some financial problems and didn't want to stick around.

Back in 2005 when I was in Mississippi running free medical clinics post-Katrina see here I got licensed by AMR as an EMT-B in MS. Never even saw a Stat bus. Tho I was none too impressed with the quality of AMR medics. Like when they made a suspected CVA walk (more like dragged her) to their bus and took her off O2. That brought down the roof.
 
Paychecks!

WHAT A SHOCK! :wacko: THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO START THE DAY!!<_<
 
I found out yesterday that I have 2 checks that bounced and the home office will not return my calls. I lawyered up today.
 
BAMAMEDIC said:
I found out yesterday that I have 2 checks that bounced and the home office will not return my calls. I lawyered up today.
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The 'good news' is that a bounced check is better than no check, because it shows the intent was to pay, and that they acknowledged the debt.
 
Is it not illegal to write a bad check? Why not report this to the local police?
 
The first ambulance company I worked for had checks bounce on occasion. It was always "straightened out" the next week... but it didn't give us a lot of confidence. I'm happy I don't work there anymore.

BAMAMEDIC.. I wish you good luck in your pursuit of another job, and I hope that the debt owed is paid by your former employer.
 
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Ridryder911 said:
This is a complex issue that we as EMT's and Paramedics must focus upon. Paid or not, it is our problem. Until we obtain higher reimbursement rates, we will continually see EMS services folding up and leaving. Until we raise education level to be able to justify ourselves, we will continually see poor reimbursement rates.. thus the saga continues.. on and on....



R/r 911
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Unfortunately, Rid, as we continue to become a more and more socialized medicine nation, this will not happen. I am sure you are familiar with Medicare/medicaid abysmal record in reimbursement and the new regulations making it easier for them to deny an even larger number of payments. Interesting, we don't have as large a problem with private insurance or even private pay.
Over-regulation has made the financial side of medicine an absolute hell. I doubt more regulations will help.
 
Chinese Fire Drill

When EmergyStat went tits up, we here in Mississippi were left scrambling. It really was the proverbial "Chinese Fire Drill".Everybody was left steppin' and fetchin'.


I had the great pleasure of working the night EmergyStat was forced to suspend service across the state of Mississippi. I work in Washington County, which is bordered by Sunflower County to the east. Up until midnight of the 23rd, EmergyStat covered that county with a total of 2-3 ALS units at any one time. Now Washington County EMS provides 24hr coverage with 4 ALS units at any one time. That info is just to set the stage.

Now I don't know about the rest of the EMS services across the state but, my particular service didn't start spreading the word until close to 18:00 hrs. And the word was a hard one to boot. As of midnight, our county EMS would be covering ours and Sunflower County's citizens until further notice from the state EMS office. The good news was that Pafford EMS in Bolivar County would be covering the northern half, while my particular service had the pleasure of covering the southern half of Sunflower County.

So, I guess the reason I've posted this rather windy thread is I was wondering if anybody else had a similar experience when EmergyStat went tits up in Mississippi. I haven't had a chance to talk with anyone else from different parts of the state.
 
Yet more proof that the private sector is absolutely inept when it comes to providing a PUBLIC service IMHO.
 
I finally got a cashiers check from Emergystat for the bounced check, now they owe me for my last 2 weeks and vacation pay, I'm not holding my breath for that money. Care Ambulance took over operations in Perry , Dallas, Lowndes and Dale Counties in Alabama. I work in Perry Co, Care hired all of the employees that worked in the county. I do not like Care but they pay pretty well but they want to cut our shifts.
 
crash_cart said:
Yet more proof that the private sector is absolutely inept when it comes to providing a PUBLIC service IMHO.
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I can show proof of public agencies just as inept.
 
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