Theft from patients

[paramedix]

I attended an accident recently where a taxi apparently stopped on scene before paramedics arrived and the occupants of the taxi stole almost everything from the car and the patient.

Paramedics often get blamed that they steal from the patient. I hate it, but unfortunately is a reality.

Does this happen in your areas or do you know of it?

If I catch a person or colleague stealing from a patient, I would make sure the necessary steps are taken.

 

[VentMedic]

Unfortunately there are too many incidents to list that can be pulled from the EMS newswires. I have caught EMTs and Paramedics actually trying to take equipment such as O2 regulators, pulse oximeters, thermometers, glucometers, iSTATs and portable ETCO2 monitors from the hospital where I work. I usually remind them of the value of the equipment and that it is GRAND theft with a hefty jail sentence. The "steal from the rich, meaning the hospital, and give to the poor, being the ambulance company, analogy doesn't fly too well in a court of law.

I have had a couple of drug dealers in the past accuse me of stealing their money or drugs. For that reason, if I responded to a medical call at the home of a known dealer's home, they would leave the house wearing only a sheet. All of their money, weapons and drugs would stay with their next of kin or partner. All I needed was something that looked like an ID and an insurance card if available. LEOs didn't go on medical calls and in Miami it wasn't worth calling them if it didn't involve a barge of drugs.

Recent Headlines:

Texas ER Tech Gets 2 Years for Theft from Dead Officer

Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth) (KRT)
via NewsEdge Corporation

Mar. 14--DALLAS -- Dandy "Chris" Wiles stood over the body of a Grapevine man last May in the emergency room at Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine, high on the club drug ketamine as he worked as an emergency room technician.

He was supposed to collect the belongings and jewelry of former Assistant Police Chief Don Armstrong, who had just died of a heart attack during a traffic accident.

Instead, the 29-year-old technician stole Armstrong's American Express credit card and driver's license and later used the credit card to buy electronic items, Wiles admitted Thursday morning in a Dallas courtroom.

CONTINUED AT:
http://www.emsresponder.com/web/online/Top-EMS-News/Texas-ER-Tech-Gets-2-Years-for-Theft-from-Dead-Officer/1$7195

Pilfering paramedic pleads guilty
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-091307-jmn-paramedic_plea.cc9dfb0f.html

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. -- A Lincoln County EMS worker admitted in court that he stole money from fellow paramedics and even some of the injured in his care.

Rob Drobinski pleaded guilty to those charges Wednesday. He said he stole from fellow EMS paramedics and several patients that were transported in his ambulance.

For one family, the question isn't the money. It's care, the care their son Darriel Williams, 27, received after he was shot during an argument back in January.

CONTINUED:
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-091307-jmn-paramedic_plea.cc9dfb0f.html

FOLLOW UP STORY:
Deal withdrawn for accused paramedic
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/WCNC-110507-ah-lincoln_paramedic.1dde1c12c.html

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. -- The plea deal for a former paramedic accused of robbing his patients was withdrawn Monday after one victim’s family made a plea to the judge.

It’s the second time a judge has had an issue with the plea deal. Now it looks like it will be settled the old fashioned way – in front of a jury.

Rob Drobinksi walked into the courthouse with his plea deal seemingly in hand, but the former paramedic left without it.

CONTINUED:
http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/WCNC-110507-ah-lincoln_paramedic.1dde1c12c.html

More paramedics abusing drugs, threatening rescues
http://www.redding.com/news/2007/jan/30/more-paramedics-abusing-drugs-threatening-rescues/

Paramedic Michael Carey, high on drugs and in desperate need of money, arrived at an crash scene on a highway near Modesto to find a 72-year-old woman in the car, bloody and unconscious.

Searching for identification in her purse, Carey came across the thousands of dollars Cleotilda Maria Arroyo had saved to purchase a house in Mexico — a powerful temptation for a man whose struggles with alcohol, pills and bills had left him bouncing checks, even for his state paramedic license.

Carey called for an air ambulance to fly Arroyo to the hospital and pocketed $6,100 of her cash.

CONTINUED....

The patients didn't get the benefit here.

Paramedic switched drugs with saline
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10582

Nick Eaton
Staff writer
July 6, 2007

A Spokane paramedic who had been stealing Fire Department drugs since at least December sometimes replaced them with saline solution and put the bottles back into service, court documents revealed Thursday.

Rebecca J. Singley, 32, told investigators that in addition to injecting herself with Etomidate while on duty May 30, a week earlier she stole and used morphine, Demerol and Ativan, the documents state. She told police she refilled 10 Demerol bottles, two Ativan bottles and two morphine bottles with saline, a sterile mixture of salt and water.

At least the Ativan bottles contained only saline for a week, the documents state.


Paramedic sentenced after admitting to stealing drugs from cancer patient
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=47239

LAKE COUNTY -- Some people in Lake County were surprised when a Mentor paramedic got a sentence of no jail time after he admitted stealing drugs from a cancer patient in the man?s home.

 

[Grady_emt]

I can tell you that myself and my partner have been blamed for loosing/taking several pts personal items. All have been either unconscious drunks, or psych pts. Upon returning to their senses, magically some of their belongings have dissappeared and EMS automatically took it (never mind the PoPo, ER, another Pt, fell off the stretcher...)

I now document that the patient was transported with or without personal belongings and list any that were transported with the pt. If I get the pt ID/insurance card then I write that too. I write this at the very end of my narrative and then have the pt initial/sign next to it. If the pt is restrained, uncon, dead, then I have the nurse to initial the same space.

Typically it comes out like this: "Pt transported with tan/brown handbag retained by pt, ID and insurance returned to pt, no other belongings handled by EMS staff", on an uncon pt: "Pt transported s belongings, clothing to RN"

 

[VentMedic]

handled by EMS staff", on an uncon pt: "Pt transported s belongings, clothing to RN"

For that I am extremely specific for RN's name, title and badge number if it an LEO. I also get receipts for any weapons or personal belongings turned over to LEOs.

 

[LucidResq]

Wow these tips are really interesting.

Have any of you been accused of stealing and had it actually turned in a big to-do? Has an accusation ever led to a lawsuit or investigation for anyone?

 

[teammedic]

we have a problem here that most of the acusations are correct. over the past years alot of my fellow employees have been caught. this is sad to say but ems in pittsburgh is just as corupt as anything else.

 

[JPINFV]

Unfortunately there are too many incidents to list that can be pulled from the EMS newswires. I have caught EMTs and Paramedics actually trying to take equipment such as O2 regulators, pulse oximeters, thermometers, glucometers, iSTATs and portable ETCO2 monitors from the hospital where I work.

Funny you should mention that. A few years ago I decided to join Myspace (what a waste of bandwidth that thing is), and was looking at a few of the EMS groups on it. One had a mother asking about a pulse ox and one poster posted about how he could 'permanently borrow' (my words, but you get the idea) one from his company. I made a comment about how it wasn't exactly the brights idea to post when he had his company listed in his profile. The saddest part was how most of the members of the group jumped on me for "turning in one of my brothers." Looking back, I probably should have sent that post to the company. One less crook in EMS, the better.

Rant: Let's get something straight. Any "brotherhood" that exists ends at the line of criminality and stupidity.

 

[teammedic]

Funny you should mention that. A few years ago I decided to join Myspace (what a waste of bandwidth that thing is), and was looking at a few of the EMS groups on it. One had a mother asking about a pulse ox and one poster posted about how he could 'permanently borrow' (my words, but you get the idea) one from his company. I made a comment about how it wasn't exactly the brights idea to post when he had his company listed in his profile. The saddest part was how most of the members of the group jumped on me for "turning in one of my brothers." Looking back, I probably should have sent that post to the company. One less crook in EMS, the better.

Rant: Let's get something straight. Any "brotherhood" that exists ends at the line of criminality and stupidity.

i agree criminality and stupidity draw the line

 

[Outbac1]

I'll go along with that.

As a tip to new people try to leave pts purses and wallets at home or with family if you can. If you need to search for a health or ins. card have a witness. It won't mean you won't be accused, but at least you have some ammunition to fight back with. Don't forget to document it.

 

[chadwick]

Theft

Two of our crews myself included responded to an MVA where we had to cut the gentleman out of his truck, I had to peel his shirt down off his arms and shoulders around the KED to get an IV and connect the ECG and no one could find his wallet at the hospital. I told the ER nurse that called, we peeled him like a banana, if he had a wallet it should be in his pants.

 

[BossyCow]

We have had to open wallets, purses etc to look for ID. Our policy is that no one ever does this alone, we have one person doing the looking and another witnessing it. Only have done this for DOB or name when the pt is unable to give us that info.