What do hospitals do for you?

In general, the hospitals around here only have food/drink for EMS crews on/around EMS week, and even then, it's hit or miss. But that's okay. The hospital I spend the most time at has a report room with soda machine (for purchase, but cheap) off the ER.
Another hospital, with a brand new ER (but out of my usual area) has a report room with refrigerator stocked with soda and juice, crackers, fruit, and a coffee machine.
The nurses generally don't like us hanging around writing our reports (although I prefer to write my report at the patient's bedside, until the treating nurse comes in, so I can give a report directly).
 
Scout said:
Is this a humanitarian or commercial idea with the break rooms?
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We do bring the ED at least a considerable fraction of their business. And if the EMT is the one making the choice (and we sometimes are) I suppose we might be persuaded to go to the hospital that has the best perks.

But I'd like to think it's more a humanitarian interest and they value what we do. :)
 
EMSLaw said:
We do bring the ED at least a considerable fraction of their business. And if the EMT is the one making the choice (and we sometimes are) I suppose we might be persuaded to go to the hospital that has the best perks.

But I'd like to think it's more a humanitarian interest and they value what we do. :)
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That was a big practice in the 80s which brought out many corporate ethics issues for both the hospital and the ambulance company. Some hospitals gave perks to those who brought in only the insured and dumped the others at another hospital regardless of their medical needs. A little thing such as EMTALA also came about.

Those that participated in the perks plan got privilege of the EMT(P) deciding which hospital to take the patient to removed for everyone in EMS in that area for a long time. The patient had to be taken to the nearest facility or med control had to be called to bypass it.

We see over 100 ambulances a day so no time for catering nor is there space for parking ambulances or in a lounge while 20+ FFs, EMTs and Paramedics snack between every call. However, they are welcome to find parking elsewhere and use one of the many restaurants around the area or the cafeteria.
 
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EMSLaw said:
We do bring the ED at least a considerable fraction of their business. And if the EMT is the one making the choice (and we sometimes are) I suppose we might be persuaded to go to the hospital that has the best perks.

But I'd like to think it's more a humanitarian interest and they value what we do. :)
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Really, you should never be making the decision of where to go. That falls to the pt or protocol.

Trauma,Strokes, or STEMI's may require certain ED's. That is decided by your protocols.

If the pt does not have a choice or can not decide, then offer closest ED.

It is bad practice to refer one ED over another. If a pt asks your opinion, just explain that you can not offer it. Give them the options and let them choose!

We have the benefit that we have several great hospitals in our area. They all treat us great and get along with our county EMS, like family. I have been told by other counties that they are not treated as nice, but have never seen it. It may be that they deal with us daily, so there is a trust there.
 
emt.dan said:
Another hospital, with a brand new ER (but out of my usual area) has a report room with refrigerator stocked with soda and juice, crackers, fruit, and a coffee machine.
The nurses generally don't like us hanging around writing our reports (although I prefer to write my report at the patient's bedside, until the treating nurse comes in, so I can give a report directly).
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One also has to consider when there is a refrigerator with juice, crackers, fruit, pudding and applesauce, it may be meant for the patients. The patients may need a snack to maintain normal glucose or to take medication. There is nothing more disheartening then to have a hypoglycemic child in the ED at 0200 and find the refrigerator to be bare.

Rarely do hospitals even provide coffee free of charge for their employees and definitely not soda. The dispensing fountains are also generally meant for the patients as they tend to last a little longer and are not as tempting for outsiders to grab a can of soda. Hospital staff will usually either take turns buying the coffee or have a little donation box set up. Our other option is the coffee shop which is now a national chain and charges $2 per cup for regular coffee. Also, many of the coffee makers you see in the break rooms such as the ones that make cappuccino were probably bought by the hospital staff themselves. Treat the equipment with care as it is probably not the hospital's property you are messing with.

Another reason hospital staff might not like to open up their break rooms to you is they may have seen you slack on hand washing or have seen you walk around everywhere in the ED wearing your gloves after patient care and that includes while charting at their stations or break rooms.
 
Vent,

I will say that the last 10 hospitals I have dealt with, have all had EMS refrigerators. They provide free soda and juice. Most have some kind of snacks there. Couple do have coffee machines. Hell, our Trauma center just installed a High tech coffee machine in the medic room.
I have seen that most hospitals are changing the way they deal with EMS and are pulling them in as part of the hospital staff.
 
reaper said:
Vent,

I will say that the last 10 hospitals I have dealt with, have all had EMS refrigerators. They provide free soda and juice. Most have some kind of snacks there. Couple do have coffee machines. Hell, our Trauma center just installed a High tech coffee machine in the medic room.
I have seen that most hospitals are changing the way they deal with EMS and are pulling them in as part of the hospital staff.
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Just don't take it for granted that all hospitals will do that. In fact, I have not seen many or any at all in the major cities that provide anything free and that includes to their own staff. Inpatients also used to be able to get an extra cup of coffee on their lunch trays but those days are over. At a time when hospitals are laying off staff, cutting services and closing, things change.
 
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I never take anything for granted.

Our Hospitals are actually growing. They are building on and hiring. A lot of that comes from the management of them!
 
We recently had to change the code on the keypad that allows entry into our break room. To many people had the old code and were taking advantage of the stuff provided by the hospital, I'm not sure how many of the offenders were EMS but I have from time to time seen EMS people in the break room helping themselves to snacks but really thought nothing of it,we do have several ex staff that are now working as medics. The hospital provides coffee,tea,bread,PB+J,soup and juice,its meant for a quick snack not to help staff save on lunch money. I think the real problem was the pilfering of the staff fridge,people were getting tired of having their stuff taken. Like everything else in life if its free someone will take advantage and blow it for everyone else. We provide a nice EMS room with a few goodies for the crews but I guess the good stuff goes fast and all thats left is coffee and crackers.

One thing that some of the EMS crews and others do that really shows a lack of class and should serve as a lesson for the new folks just starting out. On the night shift we sometimes pitch in for wings ,chips and salsa or pizza from an outside restaurant and have a little spread laid out at the secretaries desk,we have had people who did not contribute helping themselves to the eats and even making plates to take for later. We now have to put out a sign that says no pay no eats. There are plenty of nights where someone brings a snack to share for all but you should not assume your welcome to dig in especially if your not on shift in the ER. We know most of our crews pretty well and they in return know how to act in our ER. To echo vent, if you dig in please wash your hands its the least you can do.

Now when it comes to good eating one of our two ICU units which is adjacent to the ED always has a spread of goodies that fills the counter in their kitchen. I swear they must eat non stop over there, I sometimes smell bacon early in the morning and its torture, I do have to go over for supplies from time to time but have never grazed on the goodies but its always tempting.
 
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Well to get back on topic, the hospitals down here vary from just water to a utopian oasis of food and lounging. EMS week is usually the best time for free goodies.
 
Sorry, got the thread off topic. Back to your regularly scheduled program!
 
Actually, we are pretty much rural. Our office is located at the hospital. We don't have a station. No cooking facilities, no bathroom, no refrigerator, and no sleeping quarters. Also, we share our garage with hospital maintenance, so we barely have room for our rigs. Our organization rents a basement suite at a nearby house for our out-of-town casual workers.

However, we have an excellent rapport with our Doctors and Nurses. We exchange cards and chocolates at Christmas time. And, the occasional Karaoke night. We actualy had a farewell party for one of our EMTs who moved to Nova Scotia at the home of one of our Dr's. I must say, after growing up in SO Cal and working for AMR for 5 months, I am very very happy to live in a small town in rural Northern Alberta.

Not to mention the pay and benefits are so much better now that we are Provincial employees. I have been with this service for 2 years. My starting pay was $17.88/ hr and my last raise in Nov put me at $24.29/ hr. In April, I will go to around $25/hr.
 
The only large corporate hospital system that is doing reasonably well is the SDA but they have also done some cutting.
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SDA.. You are referring to the seventh day adventist system? I would like to know where they are cutting, because it is not in Florida. I know they do more than just the Florida hospital system, but they are currently building on three different hospitals. Particularly on FH-South Orlando. They are adding an entire new pediatric wing, that's after they just opened up the new, very frivilous Ginsburg tower. With amazingly awesome elevators big enough for multiple stretchers, TV screens that both display the floor, while also speaking the floor, a brand new ER, hard wood floors in patient rooms, flat screen TVs that are bigger than I am that come witth internet access, video games, the ability to shop the gift shop from your room, along with big expensive recliners, nice couches, pretty scenic ceiling tile, etc. I agree, it's very nice to look at but if they are looking at cutting costs they could save a lot more money other places that they could be cutting costs over denying their employees coffee or EMS bottles of water.

On topic, most of the hospitals here are very nice. Most supply bottles of water (some have a custom label with the hospitals name and mission on it.) and since it's been getting colder, some have also supplied hot chocolate. Most supply snacks like graham crackers, and no, we're not stealing from patients, because they are in the EMS room in the "EMS fridge" while patients' snacks are in a completely different area of the ER
 
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Sasha said:
SDA.. You are referring to the seventh day adventist system? I would like to know where they are cutting, because it is not in Florida. I know they do more than just the Florida hospital system, but they are currently building on three different hospitals. Particularly on FH-South Orlando. They are adding an entire new pediatric wing, that's after they just opened up the new, very frivilous Ginsburg tower. With amazingly awesome elevators big enough for multiple stretchers, TV screens that both display the floor, while also speaking the floor, a brand new ER, hard wood floors in patient rooms, flat screen TVs that are bigger than I am that come witth internet access, video games, the ability to shop the gift shop from your room, along with big expensive recliners, nice couches, pretty scenic ceiling tile, etc. I agree, it's very nice to look at but if they are looking at cutting costs they could save a lot more money other places that they could be cutting costs over denying their employees coffee or EMS bottles of water.
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They have many hospitals in California and that is one very, very broke state that can not reimburse for Medi-Cal.

They do have an image to maintain and that may mean they employees will not get raises or bonuses for a few years. I will say their pedi wings in a couple of hospitals were in dire need of updating. I also know some of their employees buy their own coffee for their units as it is not always just given to them. Also, for a long time, the SDA did not allow coffee in the hospital for the employees and finally did relent to allowing the employees buy it for themselves.

You can probably find a copy of their financials easy enough to see where their money is coming from and the rating for their bonds.
 
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They pay me. But that could be because I'm a tech at one of them... But nah!
 
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