OSWEGO -- The widow of a man who was allegedly denied ambulance service by the Oswego Fire Department in 2007 says she was told to drive her husband to Syracuse herself.
The widow, who asked not to be identified, added a new twist to a New York State Health Department investigation into four similar recent incidents. It also sheds light on a city policy that restricts most ambulance transports to remain within the Oswego City limits.
The widow told reporter Jim Kenyon Wednesday that in October of 2007, she called 911 because her husband said "he could not make it" to Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. She said he was terminally ill with cancer. She said the ambulance crew told her they could not take him to Syracuse. The widow claims after paramedics took his vital signs, they instructed her to drive her husband to Syracuse herself. The woman remembers one paramedic telling her, "if you get a couple miles down the road and don't think he can make it, stop and call us." She says her husband died two days later. The woman says her husband would have died anyway, but feels "the ride to Syracuse would have been less stressful for him."
The widow's account brings to light a little known self-imposed policy in Oswego which restricts the fire department's ambulance corps from transporting many patients outside the city limits.
According to Oswego Councilor Connie Cosemento, the policy involves non-emergency transports and was instituted to save money and overtime costs, but was also designed to better serve the people of Oswego. "If we were to have all our ambulances directed by patients because they prefer another hospital then we are not doing a service for our citizens to make sure we had an ambulance (in the city) available at all times." Cosemento said.
When asked if Oswego's transport restrictions violate public health law, State Health Department Spokesman Jeffery Hammond told Action News, "New York is a home rule state so service district boundaries are set at the local level... the public health law only requires them to respond."
Sources say an Oswego paramedic's EMT certification has already been suspended because of the Health Department probe. The Central New York Emergency Management Services Executive Director Susie Suprenant says she can "neither confirm nor deny" the report. She says the State Education Department requires that its investigations into such matters remain confidential until the case is closed. If an individual is cited or punished, that information is then posted on the Health Department's website.
On Wednesday, Oswego Fire Chief Joseph Perry issued a statement. This is the full text of the statement:
The Oswego City Fire Department would like to address the recent reports circulating through the media concerning our ambulance service. Any and all concerns that are brought against any ambulance service or advance life support service are handled through the respective agencies Continuing Quality Improvement (CQI) Committee. These committees are governed by New York State Public Health Law, Article 30, Section 3006 and all regional and local policies. A copy of Section 3006 is attached for your information. No person on these committees is allowed to discuss anything that has been brought before it; this is in accordance with the NYS Public Health Law stated above. If and when any concerns are brought before this committee concerning the Oswego City Fire Department they will be handled accordingly.
Joseph P. Perry
Chief
Oswego City Fire Dept.
