Ambulance driver gets lost with chest-pain patient, calls an Uber and goes home

THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?

SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)

A private ambulance driver in Cleveland reportedly got lost while transporting a woman suffering from chest pain to the Cleveland Clinic.
Instead of finding the hospital, he allegedly told the patient he was finished driving for the day, called an Uber and went home.
Cleveland EMS had to respond, treat the stranded patient and complete the trip. The private ambulance company is investigating.

LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)

There are bad days at work. There are days when you want to throw your hands up, turn off the phone and go home.

And then there’s the ambulance driver in Cleveland who apparently decided that getting lost with a patient experiencing chest pains was an excellent time to clock out.

The patient needed a hospital. The driver needed an Uber. Guess which one got a ride first?

According to Cleveland television station WOIO, the bizarre incident unfolded Wednesday evening, October 28, in the 4100 block of West 150th Street.

A woman experiencing chest pain was being transported to the Cleveland Clinic by a private ambulance service when the driver reportedly lost his way.

Now, most people who get lost try a GPS, ask for directions, or perhaps make a phone call. This fellow allegedly announced that he was finished driving for the day.

Then he called an Uber and went home.

Yes, an ambulance driver reportedly abandoned his own ambulance trip and ordered himself a different ride. The patient, meanwhile, was still waiting to reach the hospital.

The driver worked for Lynx EMS, a private ambulance company, not Cleveland’s municipal emergency medical service. That distinction became important when the story began circulating online.

The Cleveland Association of Rescue Employees, CARE Local 1975, which represents Cleveland EMS personnel, issued a statement explaining that the driver was not one of its members.

The union said Cleveland EMS responded after the private driver left, provided medical care, and transported the woman to the hospital.

A CARE spokesperson added: “We stand by our EMTs, Paramedics, and Dispatchers who strive to provide the best care to anyone who is in need of it.”

Which is reassuring, although one suspects the minimum qualification for ambulance duty ought to include remaining with the patient until somebody else takes over.

The private ambulance company has acknowledged the incident and says it is reviewing what happened.

In a statement to local news outlets, Lynx EMS said: “Patient safety and quality care are of the utmost importance to us and responsibilities we take very seriously.”

The company continued: “Upon becoming aware of the situation, immediate steps were taken to address the matter and ensure the patient’s well-being and care needs were addressed.”

Lynx said it would take appropriate action based on its findings but declined to discuss personnel matters or the patient’s medical information. As of the latest reporting, the driver’s employment status had not been publicly confirmed.

There are also unanswered questions about exactly what happened inside the ambulance. EMS1 reported that available accounts did not establish what other medical personnel, if any, were accompanying the patient during the transport.

Fortunately, Cleveland EMS completed the journey, and the woman received medical attention. Her subsequent medical condition has not been publicly disclosed.

Consider the absurdity here.