Re: Flying patients to other hospitals

[thurmond@cfl.rr.com]

> Our hospital based program is considering making us fly all of our patients 
> back to our hospital, with very few exceptions.  This would end a 20 year 
> history of taking patients to whichever appropriate facility they or their 
> sending physician requested. 

If you accept a flight for a physician at another facility to transfer a 
patient to yet a third facility then the patient goes to that third facility.  
Those were the terms under which you accepted the flight.

> There is only one other hospital in our town, 
> and they have recently opened a cardiac   cath lab which is direct 
> competition to our hospital's cardiac program.
> I am interested in hearing from anyone who has gone through a similar 
> situation.  I have questions as to the legality of such a decision.  Any 
> thoughts?
> 

Scene calls can be a little different.  It depends on the level of service at 
the facilities.  And it always goes back to the "nearest appropriate 
facility."  A Level 2 trauma center that is closer than a Level 1 may very well 
be the nearest appropriate facility.


> Larry, RN, EMT-P 
> 
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