Re: Customers equipment from scene flights

[BCarney1123@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/9/02 10:40:28 Eastern Standard Time, Sgaeta@harthosp.org writes:


> 1. Do you tag the equipment to identify it?


At our hospital it is the responsibility of the agency that owns the equipment to mark their agency's name and telephone on it. Even then we still get unmarked 
equipment flown and driven in. We have enough unclaimed equipment to stock couple of ambulances.

> 2. Who is responsible for cleaning it?


Our hospital Central Sterile cleans all the equipment

> 3. How is the equipment collected?


The ER technician retrieves any equipment and brings it to Central Sterile.

> 4. Is it delivered or mailed back?

Local agencies will have their equipment left in a locker near the emergency department entrance after it is cleaned. More distance agencies have their equipment shipped back via UPS.

5. Is the receiving Hospital responsible for this, if so how?

 Yes, At least we do. We use UPS and have never had any problems.
 
> 6. Are the requesters responsible for getting their own equipment back?
As stated above we will ship equipment back to agencies that do not normally transport non-trauma patients to our hospital. Even with leaving the equipment in a locker outside the ED some units leave their boards and other assorted gear for weeks before picking it up.

Hope that helps....

Brian M. Carney, EMT-P
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital EMS
New Brunswick, NJ USA
www.rwjuh.edu