Date: Fri 17-Sep-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Blumenthal-ambulance-hospital

Full Text:

Attorney General Probes Effects Of Hospital Policies On Ambulance Volunteers

BY STEVE BIGHAM

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has joined the ranks of those who

are questioning the practices of Danbury Hospital and their effect on the

local volunteer ambulance corps.

In a recent letter to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, Mr Blumenthal outlined a

number of issues which "implicate numerous laws and regulations." The attorney

general's office had been contacted by US Congressman Jim Maloney (5th

District) after several area towns filed complaints.

"Maybe it was just coincidence, but it appeared that the not-for-profit side

of Danbury Hospital was helping the profit side," Mr Rosenthal explained to

his fellow selectmen Monday night. The for-profit side Business Systems, Inc

(BSI) is a subsidiary of Danbury Hospital which manages Danbury Ambulance.

Mr Blumenthal has assigned Special Counsel Richard Keough to investigate the

following issues:

Danbury Hospital's practices of restocking ambulances;

Danbury Hospital's protocol that seemingly results in the designation of a

higher percentage of ambulance responses as needing life support assistance;

Danbury Hospital's recognition of EMT training only if such is performed by

BSI;

The increasing use of paramedic ambulance response rather than paramedic

intercepts; and

The exclusive use of Danbury Ambulance by Danbury Hospital for non-emergency

transports from the hospital.

The hospital's practice of not restocking ambulances appears to be of biggest

concern to the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps. This policy is costing the

corps $20,000 a year.

Hospital president Frank J. Kelly addressed that issue in a September 3 letter

to Mr Rosenthal. As explanation for the hospital's "no restock" policy, Mr

Kelly pointed to an anti-kickback law which prohibits restocking. However, Mr

Kelly said, the Health Care Financing Administration is currently rewriting

regulations which will permit ambulance restocking.

"Once the regulations are adopted, we will have the opportunity to work with

local ambulance companies to develop procedures that comply with the new

regulations," he said.

Mr Rosenthal was not impressed. He wasted little time in responding, pointing

out that the law was designed to stop one hospital from providing perks to

entice an ambulance to bring patients there rather than to another hospital.

However in this case, Danbury Hospital is the only hospital serving the area.

The first selectman said he will be pleased with the change. But he added that

the other five hospitals in the state's Northwest Region have already been

restocking their volunteer ambulance services as long as those organizations

do not change patients for transport.

"It is unfortunate that Danbury Hospital has chosen to interpret the

anti-kickback law so literally which has worked to the financial benefit of

the hospital and to the detriment of the volunteer ambulance services," Mr

Rosenthal said in the letter.

The first selectman encouraged Mr Kelly to contact his colleagues at other

regional hospitals to get their reason, "so that you don't have to wait until

the regulations are adopted to make the changes they have already enacted."

A spokesperson for the attorney general's office said investigators are

reviewing the allegations made by area volunteer ambulance associations. Mr

Keough is reviewing a number of laws to determine if there were any violations

to anti-trust laws and/or public health laws.

Last month, Newtown signed an agreement with Danbury Ambulance that ensures

the for-profit ambulance service will not attempt to transport Newtown

patients. It will provide paramedic service only.

The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps is resolved to ward off any further

threats from the for-profit service, which is now managed by Danbury Hospital.

Private ambulance services charge as much as $450 per patient transport.

Newtown's volunteer service charges nothing.