Bill Coty says he has a high threshold for pain. Yet on the morning of Nov. 23 he was doubled over. On a scale of one to 10, he was at a 10. He felt as if his bladder was going to burst, but he couldn't relieve himself. Cote knew what the
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Bill Coty says he has a high threshold for pain. Yet on the morning of Nov. 23 he was doubled over. On a scale of one to 10, he was at a 10. He felt as if his bladder was going to burst, but he couldn’t relieve himself.
Coty knew what the problem was. On Aug. 10, he had his cancerous prostate removed. The procedure went smoothly, however, three weeks later he experienced his first bout of pain. He went to Kent Hospital where the scar tissue blocking his urethra was cleared. In the following months, the procedure was repeated four times.
On Nov. 23, the condition was even worse than on prior occasions and it was about to take a turn that escalated in a confrontation between Coty and one of Warwick’s rescue personnel. Coty is still fuming over the matter in which he was treated, although Fire Chief James McLaughlin and then Representative-elect Camille Vella-Wilkinson personally visited him after the incident. Coty plans to file a complaint with the Board of Public Safety.
In an interview Friday, McLaughlin confirmed the situation became heated before a gathering of neighbors in front of Coty’s home on Drybrook Road in the Hoxsie section.
On Nov. 23, Coty’s wife called 911 and a rescue arrived soon thereafter. Cote had called his specialist, who informed him to go to Miriam Hospital in Providence as quickly as possible. Coty had been referred to University Urology and the specialist he was to see had privileges at Miriam, not Kent.
Coty knew if he were taken to Kent he would be put through a battery of tests and there would be an extended delay whereas they were ready for him at Miriam and he would be able to relieve himself.
But the officer in charge of the rescue, whom the chief would not identify, told Cody he would have to go to Kent. That’s when things got heated. Cody admits he was less than polite, but in severe pain and doubled over he was in no mood to discuss city protocol over rescue runs. He demanded to talk to the battalion chief and eventually the officer in charge grudgingly agreed to transport him to Miriam. During the trip Coty said the officer “chewed him out” telling him repeatedly, “how do you like it now? You’re jeopardizing the safety of Warwick.”
Coty feels he was mistreated, that public safety officers should understand they are dealing with people and that residents should know the policy concerning where rescues will transport people in emergencies.
“I’m sympathetic to his concerns,” says Chief McLaughlin. He points out that rescues make runs to emergency rooms, not to doctors’ offices. Kent is the primary hospital for emergency runs with Rhode Island Hospital that is the state’s only level one trauma center being used for especially severe situations.
At the time of Coty’s call, McLaughlin said all four of the city’s rescue companies were in service, with one of them covering a call in Cranston under mutual aid. Even if all four of the companies were available, McLaughlin said the department has to be aware of the possibility of an emergency requiring immediate response. The protocol is to transport to Kent and Rhode Island Hospital.
“We try to best accommodate as best we can,” he said. “Our responsibility is not to leave the city compromised.”
McLaughlin said, “there are a lot of abuses” to the service with people – some of them habitual callers – calling 911 to get to the hospital.
“They treat us as a cab service,” he said. Asked whether that has impaired coverage to the city, McLaughlin clarified, “it’s there, but not a huge problem.”
Coty said he has looked into private ambulance service but found they are available on a scheduled, but not an emergency basis.
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richardcorrente
With all four of the City's rescue companies in service it seems that Mr. Cote got the best service available. It seems.
Maybe we need another rescue. Maybe that is the solution. I have learned that the city makes a decent profit on our rescues. The cost per rescue is about $230,000 and the total revenue for the four we presently have was over $2 million in 2016. If buying another rescue is the solution, I am all for it providing it makes a profit. It seems like it does. It seems like a win-win situation to me. I don't have the exact numbers but it appears worthy of consideration.
As far as this emergency, the rescue people made, what I believe is the right judgement call to bring him to Kent. Then, they did agree to bring him to Miriam, and did so, in spite of the lack of other rescues. It seems to me that they did everything possible to help this man who was admittedly in great pain, but I don't know how much more they could have done, especially when protocol suggests he be brought safely to Kent and then get back to the fire station to be ready for the next call. What if he died on the way to Miriam? What if someone else died as a result of a lack of rescues? I worry about the liability.
As far as private ambulances, my father-in-law used "Med-Tech" here in Warwick twice a week for years, for his dialysis treatments. He found them to be reasonable, courteous, and fast.
Happy Spring everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Tuesday, March 7, 2017 Report this
davebarry109
Another reason you're not mayor. The rescue is 'manned' by 2 officers per platoon, times 3 or 4 platoons. At least 6 firemen operate the rescue. Add in the salaries for 6 and then the legacy costs of their pensions and health benefits.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 Report this
RIvoter
If you have a medical emergency and have a doctor or group of doctors familiar with your history, every effort should be made to transport you to RIH. In the past 30 years neither myself or my family members have ever been told they we could not go to RIH during medical emergencies. This seems like it was a special situation with limited available resources, not sure why it has become such an issue.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 Report this
Thecaptain
What The Non-Taxpayer Mayor has forgotten to include in his comments, is that the WFD rescue service of 4 vehicles takes 32 people to operate. That equates to (PER YEAR) 640 sick days, $46,500 in uniform allowance, 640 vacation days, 480 holidays, plus pension, healthcare, and other OPEB costs. Bear in mind that the funds generated from the rescues DO NOT go into the fire department budget, it goes into the general fund. So to look at the rescues as a revenue generation vehicle is simply absurd.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 Report this
chuckbones
Why is this an issue? Mr. Cote called the rescue and was not denied service! He is mad that he was not going to be able to be transported to Miriam Hospital. The rescues in Warwick are there for emergencies and emergencies only. Mr. Cotes issue was not an acute emergency but more of a chronic issue, he would have been treated no different if he was treated at Kent ED or Miriam Ed. How would he feel if there was a true emergency in the city and there was no rescue in the city to respond in a timely fashion because a rescue was 13 miles away transporting him to Miriam?? RI Hospital is 7 miles away from his house as com
Thursday, March 9, 2017 Report this