A jaw-dropping look at the conundrums of EMS, by a 35-year veteran rescuer.
At one point during our lunch the famous Sonny Bono asked, "So in other words, we've reached a point where a rescuer can't say 'screw the rules' and just do the right thing?"
Not in other words, Sonny. Those are the perfect words.
Immutable Law #2
Saving lives is not our priority.
Following our policies is our priority.
Protecting ourselves comes next. Avoiding lawsuits comes third. You come somewhere after that.
* * *
I was not even out of school before I witnessed my first doctor commit murder. It would not be my last - Lord, no - but I can recall that night as vividly as though it happened last week. Few medics forget their first physician homicide.
* * *
The ugly truth is, some of the most macho medics on the planet turn into complete lollipops in the presence of an arrogant, incompetent physician. No matter how you parse it, that is professional cowardice.
* * *
K. Patrick McDonald is a graduate of UCSD La Jolla School of Medicine original Advanced Field Medicine program. He was appointed the first EMS Supervisor for the City of San Diego under Mayor (and then Governor) Pete Wilson's administration. He created one of the nation's first STAR (Special Trauma & Rescue) Teams and co-authored the San Diego City Disaster Preparedness Plan.
He was a co-author of the National Waterpark Lifeguard Training Manual. He has acted as consultant to the U.S. Secret Service in Presidential Protection matters.
He writes, "After 30 years of occasionally saving lives, I learned that by writing and speaking, I can do more good for more citizens, while tolerating far fewer medical-political snollygosters."
Excerpt
At one point during our lunch the famous Sonny Bono asked, "So in other words, we've reached a point where a rescuer can't say 'screw the rules' and just do the right thing?"
Not in other words, Sonny. Those are the perfect words.
Immutable Law #2
Saving lives is not our priority.
Following our policies is our priority.
Protecting ourselves comes next.
Avoiding lawsuits comes third.
You come somewhere after that.
Professional Reviews
Who should you respect and trust?
(Donna D. Sinclair)
I have had health problems all of my life and a lot of surgeries. I have also spent time as a caregiver. So experience with the medical world has been a "roller coaster".
I have learned a lot but none more than reading "Paramedic Heretic". It is a must read! You have to be your own advocate, do your research, be alert and ask questions. The amount of moral, ethical and criminal abuse is alarming. We need to know these facts and we need to report any signs of abuse.
This includes insurance, Medicare fraud and unnecessary treatments or medication.
We have looked to Doctors for too long as "God-like" who have all the answers and would do no harm. This book will open your eyes and really make you think about our medical care and our need for better laws.
This book also honors those first responders who are often ignored or dismissed for not being as educated or experienced as a doctor, forgetting that they are in the ugly trenches all the time. You will know who to respect after reading the book and even find out who really cares for our overall safety and health.
Take the time to read this book and be informed. Thanks to the author for bringing these facts to the forefront.
A Doctor's View
(Max Harry Weil, MD, retired)
As a young practitioner I was among a small group of doctors in the 1950s to recognize that caring for our sickest patients required a change in the way care was delivered. More than anything else, this required a change in our thinking. Not all of my colleagues agreed.
The author here - I suspect - is not far astray when he submits there need to be changes in the way pre-hospital care is delivered, too. And it is fair to surmise that not all of his colleagues will agree, either.
In my view, Mr. McDonald's 30-year career success - much of it right here in the Coachella Valley of California, by the way - lays ample foundation for him to turn his stethoscope onto those aspects of health care in serious need of attention. His research alone causes me to share his dismay, particularly his findings of widespread physician misbehavior. It is a sad state of affairs that Paramedics might - even for an instant - distrust the very caregivers they turn their patients over to. I am a doctor, after all, and I don't like this one bit. I confess this matter eluded me for an entire career, and I regret it.
With healthcare front and center in today's headlines, Mr. McDonald's voice is an important one, now more than ever. He reveals a number of disturbing realities. We might want to pay close attention to what this gentleman has to say.
