Dan Rivet, a member of the Town of Webb Ambulance Corps—but speaking as a private citizen of the town—conveyed his concerns about the lack of medical service provisions at the local health center on weekends during the summer months.
He addressed the board at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 12.
Rivet reminded the board of his prior opposition to a contract with St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center that would not include the local health center being open on weekends.
He said that despite his warnings of untenable strain being placed on the local ambulance system, the board chose to sign a contract that did not insist on weekend hours at the health center.
Councilman J.B. Herron responded by saying the board was not in a position to make demands that St. E’s was not agreeable to.
The town conveyed its priorities and described the needs of the community, but a stalement was not in the town’s best interest. Neither was St. E’s exit from an arrangement that would have it taking over operations at the local health center, Herron said.
“But would I like to see [the health center] open on Saturday? Absolutely,” he said.
Councilwoman Mary Brophy Moore agreed that the board wanted whatever it was able to get St. E’s to agree to. And, though it pushed hard for these provisions, St. E’s would not agree.
“You’re preaching to the choir,” she told Rivet.
However, Moore said it may be appropriate to arrange a sit-down with St. Elizabeth’s CEO Robert Scholefield.
She said what is needed, and what may tip the scale, is a compelling case that weekend health needs in the Town of Webb are substantial, and that potential revenue to St. E’s will offset its costs.
She asked Dan Rivet whether he would be willing to speak as an ambulance corps member or citizen with knowledge of local emergency service needs, along with the town board, at a meeting with St. Elizabeth’s representatives.
Rivet said he would seek authorization from ambulance corps officials, to speak on its behalf.
The strain to the ambulance corps involves patients seeking medical attention at the Old Forge Fire Department in the absence of an open health facility.
Rivet said it is unclear how these people are finding their way to the department. He surmised that they may be directed there by 911 operators or the health center itself.
He estimated that 50 people had utilized ambulance volunteers for weekend medical needs in July.
“It’s putting a lot of pressure on our ambulance corps,” he said.
And Rivet said that unfortunately, many of these volunteers are older.
“The average age of our EMTs is over 65 years of age. I am 73,” he said. “We have one younger person in her twenties, who responds to these calls, but everybody else is at least 60.”
“We get calls about fevers, we get calls about a cut finger, and we respond our ambulances for that. Something has to be done to provide medical care for the 25 or 30 thousand people that are here on the weekends in the summer. We all know how many people are in this area from Raquette Lake to Otter Lake,” Rivet said.
He described how the health center used to offer service on weekends, but Councilman Ross insisted that the world has changed.
“That was kind of then,” Ross said. “The stuff we understood in listening to these folks [made it clear that] we probably would not have been able to keep that place open much longer. It would have ended up being closed [had we not made a move with St. Elizabeth’s].”
Mary Brophy Moore agreed that options were few for the town.
“We were losing a doctor and we had no choice. We really didn’t have a choice. We wouldn’t have anything over there. If we hadn’t signed the contract, we would have nothing,” she said.
Regardless, bugs are in need of working out, according to Rivet.
“I think it would be important to the people of this community if the signers of the contract could negotiate with St. E’s to keep it open from mid-June until Columbus Day, or something like that. That’s all I’m asking,” he said.
Supervisor Ted Riehle agreed with his fellow council persons, that the best opportunity for making improvements rests in a meeting with St. Elizabeth’s. And he said he would gladly facilitate that.
Rivet indicated he would be willing to participate in some form.
“It’s a quality of life issue,” he said. “Maybe we can all work together to make our community better and the health care in our community better.”