Ambulances are by far the quickest
way to get to a hospital, but they're also one of the most expensive.
In Glynn County, at a charge of $350
a run, plus $8.50 per mile, a trip to the emergency room can easily leave a
person feeling a little light in the pocket or on an insurance claim.
But it's worth the expense in an
emergency, said Glynn County Fire Chief Al Thomas. "If they call us, we're going
to come," he said.
The problem is, not everyone who
summons an ambulance actually needs an emergency response from the county.
Al Thomas, Glynn County fire chief,
says ambulances and medical technicians are not there to treat
colds or flu. (James Nix/The Brunswick News)
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Many calls received by Thomas's
department should not be classified as emergencies, he said. "Nationwide,
there's a big misuse of the ambulance system," Thomas said.
"We can't treat colds. We can't treat
the flu, but we get calls for this type of thing all the time. People think if
we come, they'll get seen (in the emergency room) quicker."
This is a common misconception, he
said.
"They're going to triage them (to
identify the most serious cases) at the hospital no matter if they walked in the
front lobby or if they came in an ambulance," Thomas said.
The expense of the emergency
ambulance system is a direct function of its misuse and overuse, Thomas added.
"We're continuously on the road with the vehicles," Thomas said.
Thomas said a new ambulance without
emergency equipment costs about $90,000. Factor in medical supplies and
equipment, and the value of the emergency vehicles can skyrocket to the tune of
$130,000 or more.
The $350 base charge for using an
ambulance just chips the tip of the iceberg, he said.
"The charge helps us with restocking
the medical supplies and it helps to pay to staff these squads," he said.
Judy Peterman, director of critical
services for the Brunswick hospital of Southeast Georgia Health System, said how
quickly patients are seen in the emergency room depends on the complaint and an
assessment of the symptoms, not whether or not they arrived by ambulance.
Their mode of transportation, be it
by foot, golf cart, car or ambulance, has no bearing on an emergency room wait,
Peterman said.
