What roads lead to a hospital?

[Dan Alaimo]

The only road that leads to a hospital in Lakewood in the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...that will bring accountability, compensation and Justice for those who destroyed the easy ride to the hospital 1 mile or less from our homes.

The heads of pins are "not roads to a hospital".

Brian, your article in this week's Observer issue was excellent - perhaps one of the finest explanations yet of the hospital issue.
Everyone should read it, especially anyone on the fence or in support of closing the hospital.
http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2016/0 ... nscover-up

That said...
You just hijacked a thread I started. The is about an actual problem with real roads leading to area hospitals.

And that said...
There are criticisms to be made:
* The City certainly knew about this construction well in advance and they could have made contingencies. At least publicize the routing Chief Gilman mentioned. Was it known before the rushed December vote? I'll bet it was.
* CCF closed the hospital much earlier than they originally planned. The City could have intervened and encouraged CCF to keep it open at least through the construction season.

Dan,

I know directly from multiple reliable insiders on the deal.
So everyone should listen to this established fact:
The sole reason that they moved the hospital closing up to February was to manufacture a legal argument to defeat the referendum that they all knew was coming.

Given what this thread is about, that is just plain reckless evil on the part of Summers, Bullock, Butler and the other PAC of liars. They just don't care about people.

Okay, I'll buy that. So what if one of them had to get to Fairview in a big hurry? I guess it's all good as long as they defeat the referendum.
This whole thing stinks so bad that even a necessity like road construction gets tainted.
(Here's hoping I got this comment posted before Corey jumps in.)

[Corey Rossen]

Thanks, Danny. Glad to know that I'm in your head.

[scott gilman]

I never said that you could get to metro and back in 8 minutes. Average drive time to Lakewood ER is 3-5 minutes the trip to metro adds on average 8 minutes to the transport time. The time to complete the report is the same at most hospitals. The only variation is if you need to get a narcotic replaced you may need to go to the pharmacy. If there is a call that you claim took an hour to transport give me the address where that happened and the date and I will check on it. There is far to much of "we heard or they said" posted on here without any supporting information.
Jackie I would suggest that you contact the hospital that bill sounds excessive. A bill like that sounds more like a mobile intensive care fee than an ambulance transport

[cameron karslake]

Like Brian said, this would all be a mute point (or at least not so pressing an issue right now) if the Clinic had KEPT IT'S PROMISE TO KEEP LAKEWOOD HOSPITAL OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2016.

But, as everyone who has been paying attention knows, the Clinic cannot be trusted to keep it's word on anything.

In fact, about the only thing the Clinic can be trusted to do is break their word whenever it suits them.

[Brian Essi]

Like Brian said, this would all be a mute point (or at least not so pressing an issue right now) if the Clinic had KEPT IT'S PROMISE TO KEEP LAKEWOOD HOSPITAL OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2016.

But, as everyone who has been paying attention knows, the Clinic cannot be trusted to keep it's word on anything.

In fact, about the only thing the Clinic can be trusted to do is break their word whenever it suits them.

They could not have done it without a captive, cooped and dishonest city hall.

[m buckley]

They could not have done it without a captive, cooped and dishonest city hall.

The Summers' administration has deliberately stoked divisiveness and hatred in this community.
Never once offering a path towards reconciliation. Never once looking to heal the damage they've done.

Mr. Summers you have let us down. You have let Lakewood down.
You should resign.

[Lori Allen _]

To put everything out in the open and let the sunshine in, what about posting the summary sheets for the EMS runs since the urgent care opened? HIPPA has nothing to do with it if the names, medical history, diagnoses, etc. are redacted. Everyone at City Hall evidently hiding behind HIPPA as an excuse for almost everything is becoming rather tiresome.

My opinion: Release the summary pages of the EMS run sheets and/or the page that documents the transport times. I believe that the public has a right to know. The files should be easily stored in a file on a computer. Again, I will emphasize that I believe the public has a right to know complete, non-edited, transport times.

A few pieces of case law and court opinions, and Ohio Attorney General opinions to chew on:

It is well established that “R.C. 149.43" must be liberally construed in favor of broad access.” - See State ex rel. Wadd V. City of Cleveland

The exceptions listed in R.C. 149.43(A)(1)(a)-(p) are to be construed narrowly with any doubts resolved in favor of disclosure. See State ex rel. Gannett Satelite Network v. Petro

If a record contains both excepted and non-excepted information, the excepted information “must be redacted and any remaining information must be released.” See State ex rel. Master v. City of Cleveland

Furthermore, according to 1999 Ohio Op. Att’y Gen. No. 006:

When a run sheet is created and maintained by a county emergency medical services (EMS) organization, all information on the run sheet that does not satisfy either the medical records exception, R.C.149.43(A)(1)(a), or the exception for “records the release of which is prohibited by state or federal law,” R.C. 149.43(A (1)(p), is a public record and must be disclosed pursuant to R.C. 149.43(B).

Transport times and hospital names would not satisfy the medical records exemption or any other legal exemption, correct?

Finally, if anyone in this city has been vague or untruthful with answers, it would be many people at City Hall, in my opinion. I highly doubt that others here on the Deck are posting untrue information in regards to this matter. I know that I certainly have not.

[scott gilman]

Lori we put the report together that you requested did you ever bother to get it from the law department?

Also you should review your version of the charter I am not at at will employee and I never once been told or asked to post anything by the mayor I only speak up when I see inaccurate information being posted. Happens all to frequently on the observation deck. My information comes from my experience and working with the Lakewood EMS system since it merged with LFD in 1999. Our system has evolved since then and we continue to improve our service to the community.

[scott gilman]

lori you also keep mentioning the "golden hour" could you in your words post what that is and means.

[Lori Allen _]

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9722

This article seems to indicate that the Chief of Fire is appointed by the Mayor. Jim O'Bryan states in the second post in the thread "Good work Mike!". What should I assume by this? Also, the Division of Fire is a division of the Department of Public Safety, which is headed by the Mayor.

Also see Article VI, Section 6 of the Lakewood Municipal Charter:

The Director of Public Safety shall have the exclusive right to suspend the chief, commissioner, or inspector of any division for incompetence, gross neglect of duty, gross immorality, habitual drunkenness, failure to obey orders given by the proper authority, or for any other just and reasonable cause. If the Chief of Police or Fire, the Commissioner of Housing and Building, or the head of any other division within the Department is so suspended, the Director of Public Safety shall forthwith certify the fact, together with the cause of such suspension, to the Civil Service Commission, which within five days from the date of the receipt of such notice shall proceed to hear such charges and render judgment thereon, which judgment shall be final.

If the Director of Public Safety can suspend chiefs, commissioners, directors, etc., I would imagine he can also appoint chiefs, commissioners, directors, etc. as well.

Also see Chapter 137, Section 5 of the Lakewood Codified Ordinance:

137.05 SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS FOR FIREFIGHTERS:

In the event that the Chief of the Division of Fire determines that an extraordinary emergency exists which requires additional hours of service by members of the Division of Fire, he shall report such determination and make his recommendation to the Mayor. In such event, and to the extent the Mayor concurs, the Mayor is authorized and empowered to so find and declare and to thereupon require members of the Division of Fire to work on any of the above stated holidays without allowance of time in lieu thereof.

This is another example of the Chief of the Division of Fire having to consult with the mayor.

Heck, the mayor even dictates how much to charge for copies of Division of Fire records:

Chapter 137, Section 10 of the Lakewood Codified Ordinance:

137.10 FEES FOR COPIES OF RECORDS
(a) The Director of Public Safety, through the Record Department of the Division of Fire is hereby authorized to make and collect the hereinafter provided charges for the following services:
(1) Copy of fire reports: $1.50 per side or any portion thereof.
(2) Photographs: $5.00 each.

I believe it is quite evident that the mayor, the ex-officio Director of Public Safety, is the boss of the Chief of Fire.

As far as the Golden Hour, I believe I have previously refereed City Hall to get in contact with Save Lakewood Hospital so they can put City Hall in touch with a reputable physician that can best explain it.

I will say that it would be ideal if the fire chief could:

A. List everything that has been posted here on the Deck that has been false.
B. Post actual documentation that proves that each claim on the Deck has been false (tangible documentation).

I would be very interested in seeing actual, tangible documentation that proves that myself and others here on the Deck have been knowingly posting false information. In the absence of actual, tangible documentation that proves that citizens are posting false information (with documentation for each alleged false statement), I feel that a retraction post and apology is in order.

Finally, I still stand by my belief that a City Hall post on OneLakewood.com with a link to actual, non-edited transport times from EMS run sheets would be ideal. That way, it shows the entire community and citizens can make their own decisions.

[Stan Austin]

I would prefer that the Fire Chief of Lakewood, having made a good faith effort to respond to citizen inquiries, now- redirect his very good skills back to his job of protecting Lakewood citizens and property.
I think that a potentially never ending spiral of back and forth has run its course.

Stan Austin

[Lori Allen _]

Stan,

I feel that if the Fire Chief is going to state on the Deck that other Deck posters are allegedly posting false information, then I feel that he opened that door and that the Deck posters (and all citizens, for that matter), have a right to know:

A. All posts, specifically, the Fire Chief feels are untrue, exaggerated, or outright false.
B. Actual, tangible documentation that proves that the posts were untrue, exaggerated, or outright false (documentation for each alleged false statement).

The door was opened, and not by me.

[Dan Alaimo]

The Chief made two significant contributions to the topic at hand:
1) he answered the top-line question
2) and he provided Jackie Taylor with what I hope was valuable input on the cost of his ambulance ride.

I'd be satisfied if the Chief continued to update us on routes as construction patterns progress and change.

If Lori's questions get answered, more power to her.

[Lori Allen _]

Dan,

Aren't you the least bit curious as to whether you are among the posters here that have been accused of posting "inaccurate" information?

While it is great that he answered the top-line question and Jackie's question, it does not mitigate the fact that he appeared to open a new door by alleging that "inaccurate" information is being posted on the Deck.

As I stated before, since posters on the Deck have evidently been accused of posting "inaccurate" information, I feel it is only fair that:

A. It is stated. specifically, what information has been posted that is allegedly "inaccurate".
B. Actual, tangible documentation is posted that proves that the information posted is inaccurate, with separate documentation for each alleged "inaccurate" statement.

In the absence of these, I feel that it is only fair that a retraction post and apology is made by the chief.

I also still stand by my belief that the actual, non-edited transport times should be posted publicly on Onelakewood.com and here on The Observation Deck, so everyone can see them. This information should be entered daily and should be stored in a file on a computer system. With that new fiber-optic computer system, it should be lightning fast now!

[Jim O'Bryan]

Fire Chief Scott Gilman

Thank you for sharing what facts you have with us.


Scott Gilman

As a long time Lakewood resident I appreciate you jumping in now and then, as we all do with what we have always called and considered observations, a mix of facts, opinions, personal judgment, and a history of reading what the person writes over a long period.


To all posters thank you for proving this project works 24/7/365.


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