||| FROM ALI BOE |||
It was disheartening (to put it mildly) to see how a recent tragedy was discussed in this public meeting [Board of Fire Commissioners].
I came to the meeting grieving for my friend. Grateful, absolutely, for the assistance and care provided by the skilled and compassionate responders. Grateful for the outpouring of love and support shown by this community, but still very raw and grieving.
To join this public meeting and see the self-congratulatory glee with which my friend’s medical emergency was discussed… well, it made me sick.
And angry.
I have many friends in the medical field and I have seen the excitement that comes with an opportunity to practice a rare procedure. This is always discussed with full anonymity, which often requires passage of time before it can be mentioned. My partner is an EMT and I’ve had friends assume I know about their 911 call because he responded; I never know what they’re referring to, as it should be.
What I hadn’t yet experienced until this evening is the outright disregard for the human patient while celebrating one such opportunity for a rare procedure. So you finally got practice a skill after a decade-long dry spell? Cool bro. Cool. Good for you, and thanks for doing it, really. However. This was a public meeting. The patient being discussed is very dear to many of us, and we’re hurting. We’re raw with grief, and struggling to maintain hope.
The only reason commissioner Helminski didn’t entirely violate HIPPA (by directing the public to the patient’s YouTube page) is that he was interrupted and reigned back in by the district secretary. Should a commissioner need to be reminded of HIPPA? I don’t think so.
Here’s the thing. This is a very small community. By now, most people here know who was involved in the accident that was being discussed. Most are also experiencing a lot of pain and confusion and grief right now. To hear the details of our friend’s brutal injuries discussed with an energy I can only describe as celebratory… it was shameful.
To make matters worse, the physician from Airlift Northwest who was in the meeting shared inaccurate information about the patient’s prognosis, adding to the celebratory tone of the conversation. Thing is, the prognosis isn’t good. And no one was celebrating our friend’s health; it was all self-aggrandizement. To what end? I left that meeting feeling like the leadership at Orcas Fire used my friend’s tragedy as a PR stunt to improve their public image.
This incident should have been discussed in detail, from a tactical and procedural standpoint, in Run Review (meeting among the responders), not in a public meeting. Even in Run review, I would hope that more compassion would be shown for the patient. In the public forum, a brief mention of a job well done and best wishes sent to the patient would suffice. The display this evening was absolutely shameful.
Do better.
Do Better.. I So appreciate that sentiment.. one of our Islands most reverent Institutions requires the best.. All that engage in this type of organization does so to give their best.
We train for it.
Thank You Orcas Fire, I know this in in your harts, let’s keep our Eyes forward, Minds clear and Conscious unobstructed so we can do what needs to be done. With excellence.
Thank you so much, Ali, for expressing what I can only imagine most of us on that call also felt. As a former OIFR Commissioner, I found last night’s meeting truly appalling for all of the reasons you mentioned. It is no secret that there are serious issues in leadership and oversight within the Department right now. I am saddened to say that I too found the display at yesterday’s meeting to be a PR stunt gone horrifically wrong with seriously significant consequences.
There is no question in my mind that HIPAA was violated. In my professional life working in the patient advocacy non-profit space, what was said and shared last night crossed a serious line and constitutes a clear HIPAA violation. You also captured exquisitely the painful display of self-congratulation given the gravity and the sadness that many in the community are feeling.
I am deeply troubled by what happened last night, and it disturbs me even more that it was not surprising to me given the current state of what is taking place within the Department coming from leadership and the Commission. This is unfortunately part of a very disturbing pattern that members of the Department have been experiencing for some time.
To be clear, there is nothing but love, respect and appreciation for the amazing work that OIFR members and volunteers do day in and out for the Orcas community, but there are some serious issues coming from leadership and the Commission that need to be publicly addressed. To have details surrounding the medical treatment and care of someone you care about and love so cavalierly used as a self-congratulatory PR stunt by a Department that is admittedly under a lot of stress from their own mismanagement is appalling. What happened last night should never have happened. What has been happening within the Department needs to stop. We need to work together to ensure that it never happens again by continuing to ask questions and demand a cultural change in the way that OIFR is currently being run.
My prediction—
There will be a slap on the wrist from the state after OIFD self reports this HIPAA violation. Followed by a letter of apology (written by an attorney) signed by the board, and possibly a mea culpa from individual commissioners who violated HIPAA.
There will be no peace of mind for the friends and family of the victim because the horror of what happened on the accident scene that was revealed is a bell that simply cannot be un-rung. I count myself among those friends.
On an adjacent note, publicly naming the responders robs them of their right to privacy. Their right to process their own grief and trauma without uninvited attention, without questions.
I find this business troubling on many levels, and contrary to the training on HIPAA I received repeatedly at OIFR.
First and foremost I would like to express my sincere sadness for all the friends and family going through such a difficult time. I do think that there have been some disparaging statements mentioned above and other statements that were taken out of context or not mentioned at all. Two Northwest Airlift’s representatives and the doctor who oversees NW Airlift and our paramedics came to the fire commissioners meeting last night and made a presentation during public access time to the outstanding performance and cooperation that took place on a emergency call between NW Airlift and OIFD. It was unfortunate the conversation continued because it was asked that the NW Airlift member explain in layman’s language what the commendation was for and that lead to more conversation and an enthusiastic tone for having such a highly qualified and experienced staff. No mention of names of victims were ever mentioned and only when the “coins commendation ” were presented were the fire department members named. Fortunately or unfortunately we live in a small tight knit community and news travels fast. Especially when Social media is so readily available with up to the minute information. It is extremely important however, for agencies to remember proper protocol especially health related ones and yes it was the commissioner’s meeting and they are in control. They were not the ones who brought the subject up or even had it on their agenda. It was public comment. I am sure they wish now that they had scheduled NW Airlift to come to next month meeting and be listed on the agenda. They did express their deep concern for all the friends and family during this difficult time and sorry for any distress they were feeling
I have been a healthcare professional for over 30 years. As a physician, OIFR volunteer, and career paramedic, I also find an orchestrated PR stunt exploiting a grave medical incident appalling. The violation of a federal law is unethical. The exploitation of a human life for the betterment of oneself is reprehensible. I am embarrassed by the conduct of OIFR staff members, Airlift Northwest representatives, and OIFR Commissioners. This is not representative of our great community. Positive change is desperately needed at OIFR, and it must come with community oversight.
I’d like to clarify my previous use of “OIFR staff members”. In saying this I am specifically referring to the members of OIFR management who participated in this conversation on Tuesday night. I was not referring to our great EMTs, Medics and firefighters, both paid and volunteer.
Leith, you shared some inaccurate information. This conversation did not happen during public comment. It was before public comment. Also, it wasn’t the public saying these things. It was OIFR board/staff and the Airlift Northwest physician who they invited to the meeting for the sole purpose of talking about this event. So, even if it had happened during public comment, the fact remains that OIFR behaved inappropriately.
“It was the commissioner’s meeting and they are in control”.. YES. This. Exactly this is the crux of the issue. It’s their meeting, they brought this up, and handled it poorly. Not one community member brought it up in public comment.
The last/updated agenda that went out had the Air Lift presentation on it, just prior to Public Access time
The assistant chief reached out the the responders who were present during the referenced incident in order to encourage their presence for the kudos the board and management knew were coming.
Deep Gratitude to Ali Boe and others who have spoken out about the terrible behavior of those ” in control” on the board. This is not always easy in a small community, but totally necessary to hold those in decision making roles accountable.
Thank you Mia for the continued updates and reporting.
Well, I was obviously in error. My letter of January 12th predicted an apology from the OIFD board concerning what many (including myself) believed to be a fairly egregious HIPAA violation at their board meeting on January 10th.
It never came and now, 11 days later, it apparently is not going to happen.
I am shocked and saddened by this series of events. So much for the calls for “healing” and “moving forward”.