It's a story we're all too familiar with. Remember when you were a kid and you had a favorite toy? You probably kept close watch over it, spent a lot of time keeping it protected, and doing everything you could to reviltalize it after your siblings ragged it out and threw it away.
Yes, that's how it is in Fort Smith today after it was announced that Mercy and Sparks, the siblings, have both filed a lawsuit to regain oversight of Fort Smith EMS, which we'll explain the ridiculousness of the suit in a moment, but the latest move calls for one to question why neither hospital wanted anything to do with the emergency service while it was in bankruptcy. In fact, instead of offering help, both hospitals ran as far as they could from the "problem."
Are you following the pieces of the puzzle? Fort Smith EMS breathed new life into their organization around the 2008 mark when it entrusted its very survival to the hands and mind of Tim Hearn. A man who brought the place out of the ashes to become one of the most respected --and successful-- emergency services in any recognizable part of the United States.
And now the hospitals want it all back. They stayed out of the hard work and now want to be recognized as the governing body. Pathetic.
Going back to the lawsuit, an earlier report stated the paperwork raises concerns about the length of time it takes for trauma patients needing urgent treatment --unavailable in Fort Smith-- to be transferred from either of the two hospitals.
Going further, Mercy and Sparks emphasized the "frontline" staff of Fort Smith EMS are dedicated servants of the community and provide exceptional service," according to a statement released to 40/29 News. "Unfortunately, discussions with Fort Smith EMS leadership have not provided an effective response to the concerns of the stakeholders of Fort Smith EMS, including those identified by Dr. Bledsoe.
This is nothing more than a classic case of two older siblings who ragged out something really nice, they got what they wanted out of it, they waited until it fell apart, and now they want it all back after the Fort Smith EMS board of directors propelled their organization to a prominence it never previously saw.
We'll keep you updated as this story develops.