Limits on Panel’s Review Reinforces Impression of Bias
Background (PDF)
Oxnard, CA (June 2, 2010) – The appeal process begun today by the Ventura County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Agency on the trauma center designation in Ventura County is as flawed as the original recommendation, and reinforces the perception of bias, according to St. John's Regional Medical Center President Tim Maurice. "The EMS Agency has deliberately limited the scope of the appeal process, but evaded the key question of the accuracy of the scoring of the proposals," said Maurice. “This is troubling because we presented EMS with credible evidence that the scoring performed by EMS’s contractor appears to be based on inaccurate data and even omitted facts.” Maurice also noted that the EMS Agency has refused to even request or provide copies of the scoring materials and that it is unreasonable and irresponsible to ignore the information that is most relevant in making this important recommendation for trauma medical services in the county.
For more than a year, the EMS Agency has been pursuing a process to identify two hospitals, one in the west county and one in the east county, to provide 24-hour availability of all essential specialties, personnel and equipment to treat trauma patients. But EMS relied entirely upon an un-reviewed numeric score produced by a private contractor when it decided to award trauma designation to a fellow county department, the Ventura County Medical Center. “It is this refusal to review the validity of the scoring that has created an impression of bias by the EMS Agency in favor of a fellow county department, the County Hospital,” Maurice said.
On March 17, 2010, St. John’s appealed the preliminary decision and EMS appointed a three-person appeal panel to review the recommendation. However, the panel members have been instructed by EMS to depend entirely on written briefs, and they will not have the opportunity to ask questions of the proposing hospitals, much less review the flaws in the scoring materials that are at the heart of this appeal. Furthermore, EMS has unilaterally dismissed portions of St. John’s appeal. As a result, the appeal panel hired by EMS will not be able to makes its own decision about the propriety of St. John’s claims. The EMS Agency also said that St. John’s has “no due process rights” related to the appeal. The panel has been instructed to deliver its review by June 11.
Maurice called on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to ask EMS to request the scoring materials and rescore the proposals based on all the facts and ensure their accuracy. “County residents should demand a process that is fair, accurate and unbiased,” Maurice said. “It is the Board of Supervisors’ responsibility to ensure that a fair and accurate process is followed and this trauma designation is based on the best interests of their constituents. The ultimate decision will affect how critical healthcare services are delivered in Ventura County for decades to come.”
