Local 95 Paramedics Say Enough is Enough to Mistreatment

Photo courtesy of Worcester EMS Local 95.

The over 100 EMS professionals of UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC), members of IAEP Local 95, are sounding the alarm over worsening staffing issues in the hospital’s EMS Department, which has sparked concern regarding the group’s ability to continue to deliver adequate prehospital care.

These first responders, who answer the emergency calls of the over 200,000 residents of Worcester, MA, published a press release Monday afternoon detailing a situation in which the placement of paramedics is prioritized in an inpatient care facility over response to 9-1-1 calls.  

“[We] continue to report situations where only one UMMMC ALS ambulance is available for emergency calls in the city, making it difficult to maintain safe and appropriate staffing levels on the 9-1-1 side of service,” reads the release.

The situation has escalated to a point where the local is asking residents of the city and supporters of the EMS department to send prewritten emails to UMMMC President Justin Precourt urging him to take action to alleviate the health and safety concerns that these providers have. 

“As president of the UMass Memorial Healthcare system, you are in the unique position to immediately help these men and women,” reads the letter. “As a concerned resident and area provider, I ask you to stop the games and agree to prioritize 9-1-1 calls in the City of Worcester.”

Local 95 initially raised concerns to management when the hospital began focusing its EMS resources on the new in-patient North Pavilion Facility (NPAV), which opened in January.

“Patient care and provider safety remain our absolute top priorities in this situation,” said IAEP National Director Phil Petit. “We are doing everything we can to make sure we can achieve that for our members and for this city.”

Last week, the IAEP notified the hospital of Local 95’s need to focus on providing timely emergency care to the City of Worcester.

“If these concerns cannot be resolved by management, then we have no other choice but to cease the work that is currently being done by our paramedics at the North Pavilion,” said Petit. “This would be in the best interest of the health and safety of all involved.”

UMMMC and Local 95 continue to negotiate agreements regarding the new facility, its overall impact on the EMS workforce, and the department’s ability to maintain appropriate emergency coverage for their patients.

“It is our hope that an agreement can be reached to provide an excellent level of emergency service to the NPAV and the entire city of Worcester— for the good of the hardworking first responders and their patients alike,” said Petit.

Those who wish to support Local 95 in rectifying this situation are encouraged to send President Precourt a prewritten email.