By Matt Esnayra
The Daily News
LONGVIEW, Wash. 鈥� A Longview resident who is bedridden from a decade-old accident and weighs 536 pounds says he can鈥檛 find a way to doctors鈥� appointments and questions why city emergency staff can鈥檛 transport him.
Vince Vieira, who basically hasn鈥檛 been able to use his legs since falling at home 11 years ago, said he hasn鈥檛 been to the doctors in about seven months, ever since Longview Fire Department personnel questioned how staff would help him get to appointments if an emergency drew the crew away.
To the 57-year-old, his doctor appointments are emergencies because he said his health depends on the checkups and he has no other way to reach physicians. He said he feels like he鈥檚 stranded in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by lifeboats that won鈥檛 help.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what they choose to do, to rescue people who can鈥檛 rescue themselves, " Vieira said about first responders.
But Longview EMS Chief Eric Koreis said emergency crews can鈥檛 be used to take people to routine doctors鈥� appointments.
鈥淎s you can imagine, if every member of the community called 911 to take them to a doctor鈥檚 appointment ... we would be hard-pressed to figure out what to do,鈥� he said.
What鈥檚 an emergency?
Vieira is the great-grandson of Victoria Freeman, who integrated Longview School District in the 1920s.
At around age 15, he said he drove off a 300-foot cliff and broke his sternum and both legs. More than a decade ago, he had surgery on one leg after falling at home and developed an infection. Eventually, his muscles started wasting away and he could now only walk for short intervals.
Ever since meeting with Longview fire staff in September, Vieira said he feels he can鈥檛 call them for help; he said he couldn鈥檛 go to a dentist appointment in October when he suffered from an abscessed tooth that ruptured.
Koreis said staff held a common discussion with Vieira in the fall on how they would help him with non-emergencies if crews were called away to life-or-death situations. For instance, a person called the department for assistance going up and down the stairs seven times after a recent surgery, Koreis said; crews helped the patient, but had a similar conversation with that person.
Previous city reports also show emergency response rates are not meeting national expectations, which recommend the first unit of a department arrive at emergencies within five minutes or less at least 90% of the time.
A 2022 city report shows crews reached the goal 33% of the time during EMS emergencies. Nearly all calls in 2022 were for EMS at 49%, compared to fires at 3%, the report states.
The lower response rate could be due to more calls for help. In 2011, the Longview Fire Department fielded about 5,000 service calls and according to a 2022 annual report, the department handled 6,555 service calls.
Longview spokeswoman Angela Abel said emergencies must be the department鈥檚 first priority.
鈥淩esponding to non-emergencies takes that ambulance, first responders and possibly a fire engine away from emergency situations,鈥� she writes in an email.
Still, Koreis said staff help with non-emergencies when they can, even going so far as to make sandwiches for diabetics who don鈥檛 want to go to the hospital, and changing bedding for people who soil themselves.
He said staff would never refuse service to anyone in emergencies, and his staff also referred Vieira for virtual physician appointments through the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
He added that the department has gurneys and ambulances to support someone hundreds of pounds heavier than Vieira, who questioned to The Daily News if his weight was the reason emergency crews refused to take him to appointments. Vieira said 鈥淚t鈥檚 humiliating and embarrassing鈥� that the department won鈥檛 help him.
AMR Regional Director Rocco Roncarati also said the company provides ambulances for people who weigh 350 to 1,200 pounds and a gurney for patients who weigh up to 650 pounds. He said firefighting personnel help move patients, in addition to ambulance staff, depending on circumstances, like if there are stairs where the patient is located. Vieira鈥檚 residence is on the first floor and there are no stairs.
People in Cowlitz County who use Medicaid can also use a transportation service called Community in Motion for non-emergencies, like going to doctors鈥� appointments. However, a staff member said they don鈥檛 have equipment to transport people who weigh more than 500 pounds.
Vieira said he feels stranded.
鈥淚鈥檓 stuck at home. I have no way of getting around,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y only transportation is (an) ambulance.鈥�
(c)2024 The Daily News, Longview, Wash.
Visit The Daily News, Longview, Wash. at www.tdn.com
Distributed by