CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Good Morning,
Below is a complaint from a Facebook group about Alachua County Paramedics and how it seems they are unhelpful and dismissive when responding to calls in neighborhoods of POC.
Normally, I would read a Facebook post like this, provide the person with a number or email where they can log the complaint, and move on. HOWEVER, this is now the EIGHTH TIME in the last 3 weeks I have either received first hand information, second hand information, or witnessed first hand this exact type of behavior.
There is a clear issue of racial bias happening in the care given by ACP. We as a nation already know about the systemic racism that exists in healthcare and how healthcare workers have a bias when treating the black community. We have data to back those statistics up. Those are national issues that we have to slowly chip away at. But, THIS is a local community issue that you all have direct control over. This is not ok for practices like these to be tolerated in our community.
As I stated above all of these issues, that are almost identical to the one described below, I have first hand or second hand knowledge of. However the one that I have witnessed with my own eyes happened at the Grace Campus, and as it keeps getting worse, I would like to address this here also.
For the last 2 months every time the ACP is called to Grace they give the staff grief about even having to respond to a call at Grace and then refuse to enter the campus and treat the residents like dirt. I understand the residents are homeless, but that is NOT a reason to treat them less than. They are humans and deserve treatment and services of the highest standards just as our entire community does. The staff and residents are becoming overwhelmingly frustrated with trying to get the healthcare emergencies addressed as ACP has been blatantly disrespectful and significantly inattentive to the needs of the residents on campus.
With all of these issues, community members have contacted Jeff Taylor and logged complaints, as he is listed as the Managing Chief of the Emergency Branch of the ACFR. I have Copied Jeff to this email as well. However, no responses have been communicated and clearly the issues are escalating and needs of ALL community members are not being addressed equally.
Is Mr. Taylor addressing these issues at all? Do these issues concern him? What biases and racism training do ACFR employees complete? Clearly there may be additional training that needs to be completed and a bigger statement of change coming from leadership of ACFR.
These issues are completely unacceptable. I am asking the board to research and address these issues. Mr Taylor and the ACFR MUST do better. The community is demanding they do better. We will be following up with these issues and if we do not see significant changes and we will readdress.
Alachua County is not a bubble and racism is an issue that must be addressed immediately in our community.
Thank you,
Joy Pitts
NW Gainesville Resident
########################################################################
To unsubscribe from the KEN-CORNELL list, click the following link:
http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=KEN-CORNELL
Sent from my iPhone
########################################################################
To unsubscribe from the KEN-CORNELL list, click the following link:
http://listserv.alachuacounty.us/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=KEN-CORNELL
|
