Inland Valley Medical Center Denies 'Slow Response' Allegations From Murrieta Firefighters, Nurses

Some Murrieta firefighters and local nurses contend Wildomar-based Inland Valley Medical Center’s dispatch nurses are overwhelmed with duties that prevent them from immediately responding to paramedics in the field who are treating critical patients.

A hospital official denies the claims.

Inland Valley spokesman Brian Connors released a statement following a Friday press conference by representatives from the Murrieta Firefighters Association, the Southwest Riverside Nurses Association, and the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.

“Inland Valley categorically denies the allegations made at the union organized ‘press conference’ relating to the responsiveness of our staff to radio calls from paramedics. Inland Valley is consistently responsive to paramedic calls to our emergency department and all calls (radio or otherwise) are responded to in a timely and urgent manner. We consider this one of our highest priorities for the community,” Connors said.

Standing outside Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez’s office on Kalmia Street in Murrieta, the handful of press conference representatives told reporters they want to see dedicated dispatch nurses available around the clock at Inland Valley in order to ensure appropriate patient care. Known as Mobile Intensive Care Nurses (MICN), the registered nurses work in emergency trauma centers and have advanced training in paramedic protocols. As such, they take radio and telephone calls from field paramedics to help treat patients under paramedics’ care.

The representatives on hand Friday argued Inland Valley MICNs are juggling too much at once, and they say the problem began about 24 months ago.

“This has been an issue since the expansion of the ER,” Inland Valley MICN Dave Colmer said Friday. He was joined by fellow Inland Valley employee Deb Herbelin, a registered nurse who works in the hospital’s emergency room.

Inland Valley opened its expanded emergency services two years ago following delays due to a yearlong program to improve hospital conditions. The mandated improvements were ordered after the hospital’s parent company, Southwest Healthcare System, received poor marks from the state on various inspections.

In addition to Inland Valley Medical Center, Southwest Healthcare System oversees Murrieta-based Rancho Springs Medical Center.

The nurses present at Friday's press conference said there are still problems at the hospital.

“At Inland Valley hospital, MICNs are frequently given their own emergency patients to treat, which can cause them to miss emergency calls and is a violation of the law governing their duties in working with paramedics,” the nurses said in a joint statement.

Connors fired back.

“Inland Valley Medical Center is in full compliance with all laws, regulations and community practice regarding the utilization of Mobile Intensive Care Nurses (MICN) in our Emergency Department,” he said.

Dean Hale, a paramedic and president of the Murrieta Firefighters Association, was on hand for Friday’s press conference. He alleged that over the course of a 10-day shift, one to two of his calls are missed by MICNs at Inland Valley. He described a missed call as one in which he has to call back because no one picks up or he is placed on a long hold.

“It can mean a lot of things,” he said of missed calls, but added, “time is tissue.”

According to Hale, there are approximately 20 to 40 calls to Inland Valley MICNs on a daily basis.

“Those one or two missed calls [over a 10-day shift], that’s just me. I don’t know how many others there are,” he said.

Absent from Friday’s press conference were representatives from Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, as well as American Medical Response, which is the exclusive provider of ambulance service in much of the county. Murrieta

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson said her agency was not made aware of Friday’s press conference.

Hale claimed he contacted a Cal Fire official about a week ago, but said communication may have been lost because "they are a big agency." He confirmed AMR was not contacted, but said he intended to work more closely with both Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and AMR officials.

“We’re just starting this campaign,” he said.

A petition calling for Inland Valley to free up MICNs and resolve “this danger to our community as soon as possible” has been distributed, Hale confirmed, adding that approximately 50 signatures have been gathered so far.

Assemblywoman Melendez did not attend Friday's press conference. According to Melendez's spokesman, Thomas Mitchell, the assemblywoman was in a meeting with constituents from her 67th district at the time. He said staffers had only just become aware of the press conference via an official representing Inland Valley Medical Center.