A 50-year-old woman being taken to Cleveland Clinic Main as a direct admit was left in a private ambulance Wednesday night near a gas station on West 150th Street, according to Cleveland EMS. Another crew member was aboard the ambulance. The patient was stable during transport and when a Cleveland EMS medic arrived, but the circumstances surrounding how she came to be left in the vehicle remain largely unexplained.
According to News 5 Cleveland, Cleveland EMS says a paramedic driving a private ambulance left the woman in the vehicle while en route to the hospital. The ambulance was operated by Lynx EMS, and the incident happened at about 8 p.m. Wednesday near the gas station on Cleveland's West Side.
Another Crew Member Reportedly Called for Help
Per the station's report, another crew member was aboard the ambulance at the time and is believed to have called 911 after the woman was left behind. Cleveland EMS said the woman remained stable during the transport to Cleveland Clinic Main and was still stable when a Cleveland EMS medic arrived on scene.
News 5 investigators say they are working to gather more information from Lynx officials about what happened. The outlet's report notes that a Lynx EMS dispatcher told its investigators the company had no comment when reached about the incident.
Who Operated the Ambulance
Lynx EMS describes itself as a provider of private ambulance services for patient transport to local hospitals and other care facilities, according to the company's own site, Lynx EMS. The company has not offered any public explanation for what happened to the woman during her transport.
What Ohio Rules Say About Ambulance Staffing
Ohio administrative rules lay out staffing requirements for licensed medical transportation organizations. Under Ohio Administrative Code, a licensed provider responding to a call for medical assistance or patient transport must ensure the transport is performed by a permitted ambulance staffed with at least two certified EMTs, advanced EMTs, paramedics, or some combination of those personnel. It is not established whether that rule applies to, or was violated in, this incident.
Separately, the Ohio Revised Code requires an emergency medical service organization operating an ambulance to staff it according to statute during each emergency run, including while transporting a patient, if applicable. There is not enough detail available to determine how that provision would apply to this transport.
How Ohio Residents Can File a Complaint
Ohio's EMS complaint process allows people to report concerns about EMS, fire service, and medical transportation providers without identifying themselves. Ohio Emergency Medical Services says complaints involving these providers may be filed anonymously, and asks complainants to share as much detail as possible. The agency says it is responsible for investigating possible violations of laws and rules involving EMS, fire service, and medical transportation organizations, according to Ohio Emergency Medical Services.
It remains unclear whether a complaint has been filed in connection with Wednesday's incident, or whether regulators are reviewing the case. News 5 Cleveland has not reported a response from Lynx EMS beyond its dispatcher's initial no-comment, and the station says it continues working to gather more information from company officials.
