Eagle Air
Med's 'in the doghouse' status is thwarting IHS contracts
This
file photo from January 27, 2004 shows damage to the propeller of an
Eagle Air Med airplane parked in a hangar at the Window Rock airport
after it was involved in a hard landing. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)
By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — A reservation
air ambulance company is up for accreditation again which could result
in increased business
from Indian Health Service.
Public comment is sought in the accreditation of Eagle Air Med, a Utah-based
air ambulance service operating from three sites on the Navajo Nation.
The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, or CAMTS, will
be holding its site survey for Eagle Air Med on June 16-18. The accreditation
is necessary for the company to hold a Utah air-ambulance license.
The company said it's currently licensed for critical care in Arizona, New Mexico
and Utah.
The public comment portion is not directly targeted toward Eagle Air Med. CAMTS
borrowed the idea from The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.
"We're doing (public comment) with everyone," said Eileen Frazer, executive
director of CAMTS.
The survey is part of the accreditation process and comes after Eagle Air Med
lost a lawsuit it filed against CAMTS in January 2003.
CAMTS withdrew Eagle Air's accreditation in December 2002 based on accidents
and incidents Eagle Air failed to report as part of its accreditation application.
Eagle Air reported only one accident on its application whereas CAMTS verified
seven accidents and incidents through independent testimony and photographs.
Eagle Air's most recent accident occurred in January 2004, when one of its airplanes
landed hard in Window Rock, causing severe damage to its left wing. No injuries
occurred and the pilot was dismissed.
Eagle Air filed an injunction against CAMTS in January 2003 until the matter
could be resolved through a lawsuit.
In November a Utah-district court ruled in favor of CAMTS, dismissing the injunction
and placing Eagle Air back on its withdrawn status. The court also ruled that
Eagle Air be allowed to reapply for accreditation within six months.
"I would say we're a better company than when we were originally accredited," said
Eric Niven, spokesman for Eagle Air. "We look forward to (the site survey)
and the opportunity to prove what we've maintained all along."
Eagle Air originally applied for accreditation with CAMTS in 1997. Since then,
CAMTS has withdrawn and suspended its accreditation at least three times based
on concerns and deficiencies.
Eagle Air achieved full-accreditation in November 2001 for three years. Their
accreditation was formally withdrawn in December 2002.
The CAMTS-accreditation is also necessary for contracts with Indian Health Service.
A company like Eagle Air Med who has a basic operating agreement with IHS receives
more business than without one. The agreements guarantee the air-ambulance company
a certain amount per flight, usually between $7,000 to $8,000.
Eagle Air reported a loss of $350,000 a month when its accreditation was withdrawn
in December 2002. Eagle Air also commonly charges private-pay patients $30,000
a flight, most of which, Niven said, it does not recover.
"We're kind of middle-of-the road," Niven said, citing other costs
regulated by the basic operating agreement with IHS and third-party insurance. "But
we've been extremely forgiving."
Eagle Air has filed more than 20 liens in McKinley County for the $30,000 flights
since last year.
Unlike liens against property, however, Eagle Air's liens are payable only if
a patient wins a settlement, such as an insurance award, the company said.
Currently, CAMTS accredits 10 air-ambulance companies in Arizona and New Mexico.
Eagle Air is the oldest company on the reservation, operating bases in Chinle,
Kayenta, and Window Rock.
Those wishing to offer public comment must request in writing to do so no later
than June 11 to: Office of the Executive Director Commission on Accreditation
of Medical Transport Systems PO Box 1305 Anderson, SC 29622. |
Wednesday
May 26, 2004
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