Paramedic blamed for Pflugerville man's death set to have certification revoked
The Texas Department of State Health Services is proposing to revoke the certification of a paramedic from a private company who has been accused of being responsible for a patient's death in Pflugerville in January, according to a notice of violation from the state agency to the medic.
According to the letter, the health services department investigated the Jan. 6 incident and found that the paramedic, Hiram Edmundo Ortega, violated state codes related to providing emergency medical services.
"While employed with (Allegiance Ambulance), you, Hiram Edmundo Ortega, failed to follow your medical director's protocol and caused complications that contributed to a patient's death," the letter said.
Ortega can appeal the repeal of his certification by Oct. 13.
The American-Statesman has not been able to reach Ortega for comment.
In the letter, the health services department said Ortega performed a cricothyrotomy, an incision through the skin to open an airway, that was not required and caused the death of a 42-year old man. It also said Ortega had an emergency medical technician administer a nerve-blocking agent, midazolam, which an EMT is not permitted to do.
According to an autopsy report, John Samerigo died due to the improper medical treatment he received from the medic with Allegiance Mobile Health, which operates in the city. Samerigo's official cause of death is listed as "improper emergency medical therapy, resulting in death" in the report. He was treated after falling at home and hitting his head, it said.
In the report, pathologist Satish Chundru said the man received a cricothyroidotomy that he did not need.
More: Autopsy report: Private ambulance company paramedic responsible for Pflugerville man's death
The letter also said that Ortega's medical director expressed concerned that Ortega did not say everything that happened during the call. Other medical professionals at the scene also expressed their worries to the health services department, according to the letter.
"This medic did not follow protocols and also allowed a basic to administer a controlled substance," the medical director said in a statement to the health services department. "This call did not reflect the care that I expect to be delivered to our patients."
Allegiance representatives did not respond to an American-Statesman request for comment.
During a Pflugerville City Council workshop in September, Amanda Baum, Allegiance's regional vice president, said she could not comment on the fatal incident in January.
On Sept. 12, the City Council approved an agreement with the city of Austin to supervise the private ambulance company amid concerns about the medical care provided.
Officials from Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, have previously expressed concerns to the Pflugerville City Council about the quality of care Allegiance medics provide, saying the death of one patient in January was because of negligence.
ESD No. 2 Chief Nick Perkins told the Statesman that Allegiance representatives told his department that the employee involved in the man's death would be fired.
Under the agreement approved by the Pflugerville City Council, an Austin emergency medical services commander will oversee Allegiance's operations in Pflugerville and report to its city manager. The agreement began Sunday and will end Sept. 20, 2024. Pflugerville officials have the option to extend the agreement four additional times for one-year terms, according to city documents.
The agreement with Austin comes a year after Pflugerville approved a contract with Allegiance to provide the city with ambulance and emergency medical services.
More: Austin to provide oversight of EMS in Pflugerville amid concerns about quality of care
Pflugerville has been grappling with such services for years. ESD No. 2 used to provide EMS services to the city until it said it could no longer afford to do so because of increased call volumes. But ESD No. 2 has expressed an interest in providing the services again.
In November 2021, voters in the area outside the city limits approved creating ESD No. 17 to handle ambulance calls in the ESD No. 2 service area. City officials said the district's request for about $2.8 million for EMS services was too expensive and did not put the creation of ESD No. 17 on the ballot. Instead, the city hired Acadian Ambulance Services on Jan. 1, 2022, to provide services in Pflugerville.
The city ended its contract with Acadian after only two months, citing dissatisfaction with its quality of service, including inadequate response times. In May 2022, the City Council voted to begin contract negotiations with ESD No. 2 to again provide EMS services, but later that month it also opened negotiations with Allegiance after a few council members said the ESD price tag would be much more than they had been led to believe.
Allegiance began providing services to the city on July 1, 2022. Under the contract, Allegiance must provide a minimum of four mobile intensive care unit ambulances at no cost to the city.
More: Allegiance to provide EMS services in Pflugerville
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Paramedic blamed for man's death set to have certification revoked
