Leftovers: Paramedic Can’t Save Self

• A trainee paramedic says she was hazed because she couldn’t put in an IV correctly. The woman alleges she was stuck with a 14-gauge needle and beaten! Ho ho, those wacky paramedics! [Daily News]

• The Flyers have lost 10 straight. That’s the joke. The Flyers. See, we can move on now. [Inquirer]

• Les Bowen writes about how Donovan McNabb is feeling about the Eagles’ run this season. His teammates say he’s supportive. His mom says it’s weird. His mom? Sigh. [Daily News]

• Bucks County Playhouse could be sued by New Hope borough. You may remember Buxco Playhouse from its owner Ralph Miller and its foulmouthed plays. [Bucks County Courier Times]

Leftovers: The Place That Loves You Back (Unless You Overdosed On Heroin)

• If you read PW regularly, you probably already know about the state of the city’s ambulances. (Hint: Not good.) But now, an Inquirer investigation has revealed that not only is the city failing to revive heroin victims with the drug Narcan, but the city’s chief paramedic didn’t know it worked as a treatment for fentanyl, which has been tainting heroin up and down the East Coast. Sigh. [Inquirer]

• The Divine Tracy Hotel in West Philly has been sold. But where will we go to dress modestly? The story doesn’t say who the buyer is, but I think we all know what’s being done with it: Condos. [KYW 1060]

• Dr. Dean Richardson, who last operated on Barbaro, is now going to perform surgery on a polar bear with a broken leg. But of course. [AP/CNN.com]

• Matt Ciotto, Chad B. Archer and Wilbert S. Kollie. Name three people not likely to win their fantasy football league this year. [Metro]

• Geeze. We need to get a union job. [Blinq]

ER, Ambulances Still Sick

Today’s Inquirer fronts a report from the Institute of Medicine that says the nation’s emergency medical care system is only slightly better than, say, Paraguay’s was in 1967.

Okay, it’s not that bad. But visits to the ER are up, the number of hospitals is shrinking and waiting times are way up. Too many people are using the ER as their primary care service. The Inquirer article today says that at Hahnemann University Hospital, there was a 50 percent increase in ER visits last year over five years ago.

But fear not, Philadelphians! We are insulated from these disasters in a special way, as PW — hey, I know those guys — reported back in April:

Cities with the recommended amount of EMS resources save 40 to 45 percent of cardiac arrest victims. According to Fire Department statistics, Philadelphia saves 4 percent.

In Philadelphia, you see, we don’t even have enough resources to get you to the ER in the first place. Problem solved!

Report: ER situation critical [Inky]
Dying for a change [PW]

Blogicized: Naked dude in Rittenhouse!

• I’ll simply quote some of this Livejournal post: “Does anyone know what was up with the naked guy spinning around rittenhouse square this morning? I was walking up Locust street this morning on my way to work and as I reached 18th I saw a naked guy with a large tree branch with a sheet tied to it wedged between his legs.” [Livejournal Philadelphia]

• Of course, you knew that one day one of the people in Jay Bevenour’s weekly cartoon would post about it on her blog. [Mommy Grows Up]

• Congratulations, Phillies fans! We couldn’t even win the “most miserable baseball franchise” award, placing fourth. Ugh, you win one, you lose over 100. It happens. [The 700 Level]

• While we here in Philadelphia have some of the finest hospitals, our ambulances? Not so much fine. Fortunately, if you’re like me, you’re within stumbling distance to about 15 hospitals. Phew. [Politics Philly]

• The Committee of Seventy is looking for people to run for office. Hey, can Milton Street sign up? [Young Philly Politics]