Las Vegas Sun

November 24, 2009

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Editorial: Hardball negotiating may do more harm

Thursday, May 3, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.

Southwest Ambulance was rattled last month when University Medical Center said it would terminate the contracts it had with Southwest Ambulance and American Medical Response, agreements that provide transportation for the county-run hospital's critical care patients. But as the Sun's Emily Richmond noted in a Wednesday story, UMC officials now acknowledge that they never intended to do any such thing. All along the threat was just a negotiating ploy to get more money from the ambulance companies for their contracts, which include a separate payment for UMC so that its nurses will ride along with the paramedics and provide assistance.

But UMC may get its comeuppance for playing hardball. Southwest Ambulance will keep its contract with UMC for now, but the firm says it may hire its own nurses in the future. "We can't be held hostage every time UMC changes its mind," said John Wilson of Southwest Ambulance. Touche.

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