|  Author | Topic: thomason's media release - drug shooting (Read 718 times) |
bigmike
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|  | thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Thread Started on Jan 24, 2008, 2:29pm » | |
Media Statement Contact: Margaret Althoff-Olivas
Security Situation Director of Public Affairs
January 24, 2008 521-7655
On the night of Tuesday, January 22, 2008, an El Paso EMS ambulance arrived at Thomason Hospital carrying a patient who had been critically injured. As is required by federal law of all U.S. hospitals, medical personnel began immediate treatment of the patient.
The law, referred to as EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, requires hospitals to stabilize all patients who present to their facility in an emergent condition, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay or national origin. Thomason followed the law.
Thomason did not accept the patient in transfer. The decision to transport the patient to Thomason Hospital was made by the first responders who were dispatched to the international bridge following a 911 call. The decision was based on Thomason’s status as a Level 1 Trauma Center, the only facility in El Paso capable of providing the kind of medical care the patient required.
Because of the nature of the circumstances surrounding this patient’s case, Thomason implemented heightened security measures on its campus. In addition to steps taken internally by the hospital to ensure the safety and security of all patients, staff, visitors, and surrounding community, including Texas Tech and the Jefferson and Silva Magnet High Schools, outside law enforcement agencies have developed and implemented a security response. Those agencies are the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the El Paso Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Questions about law enforcement operations should be directed to the Sheriff’s Office.
Thomason’s utmost concern is the safety and security of its patients, staff, visitors and the surrounding community. The heightened security measures adopted by the hospital will continue until officials determine they are no longer necessary.
Criticizing Thomason for following federal law by treating the patient or for implementing security measures that are designed to safeguard the hospital’s patients, staff, visitors and the surrounding community is unwarranted.
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lisat2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #1 on Jan 24, 2008, 5:39pm » | |
I'm sorry but this is a problem for Mexico to handle. By bringing this person into the US and into our hospital the citizens of this area are now in increased danger. This person should be shipped out as soon as he can travel to a hospital in Mexico.
I would also like to point out as reported in the EL Paso Media that this person was brought to the hospital under a heavy police escort. That requires planning and doesn't fall under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
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walt
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #2 on Jan 24, 2008, 5:49pm » | |
Fact or educated guess Lisa? Have you checked with the "first responders"?
You infer something with your "planning" comment and you did not get enough info to make your claim of "not falling" under the EMT&LA.
This just might be one of the biggest efforts in "cooperation" between El Paso and Juarez in years. Thomason's leaders are to be commended for their move to protect them, their patients and the surrounding facilities (schools and students).
Can't understand why you always see the negative in everything and don't do a thorough check of events before indicating your comments as facts.
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lisat2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #3 on Jan 24, 2008, 6:46pm » | |
Walt I'm just using our local media reports. Now if the person was shot on the bridge and tried to cross the border I would believe that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act may cover him. Thats not what happened according to the media that said his family wanted him over here. After all the Mexican Military was stationed around his hospital across the border. Now he is over here. Also you don't just pick up critically injured people and move them elsewhere with out planning the move.
You may think its a great idea to have this guy at Thomason Hospital. I on the other hand believe it was a poor decision to bring this fellow here and in doing so Thomason Hospital has endangered the people who live,work and go to school in this area.
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #4 on Jan 24, 2008, 7:15pm » | |
Local media reports (Channel 26) that he's an American citizen...
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #5 on Jan 24, 2008, 7:19pm » | |
...and that when they found out who he was they did not want to accept him at first...til they learned of his citizenship status...
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walt
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #6 on Jan 24, 2008, 10:33pm » | |
Careful there Pan, using facts sometimes irritates people. Let's see, having a US citizen in a US Hosp is bad???????????
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lisat2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #7 on Jan 24, 2008, 10:57pm » | |
Well I don't watch channel 26 so I would never know and this is the first I've seen about his citizenship.. If he is indeed a citizen my guess is he has dual citizenship which is something I don't personally believe in.
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lisat2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #8 on Jan 25, 2008, 5:36am » | |
Let me point out an important paragraph in the Times reporting.
"Lozano, 51, had been in critical but stable condition in a Juárez hospital, where he was guarded by heavily armed Mexican soldiers. Tuesday evening, at the request of his family, he was transferred by ambulance to Thomason, Juárez authorities said."
From today's Times:
"Lozano, a U.S. citizen with dual nationality, was taken to Thomason Hospital because it is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in El Paso."
No thats not why they brought him hear.It's simply that there is no safe place in Mexico for this man. Not even the Mexican Military can protect him.
I hope this serves as a wakeup for those in government,LE, and people opposed to security checks on the bridges. The reality of the cartels are now on this side of the border and in plain open view for all to see..
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #9 on Jan 25, 2008, 7:02am » | |
Interesting points l so far, and a worthy discussion going. I add this: ANY cop (Mexican, American, British, Columbian, any cop of any flavor) who is fighting the good fight against the drug cartels is a friend to me, "Este es su casa"! I'm sure that I am misunderstanding the inference that because he is Mexican and can go back, he'll not pay his bill. I'm sure that is just my misunderstanding. As to the payment of said bill-let's see if the guy lives first. And if he does, fan-friggin-tastic; I hope and pray he has the cherries to get back into the fight cuz I would probably think twice.
My crystal ball broke last week-the kids did it. This I know (they are good at breaking pretty things). So I do not "know" whether or not he'll pay his bill.
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chickenlittle2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #10 on Jan 25, 2008, 7:17am » | |
How many El Paso law enforcement personnel have been pulled away from their duties protecting us taxpayers to guard this guy? Who do you suppose is going to pay the expense of 24/7 police protection for him? Do you suppose it might be, gasp!, the El Paso taxpayers?
Oh, by the way, my wife was at Thomason yesterday and what she heard there was that our Mayor knew of this move before hand and approved it.
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #11 on Jan 25, 2008, 7:41am » | |
And before someone nails me for saying "Este's su casa" and implying that I'm willing to endanger the lives of my kids, but shouldn't ask the community to do it, etc., let me say this: these guys can't catch a break here. We criticize them, and rightly so, for being corrupt and for not doing enough to stop the drug trade. When we find out about one who opposes the cartel, one who happens to have dual citizenship and got shot there instead of here-where no cops are ever shot by dealers or the cartel, which does not exist here because we do not see them...reference the BP officer recently killed in line of duty...We then argue the merits of his being treated here as opposed to Juarez (where everyone can safely assume that his chances of survival are more perilous). We are supposed to let him die because he might endanger someone here and will presumably skip out on the bill? He's paid in lead so far, if not in gold.
Oops, as the resident cynic, I was not supposed to say that last bit.
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lisat2
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #12 on Jan 25, 2008, 8:26am » | |
I think the responsibility for the hospital stay isn't even a consideration here. Payment for Sheriff and EPPD assets is another question all together.
My problems with this incident.
1. It was the decision making process that brought him here.
2. It's the use of El Paso and County personal reassigned for this mans protection that impacts the safety of residents.
3. The man is a Mexican Citizen first and a US citizen when it's convenient.
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #13 on Jan 25, 2008, 8:47am » | |
I don't know which side of his citizenship came first and in keeping with the fact that he is a police official who was shot by "narcos", (the ripple effect of his work there may have already had a positive effect on my children's safety, the safety of another citizen, the mayor-whomever-here, who knows?) it does not matter to me. If any cop who fights the cartel there or here is shot and needs good treatment and they can get it at Thomason, then my tax dollars are well-spent. I am a cynic, but I am human too; he is worthy of compassion, and I hope skilled and timely treatment saves his life.
Given that personnel been temporarily reassigned to augment what's in place for his protection (and the protection of others at Thomason), then so be it. Let's hope the admin at the police/sherrif depts did it responsibly, whether it was planned or not. Beats the hell out of reassigning them for something frivilous, which has been known to happen.
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centralray
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #14 on Jan 25, 2008, 8:47am » | |
This agent is a law enforcement agent (be as it may he is from Mexico) I feel we should extend our courtesy to him. By all means he was shot and almost killed. I feel if one of our own agents gets injured in a mexico fighting the war on drugs he or she should be treated like we are treating this agent.
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #15 on Jan 25, 2008, 8:56am » | |
Orale
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #16 on Jan 25, 2008, 9:09am » | |
We do not know for sure, but it is entirely possible that at one point or another in his career, he could have been temporarily re-assigned to protect an American in need of help over there-perhaps one who does not have dual citizenship, maybe someone who complains heavily about the diversion of tax dollars from the "deserving" to the "non-deserving".
Ah, what do I know. He should have stayed in Mexico where he belongs-as just another predictible casualty of a war that does not impact us on this side of the border. Those people are such trouble makers and "takers" over there. Ungrateful, presumptuous lot-all of them. He doesn't deserve our help, or the tax dollars that are being wasted on him as we speak. What makes him so special? And who the hell does hizzoner think he is-plotting against the tax payer yet again....
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #17 on Jan 25, 2008, 9:18am » | |
My- dare I say it -Mexican (but, I promise, Amercian citizen and honest taxpayer) grandmother just did a triple loop in her grave...
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BluePhantomLady
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #18 on Jan 25, 2008, 1:21pm » | |
(... Perhaps this one law enforcement character is a "double agent" (and more) for both nations and needs to be protected by the U.S. as well? Happens all the time with more important subjects kept discreetly not in the public eye as Fernando Lozano was put in, due to the nature of his terrible multiple injuries requiring immediate and expert treatment (to keep him alive!) on this side of the border. Protection? Why not? If he wasn't as important as it is believed to be, there wouldn't be several "machine-gunners" outside Thomason for one.
... Let's not also forget that he is a U.S. citizen, too, regardless of where he worked!)
~ BPL
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panfilo
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| | Re: thomason's media release - drug shooting
« Reply #19 on Jan 25, 2008, 1:59pm » | |
I heard he's a distant, distant relative of our very own c'boy hat-tradin' esteemed Sir Lozano, himself! Maybe the family had a falling out and he fell a little too far south....
yust kiddin!
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