Probe: California Paramedic Who Mistakenly Declared Baby Dead Should Keep License
Oct. 26--STOCKTON -- A paramedic shouldn't face disciplinary action after mistakenly believing a baby found in a toilet in Lodi was dead, according to an investigation concluded by San Joaquin County this week.
Officials said the investigation found the paramedic should undergo further training but should be allowed to hold on to his license to work as a paramedic. The paramedic is an employee of American Medical Response, which contracts with San Joaquin County to provide ambulance services. However, the state is still investigating the matter.
"There were opportunities for improvement, obviously," said Dan Burch, the Emergency Medical Services administrator for the county. "But in this instance, it was a one-time occurrence; it's not a system problem."
AMR cooperated with the county's review and agreed with the recommendation for more training, Burch said.
AMR did not return phone calls on Thursday.
"The real goal is for people to learn from the experience: the importance of doing a complete physical inspection, even in tough circumstances," Birch said.
The 6-pound, prematurely born baby boy was found in the early hours of Oct. 4 in a toilet in a Lodi home. The newborn's mother, Jessica Gonzalez, 28, was found unconscious on the bathroom floor.
Police reported that the AMR emergency crew believed the child was dead and took him to Lodi Memorial Hospital, where a nurse discovered the child was alive. Staffers at the hospital reported finding traces of methamphetamine and marijuana in the infant's blood.
Burch said the county immediately notified the state of the incident and had passed on the results of the local investigation. "We're not recommending that the state take any action," he said.
The state investigation is still open, said Shirley Tsagris, public information officer for the Emergency Medical Service Authority, the state agency in charge of paramedic licenses. Tsagris said the agency could not comment further on an ongoing investigation.
Burch said the details of the county investigation are confidential because they are part of the peer review process to maintain medical quality. If the investigation had resulted in specific disciplinary action, details would have been made public, he said.
The most important thing is that the infant is alive, said Supervisor Ken Vogel, who discussed the investigation with Burch.
Established protocols were not followed when the infant was discovered, Vogel said, so the retraining is important.
"In the excitement of a situation, those protocols still need to be followed," he said.
As of Oct. 14, no charges had been filed against the mother, and the infant was in protective care.
Contact reporter Zachary K. Johnson at (209) 546-8258 or zjohnson@recordnet.com
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