After months of uncertainty following the departure of Brown Emergency Medical Services' manager and a supervisor, University officials met Monday with student emergency medical technicians in an attempt to improve communication and create a climate of openness.
The student EMT program has "been through a lot" since the unexpected departure earlier this semester of manager Richard Lapierre and supervisor Anthony Fusco, as well as the sale of the University's second ambulance, said Beth Hoffman '07, a senior EMT.
"A lot of the problems this semester have come from student EMTs feeling like they are being left out of the loop," Hoffman said.
Student EMTs met Monday with Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life, and Edward Wheeler, director of Health Services.
Klawunn told The Herald the meeting was designed to "make sure that we had a chance to talk to the students face-to-face. We wanted to give them a chance to have some back and forth."
A major impetus for the meeting was to discuss the personnel changes. Student EMTs were unaware of Fusco's status until Klawunn confirmed Monday that he is no longer working at the University, and they did not learn of Lapierre's departure until The Herald reported Feb. 15 that he had officially resigned more than a week earlier, Hoffman said.
A search is now underway to find a successor to Lapierre.
"Applications are coming in now (for the manager position), and we hope that the position will be filled by the end of this academic year," Klawunn said. A search to replace Fusco has not yet started, and the position will probably not be posted without "more input from current EMS supervisors and Dr. Wheeler about the best way to proceed," she said.
The sale of the University's ambulance over winter break was also discussed at the meeting.
It was unclear to student EMTs "what the reasons were for getting rid of it and ... why students were not informed of the sale of Rescue Two," Hoffman said, referring to the second ambulance.
"A second ambulance is not justified for the number of calls we receive and the expense," Klawunn said. "Even if we are not making a decision that they might want ... we are making that decision in the context of what is good for EMS."Klawunn also stressed that the EMS program is valuable to both students and the University.
"EMS is a great educational opportunity for (student volunteers) that we think provides a unique chance for them to get some (medical) experience on campus," Klawunn told The Herald.
Klawunn acknowledged that administrators could incorporate student volunteers more in the future. Klawunn and Wheeler promised to improve communication with student volunteers.
"This semester, it has become apparent to me how important it is and how much the student volunteers want to be involved," Klawunn said. "Previously, it was my expectation to work with the medical director and EMS supervisors, but it is clear to me how much the student volunteers ... want to hear what is going on."
Overall, Hoffman said, the meeting was productive.
"I was glad that they (Klawunn and Wheeler) wanted to talk to students and recognized that there is a need for more communication" between EMTs and University officials, she said.
