Case 3:20-cv-04698-TKW-HTC Document 36-2 Filed 06/08/20 Page 1 of 7
12/21/2019 Mail - Matthew R. Selover - Outlook

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Fw: ECEMS issues post Meeting with Dr. Edler

Matthew R. Selover

Sat 11/9/2019 908 AM

To: Matthew Selover <letitridematt@yahoo.com>

Matt Selover EMT-P, AA/AS, CCP-C, FP-C

Alternate Supervisor

Escambia County EMS

386-795-2834

From: Matthew R. Selover

Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2019 9:05 PM

To: Edward W. Spainhower <ewspainhower@myescambia.com>

Cc: Leon L. Salter <llsalter@myescambia.com>

Subject: Re: ECEMS issues post Meeting with Dr. Edler

Ed,

I was advised by Dr. Edler during my initial meeting on 4/23 that this QA process was non-punitive

at the end of the meeting. Then today when I came in to work after you all had met with her

yesterday and I was advised that I am now on Admin leave due to Dr. Edler not being comfortable

with me working under her license. Prior to this I have been working for the last 23 days without

any notification or issue. Then all of a sudden after the HR meeting, she states she is not

comfortable. Threatening a change of position or level of certification is punitive by definition. This

appears to be retaliation against me for placing the initial complaint. I have also not been allowed to

proceed with RSI procedure training that all shift commanders, captains, and other employees are

engaging in. I have taken this training several times in the past without issue and have been

functioning as one of the few providers able to perform this skill for the last 2 years. If she would

like for me to prove myself, my knowledge, and skill level to her then why am I not being allowed to

engage in this training?

Sent from my iPhone

On May 15, 2019, at 1434, Edward W. Spainhower <ewspainhower@myescambia.com> wrote:

Mathew,

I had an initial meeting with Dr. Edler, Chief Salter and Director Dosh yesterday. I

have not had a chance to review all of the documents presented yet and hope to

have done so by Friday.

I will update you once that has been accomplished.

Ed

Edward Spainhower

Human Resources Associate

Human Resources Department

Escambia County Board of County Commissioners

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850.595.3278 (office) 850.595.3020 (fax)

Florida has a very broad public records law. Under Florida law, both the content of emails and email addresses

are public records. If you do not want the content of your email or your email address released in response to a

public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in

person.

From: Matthew R. Selover

Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2019 5:18 AM

To: Edward W. Spainhower

Cc: Leon L. Salter; Matthew Coughlin

Subject: Fw: ECEMS issues post Meeting with Dr. Edler

The QA/QI policy was just sent out on 5/7/19, 2 weeks after my meeting. I have

attached it for your review. Ms. Ivy Lett was a witness to the entirety of my meeting

and reviewed my statement to you before it was sent for accuracy as well if you wish

to speak with her on the matter. 

Matt Selover NREMT-P, AA/AS, CCP-C, FP-C

C-Shift Training Captain / FTO

Escambia County EMS

386-795-2834

From: Edward W. Spainhower

Sent: Friday, May 10, 2019 1:29 PM

To: Matthew R. Selover

Cc: Leon L. Salter; Paulette S. Stallworth

Subject: Re: ECEMS issues post Meeting with Dr. Edler

Matthew,

I am working towards an answer for you with regards to your previous email. To

date, I have not been able to procure any notes on the QA/QI meeting that you

attended. I am also working to get a copy of the QA/QI policy so that I might

familiarize myself with the purpose and requirements of this process.

Please be patient as I try to move forward with this issue.

In the meantime, please open the below link and fill out the attached form as best

you can and return to me so that I might focus my inquiries.

Thank you,

Ed

https://myescambia.com/docs/default-source/sharepoint/EmployeeRelations/unlawfulharassmentcomplaintform.pdf?sfvrsn=e1c6676d_2

Case 3:20-cv-04698-TKW-HTC Document 36-2 Filed 06/08/20 Page 3 of 7
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Edward Spainhower

Human Resources Associate

Human Resources Department

Escambia County Board of County Commissioners

850.595.3278 (office) 850.595.3020 (fax)

Florida has a very broad public records law. Under Florida law, both the content of emails and email addresses

are public records. If you do not want the content of your email or your email address released in response to a

public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in

person.

From: Matthew R. Selover

Sent: Thursday, May 9, 2019 1:44 PM

To: Edward W. Spainhower

Cc: Leon L. Salter

Subject: Re: ECEMS issues post Meeting with Dr. Edler

Is there any update into this HR complaint? I have not heard anything from the HR

department. 

Sent from my iPhone

On May 1, 2019, at 12:12, Matthew R. Selover <mrselover@myescambia.com>

wrote:

I wanted to give you an update of my feelings after having my meeting

with Dr. Edler last week. The below text was written right after the

meeting. 

On 4/23/2019 I was requested to attend a "QA/QI" meeting with Dr. Edler.

I was very hesitant about attending this meeting due to not being

provided with any details of the meeting and the culture and current

issues/investigations ongoing at ECEMS. I found out today that one of

my employees was also requested to her office last week for a similar

meeting and was told not to tell me about the meeting. I received a

phone call from Commander Maddrey to attend this meeting 15 minutes

after calling Diana to ask her how her meeting was last week and if she

was doing okay. I asked the employee, Diana Chavers, about her QA

meeting and she stated that she did not have one with Dr. Edler and that

she was not asked to write a letter about certain calls we had been on

together. Though I found this to be untrue and confirmed by Rebecca

Brownfield and Chief Kenney. Rebecca Brownfield and Karen Wood

advised me that Diana was possibly asked not to tell me about her

meeting. 

I requested several witnesses for this meeting and they felt that they

were unable or unwilling to attend due to ongoing investigations (Captain

Jim Bonoyer, Chief Andy Hamilton, Janice Kilgore). Chief Salter was on

sick leave due to a family illness and Chief Kenney had already left for

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the day. At this time I contacted HR personnel Ed Spainhower for advice

on the situation and he advised me not to attend the meeting until Chief

Salter was available on another day due to the current environment at

ECEMS. Ed advised me to send her a short email detailing the

declination and to CC him and Eric Kleinert on the email. This was

completed and I was then called back by Ed and Eric. Eric advised me

that he spoke to Dr. Edler and assured me that this was only a "QA/QI"

meeting. I reluctantly attended the meeting after speaking with Chief

Salter on the phone and asked Ivy Lett (EMS HR) to attend the meeting

as a witness. When I arrived at Dr. Edler's office, Commander Maddrey,

Commander Hoopaugh, Captain Ammons (ECFR), and Bill Hopkins are

in attendance. Dr. Edler advises that this is her new QA board for these

types of meetings. No members of our current QA/QI team were present

or allowed to attend (Rebecca Brownfield, Jim Bonoyer, Michelle

Stanhope, Chief Kenney). Commander Maddrey left at the start of the

meeting to go on a 911 call with a crew. To this date this policy has not

been sent out to the organization or been initiated to my knowledge. I

was then questioned about several calls and decisions made about

patient care. Dr. Edler became very aggressive and heated when

discussing the first case and spoke down to me in a condescending

manner. I felt like I was ganged up on by this so called board and that it

was inappropriate for a road employee (Bill Hopkins) and several other

crew members/supervisors (Commander Hoopaugh, Captain

Ammons) to be present for an employee counseling session. This is not

an accepted practice for us in our position when dealing with

our employee issues or counseling sessions unless the employee

requests a witness or union representation. I do not feel it is appropriate

or professional for a road employee to take part in a counseling process

for a Shift Captain, Commander, or any other road personnel for that

matter. Bill Hopkins is supposed to be moved off his assigned position on

the road to rewrite protocols at this time. He is supposed to be working

1030-2230 on an ALS ambulance on my shift (C-shift). I have been

advised by several employees that he has been doing QA during this

time. 

The first call brought up was a call that I went back in service to assist my

crews with when it got very busy at shift change. The night shift MedCom

was already on a critical 911 call and more critical calls continued to

come in. I had a crew asking for help and decided to go back in service

to help out. I brought along another paramedic Dean Parkerson and his

EMT student due to his partner leaving work early that day to the call to

assist with an extra set of hands. I opted to have Dean and his student

ride in on the call for experience since all other critical interventions (IV,

intubation) were completed and the patient only required CPR enroute to

the ER. I was berated and grilled about why I chose not to attend the

patient to the ER and was being held accountable for bad patient care

decisions that were made after I had left the crew and they transported to

the ER. I advised her that I can not guide the decisions that were made

after I cleared the scene of the call and the patient was being

transported. Dr. Edler became very aggressive when discussing this case

because I called her for medical advice/orders on whether she wanted

the patient transported. She stated that I am a "critical care paramedic

supervisor" and that I shouldn't have to call her about this type of issue. I

advised her on why I called her for direction due to the patient being in

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traumatic arrest and a difficult and timely extrication to transport and

definitive care. We currently do not have an updated Traumatic Arrest

protocol in place, the most recent one is signed by Dr. Neal from 2011

and does not detail the events of this call. I do not feel that I should be

criticized for calling for medical guidance/orders. The orders she gave

were followed and the patient was transported. This phone call did not

cause a delay in care since I performed no direct patient care at any

time. They questioned how the patient was moved from the scene to the

ambulance as well. They advised the patient should have been moved

with a tarp. I stated that this was not used due to inability to perform CPR

on the patient while being dragged on a tarp over a rocky surface during

this time (3-5 minute walking time) and would only worsen the patients

outcome. The patient was placed on a LBB and moved on the stretcher

down the rail of the railroad tracks while CPR was still being performed.

Diana, Dean, and their EMT student then transported the patient to the

ER. 

Another call that I was questioned on was an infant cardiac arrest at

Truman Arms. FD brought the patient out to the ambulance as we arrived

on scene and the patient was placed into the back of the unit. This

patient was warm to the touch but certainly crushed to death by the

parents while sleeping. Once these types of patients are in our

ambulance we typically transport them due to the nature and age of the

patient as well as some other operational concerns (heavy delays waiting

on medical examiner to remove body from ambulance) of pronouncing a

patient in the back of our ambulance. CPR and PALS/ACLS guidelines

were initiated. Paramedic Diana Chavers had difficulty intubating the

patient, possibly due to an obstruction in the trachea. Paramedic Kerem

Suhi had no issue intubating on his first attempt. I was under the

impression that if we were to transport the patient to the ER that all ALS

measures should be completed. I was informed by Dr. Edler that I should

have BLS'd and "show coded" the patient to the ER due to the patients

status (crushed while sleeping with parents). Captain Ammons then

advised that this is an "unwritten protocol". I advised her that I felt like if

we are transporting the patient to the ER we should be doing any ALS

interventions available to avoid any litigation issues and give the patient a

chance. I have been working in EMS for nearly 12 years and have never

had a Medical Director or administration advise me not to perform

interventions on a patient that we were transporting unless the patient

had an active DNR. I feel like if we did chose to BLS (no intubation or

IV/IO access) the patient that I would be questioned by her as to why we

did not perform any ALS interventions. 

There were several other calls discussed including calls that had already

gone through QA last year that she attempted to bring up yet again

during this meeting. I have no issue with her wanting to review calls as

that falls in her jurisdiction to do so with me but i do feel like this could be

handled more professionally and through our current QA team we still

have in place. I currently feel as if I am being targeted for having an

opinion and having a voice during these times of tribulation here at

ECEMS. I feel like this meeting was set up as an intimidation tactic in

order to bully me out of my position. I am walking on egg shells and

afraid to make a single mistake due to fear of retaliation or unjust review

by my Medical Director. 

Case 3:20-cv-04698-TKW-HTC Document 36-2 Filed 06/08/20 Page 6 of 7
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I have conferred with by in house HR (Ivy Lett) this morning (5/1/19) and

she has reviewed this email and agrees with its contents. Please call me

if you have any more questions.

Matt Selover NREMT-P, AA/AS, CCP-C, FP-C

C-Shift Training Captain / FTO

Escambia County EMS

386-795-2834

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