Monroe Co. woman sues CAMC for wrongful termination

CHARLESTON -- A Monroe County woman is suing CAMC Health System after she claims her employment was wrongfully terminated.

Becky Oakley, an employee of CAMC Health System, was also named as a defendant in the suit.

Kelly C. Crosier was employed by the defendant as a flight paramedic for approximately five years, according to a complaint filed May 31 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Crosier claims CAMC Health System assigned her to work at HealthNet Aeromedical Services, which was formed through a partnership between Charleston Area Medical Center and West Virginia University Hospitals.

On April 1, HealthNet issued its Ground Transportation for Missed Flight Requests Policy. Under the policy, HealthNet employees are to capture the transport by soliciting the referring medical facility to permit them to respond by ground when the crew cannot respond by air due to weather or other impediments, according to the suit.

Crosier claims the policy declared HealthNet's goal of capturing the transport, which violates the guidelines set forth by the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, which requires hat emergency ground transportation for patients be routed through the nearest available licensed CCT program.

Crosier repeatedly expressed her concern that the policy violated the WVOEMS guidelines and compromised patient care to HealthNet management, according to the suit.

On April 16, Crosier attempted to implement the policy in responding to two calls from Bluefield Regional Hospital to transport critical care patients, one with a cerebral hemorrhage and one with a gun shot to the head, but HealthNet could not respond to either call by air due to weather conditions, according to the suit.

Crosier claims HealthNet attempted to respond by ground despite the fact that it was not the closest available licensed CCT unit. Crosier claims since she was unable to secure an ambulance for HealthNet to transport the patients, someone called the closest CCT unit to respond to the cerebral hemorrhage call.

On April 26, Crosier's employment was terminated because she advocated against a health policy she believed was putting profits over patient care, according to the suit.

Crosier is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. She is being represented by Ramonda C. Lyons.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Louis H. Bloom.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 11-C-895