Jullette Saussy speaking at D.C. Council hearing.
While Jullette Saussy has quit her job as D.C. Fire and EMS medical director, she’s not done answering questions about the troubled system. Today, inquiries came during a hearing led by the D.C. Council’s judiciary committee.
In his opening remarks, Judiciary Chair and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said he was “deeply concerned about the allegations in Saussy’s resignation letter,” which was sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser last month.
“There is zero margin for error when it comes to the work of the department,” McDuffie continued. Unfortunately, Saussy’s scathing assessment points to a host of problems ranging from a lack of accountability at all levels to unresponsive, on-duty medics.
After the conflict between Saussy and her superiors about how reforms can take place, which led to her resignation, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh raised that very issue.
In response, Saussy said that a science-based, medically-driven system needs to be in place to drive EMS—which is currently under the purview of the larger department. In addition, a medical professional who has the ability to make operational and policy changes needs the ability to “walk the walk and talk the talk.”
In an interview with WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi last week, Saussy said that during her nearly seven month tenure, she reported to the department’s fire chief, Gregory Dean. But they had “two very different functions and focuses,” she said, and her reform efforts were met with “a very high level of resistance.”
To be clear, Councilmember Cheh restated her question, “how exactly do we get that done?”
Saussy’s response: “Change the organizational chart and empower the EMS medical director.”
She also touched on issues such as response times, saying that it takes EMS workers twice as long to reach a time-sensitive call that it does a fire crew.
During this discussion, Saussy was joined by two colleagues from across the country. “There are not that many of us,” said Dr. Jeffrey M. Goodloe of Tulsa Oklahoma, referring to professionals who have years of experience in EMS medicine.
The District has lost someone “so incredible” in Dr. Saussy, he said, and that’s “not something that can be easily replaced,” Goodloe continued, after wishing the Council well on their search for a replacement.
The full hearing, which went on for hours, also included testimony by fire department officials, medics, and others—all expressing willingness to change the system’s flaws, whatever those may be.
