Escambia County Responds To Letters From Medical Director’s Attorney

June 29, 2019

Escambia County has responded to letters from lawyers representing Medical Director Dr. Rayme Edler.

The Health Law Firm sent letters to the county attorney’s office and human resources department demanding that Edler not be contacted directly, instead asking that all communications be through her lawyer.

The county attorney’s office said that county staff and personnel in the day to day operation of the county are not obligated to follow the demands.

Edler’s supervisors and the interim human resources director “have the right and duty to communicate directly with Dr. Edler without your intervention or interference,” Deputy County Attorney  Charles Peppler wrote in a letter to The Health Law Firm.

“…Your letter of representation would not prohibit day-to-day communication between Dr. Edler, her supervisors and employees of the Public Safety and Corrections Departments, including other department directors, such as Ms. Stallworth, on matters necessary for the efficient operation of County government,” Peppler continued. “Please advise your client that her duties and responsibilities as an employee of Escambia County require her to communicate with her supervisors, department directors, and employees within the Departments of Public Safety and Corrections on all matters arising from the course and scope of her employment with Escambia County without your having to be present and without the communication having to be made through you or any other attorney in your law firm.”

Edler oversees the medical operations in Escambia County’s Public Safety and Corrections departments.

Pictured: Escambia County Medical Directory Dr. Rayme Edler addresses the Escambia County Commission at a May meeting.

Comments

16 Responses to “Escambia County Responds To Letters From Medical Director’s Attorney”

  1. Jeremy on July 1st, 2019 9:55 pm

    In response to ‘ambulances can still run’, I would point out that the major issues for EMS stem from years of mismanagement by others and Dr. Edler came in to it and maybe didn’t realize the depth of problems she would be facing up front. I venture to say few if any local physicians would willingly put their licenses on the line for the dysfunction of Escambia EMS as it has been in recent years.

  2. Mike on June 30th, 2019 6:06 pm

    So there are many other Dr’s In this area willing to step up? Where were they after henning left!?!?!? Why wasn’t the pool of possible MD not lengthy?? If the public was informed about what went on when Dr. Henning was there the news story’s would never end.
    One day the top will address the issues, hopefully it won’t be to late and everyone isnt gone yet….

  3. Well on June 29th, 2019 3:57 pm

    Time for a new medical director.

  4. Ambulances can still function without Remey on June 29th, 2019 3:52 pm

    Jeremy nice scare tactic that many including a commissioner are trying to use. That sure wasn’t a problem when her predecessor was terminated. There are many community physicians that know what she is doing is horrible and would gladly step in until a permanent Medical Director is hired.

  5. Jeremy on June 29th, 2019 1:23 pm

    Ok, for all of you saying to fire the Medical Director of EMS, what you may not know is without a Medical Director no medication can be given including oxygen unless a doctor at the receiving hospital gives verbal orders to the EMT or Paramedic. So if you have a person dying from a heart attack that person can’t have oxygen, can’t have nitroglycerin, can’t have aspirin, etc. unless they talk to the doctor at the hospital. The Medical Director gives the EMS crews standing orders for situations in order to provide appropriate immediate care. Also with the way the county is governed at this time I don’t foresee doctors running to this mess saying pick me. It is a huge responsibility that the Doctor has, and all orders are on her license.

  6. obvious on June 29th, 2019 11:56 am

    She should have never teamed up with the divide and conquer master.

  7. k on June 29th, 2019 10:31 am

    @Dave Miers

    The Internet Law of Exclamation states that any post containing excessive exclamation points may be safely disregarded.

    As a corollary, the same is also true of excessive capital letters.

    You may not have known that ALL CAPS IN AN INTERNET POST IS THE EQUIVALENT OF YELLING.

    It makes you look bad if that’s not what you meant.

  8. Dave Miers on June 29th, 2019 9:25 am

    The county commissioners need to BACK OFF HER. LET THE DOCTOR DO HER DARN JOB. THE SECOND RATE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT DOCTORS AND THEY DON’T HAVE A CLUE HOW TO DO THE JOB. GUESS WHAT, BACK OFF AND CLOSE YOUR MOUTHS! I HOPE SHE SLAPPS A FAT LAWSUIT ON YOU ALL. GO DOCTOR ELDER!!!! WE ARE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! THE CITIZENS ARE WATCHING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS! WE WILL VOTE YOU OUT AS FAST AS WE VOTED YOU IN.

  9. Tom Vino on June 29th, 2019 7:59 am

    Nice try though. As screwed up as things are with the county its probably not a bad idea. Let her try and fix the mess at EMS without interference from the commission and all these public safety directors. They are part of the problem. Just keep in touch and report your progress.

  10. No.kidding on June 29th, 2019 7:43 am

    No kidding, Escambia County!
    The only one confused seemed to be Bergosh with his ramblings on his blog.
    The letter from Dr. Edler’s lawyer was very clear that it had to do with discipline. She has wanted to be able to do her job effectively but gets no support.
    Since the interim administration was very ineffective in getting the retaliation stopped and participated in it to some degree, legal boundaries were necessary.
    There have been no attempts to better the department and only those under investigation are allowed to have closed doors meetings. Mr. Dosh has been disappointing.
    The good news is the new administrator starts Monday!

  11. molino jim on June 29th, 2019 6:43 am

    Sounds like Escambia county is trying to out do Century.

  12. Little B on June 29th, 2019 6:13 am

    Yes, Terminate the people that falsify certifications and are doing a job that they are not properly trained to do. Terminate the commissioners that resist immediate action to get the training that the emergency personnel need.
    This woman has put herself in the hot seat on behalf of the people of Escambia County.
    When EMS has to scrape your loved one off the pavement, wouldn’t you want one that is trained and qualified to give the best care.
    Is it not obvious that her lawyers wrote the letter to keep her from being harassed ?
    Look at what is going on in your county. AMEN

  13. A Alex on June 29th, 2019 5:34 am

    Can we just say “TERMINATION”…. AMEN

  14. Gman on June 29th, 2019 5:08 am

    Fire her and be done with this circus side show.

  15. MR REALITY on June 29th, 2019 1:41 am

    Im grabbing my popcorn this is about to get good!!! Its gonna cost us millions but what doesnt in this county….We are spending $500,000,000 in our budget this year and really getting NOTHING FOR IT…

  16. Such are the Days of our Lives on June 29th, 2019 1:33 am

    Wouldn’t it be nice to go to work in a bubble, where no one can disagree nor talk to you?
    And when you say “Jump!”, they ask “how high?”