Arc of Onondaga

cory openheimer

Arc of Onondaga county contracts with Suburban transportation of Syracuse transporting developmentally disabled through funding from Medicaid apparently under bidding other providers. As a former driver of suburban and employed in residential programs in both PA and NY over a 15 year period, the contract with suburban through Covid 19 is potentially dangerous for development disabled consumers. Suburban has minimal training for drivers regarding CDC guidelines for sanitizing vehicles or properly wearing ppe for protection. While training, the practice of sanitizing vehicles was random and wasn't emphasized. Suburban encourages mask wearing when entering the facility although not enforced nor practiced by all drivers. In November suburban provided options of transporting covid cases whereas as covid cases increased in December drivers were "force dispatched" to transport covid patients who require dialysis, and/or hospital discharges who were covid positive for transport to Loretto's covid unit for recovery. Hospitals frequently discharged patients without proper ppe forcing drivers to provide ppe for safe transport in wheelchairs. Drivers were observed picking up covid patients at local hospitals without more than a surgical mask as patients were delivered from units without masks or gloves by nursing staff. Transporting multiple covid positive patients daily created situations of low supplies until able to return to base making proper sanitizing challenging in particular sanitizing every square inch of a wheel chair used to transport a covid patient not wearing gloves. Drivers were observed dropping covid patients at loretto not sanitizing wheelchairs or vehicles before receiving the next order for transport. Patients, in particular dementia patients removed masks during transport and/or exposed the nose for comfort or completely lowered masks for consumption of edibles etc. Suburban began transporting arc consumers Feb 01, 2021 forcing drivers to transport arc consumers before and after programs while also transporting covid positive patients to dialysis/ hospital discharges between runs and after. What makes the combination dangerous drivers not formally trained on CDC guidelines, covid patients not properly practicing ppe recommendations, and the hygiene practices of developmentally disabled consumers when transported in vehicles not properly sanitized.

ENG Life

horrible hiring process. just dead wood

Debby Wood

They work really hard with their clients. My son loves the day habilitation program he attends

Nihad Ibrahim Sutton

Staff have no clue how to be professional twice I’ve been called then Canceled within mins acting as if they forgot or something came up!!!