NY Jockeys Going on STRIKE

[philcski]

I'll agree with them on one thing- Jamaica Hospital is pretty awful.

[Storm Cadet]

Agreed..Jamaica Hospital is not a first class hospital and they are not set up for sports medicine trauma injuries like the major hospitals in NYC.

Another problem is the constant fighting for control of the health care of NYRA jockeys by the 2 main competing sports medicine programs in New York. Pro Health Care Assoc based out of Long Island which covers the Jets-Islanders and Hofstra and Hospital for Special Surgery based in NYC with satellite offices in Queens and Long Island which covers the Giants-Knicks-Mets-St. Johns.

Both groups state on the web sites that they cover NYRA but in reality neither covers the jockey colony or backstretch exercise riders unless they are contacted directly by a jockey agent who needs medical care.

It's too bad the jockey agents can't get organized for the benefit of the riders and strike a deal with either health care company for a comprehensive NYRA medical program. I know everybody will say that jockeys are INDEPENDENT contractors, but it is basically the same as NASCAR with has independent race teams but NASCAR management arranges for a major hospital in NC to oversee and provide sports medicine trainers and MD's at each race site for each event to provide sports medicine care to drivers and pit crews and technicians. The host track organizes the emergency facility for fans and major crashes. The same program is in effect at all INDY car races by a hospital based out of Indianapolis. NYRA can't compete with mega sport NASCAR, but a smaller health care setup could and should work with only 3 BEL-AQU-SAR tracks to cover. They just need to add an on-call type person to fast track the athletes in case of emergencies and to assist them with surgeries and rehab.

I know Jerry Baily's and Mig's agents used a on-call person to help their guys!

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Can't they contract to have a copter very close by(so they can take them to a place that has a trauma center...if necessary.)

[Storm Cadet]

NYC EMS Police or fire has copters for use. But injuries such as these wouldn't be used with all there is in NYC. There is a Level 3 or 4 trauma hospital not far from Big A but it is in a terrible area. Mainly for gunshots and things like that.

All sports injuries in NY go to either:

Hospital for Special Surgery affiliated with Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Medical School (Mets/Giants/Knicks/St Johns)

Hospital for Joint Diseases affiliated with NYU Medical school. (Yankees/Rangers)

LIJ-North Shore on Long Island near Belmont (Islanders/Jets/Hofstra U).

They all compete for prestige of sports teams. They even try to buy off sports teams for the rights to cover the teams.

Originally Posted by SCUDSBROTHER

Can't they contract to have a copter very close by(so they can take them to a place that has a trauma center...if necessary.)

Not really.

Aqueduct is losing money as it is, so the added cost of ensuring a helicopter nearby is only going to add to their financial woes.

Even if they did that, they would also have an issue of not being able to race until the helicopter returned. Most tracks (probably all tracks) prohibit racing unless an ambulance is on-track. That rule would likely also apply to the helicopter. If the helicopter is the means of transport for a head trauma incident, then the helicopter must return to the track before another race is run.

Really the main issue is cost, and having a helicopter nearby for every race card isn't exactly cheap.

[Storm Cadet]

Thread was started by someone else, maybe as a joke or satire...but the problem is out there at NYRA as well as all other racing venues. My guess is NOTHING will ever change for these jockets when it comes to nutritional counseling, strength programs, injury care etc.

[pmacdaddy]

I know the initial post here was in jest. But this topic really drives me nuts.

If the Jockeys can't get their act together and come up with a private arrangement to get the specialized care they desire. They go to the closest Trauma Center. Same as the Cops,Firefighters and everyone else.

[Honu]

Originally Posted by pmacdaddy

I know the initial post here was in jest. But this topic really drives me nuts.

If the Jockeys can't get their act together and come up with a private arrangement to get the specialized care they desire. They go to the closest Trauma Center. Same as the Cops,Firefighters and everyone else.

I have a real big issue with your statement, first off why is it the jockeys issue to come up with a private arrangement? If the Trauma Center with which they are being sent to is not really qualified to treat them then I think it is a very public issue , just the same as you picking which doctor you go to . In 1995 I went down on a horse that compound fractured its leg , I flew thru the air for about 20 feet before landing on my left side and rolling under the rail , when I hit the ground I heard this very loud pop on my left side shoulder area. I assumed that I had either broke my shoulder or collar bone and the pain was instant. The EMT's arrived and put me on a board with a collar around my neck and transported me to the nearest emergency room , there I was x rayed and told that there was nothing wrong with me and that I was fine and that I could resume riding in a few days. Here's the problem there was something wrong with me , I couldnt sit up in the E.R. bed without pulling myself up using the bed rail with my right arm. Still they said there was nothing wrong with me and that I was fine. About a week later I drove back home to AZ. still not being able to really use my left arm I was really worried that something was drastically wrong so I made an appointment at Health South in Phx. Az , they specialize in sports injurys and treating athletes and 2 weeks after the injury I was finally getting to see a doctor. He examined me and set it up for me to have a scan of my upper body as he suspected something was very wrong with me. The results of the scan were this, my left clavical was dislocated from my sternum , it was now free floating up near my throat area instead of being attatched at my sternum like the right , he couldnt understand how the other doctors could have missed something so signifigant, I was informed of my options which were basically none because to much time had passed since the tendon that holds that part of your clavical to the sternum had atrofied and that basically I was screwed and was just going to have to live with it . Thru therapy they retrained some muscles to help in that area and strengthen it up but it was never going to be as strong as it once was. I was given a 5 % permenant partial disability because of it , and to this day I cannot sleep on my left side because my collar bone pokes me in the throat and because its misaligned a have alot of pain in my shoulder. Choices are important when it comes to peoples well being and had I had a choice I would have asked to go to Denver Medical or something similar to that , but beacuse I didnt I get to live with this for the rest of my life. Had a doctor diagnosed me properly when the injury first accured I would have had a 75% chance that they would have been able to repair it and I would have normal function in that area. But that is not what happened.

[pmacdaddy]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

I understand that Jockeys may wish to be treated somewhere other than the closest Trauma center.

Problem is that they are relying on EMS to transport them for care. The rules in New York City are you go the nearest Trauma Center, period. Jamaica Hospital is a certified Level 1 Trauma Center and the closest Trauma Center to Aqueduct.

If they want something different, they should negotiate an arrangement and pay for it like everyone else in the world does.

EMS is just following the rules.

[kenny p]

Originally Posted by philcski

I'll agree with them on one thing- Jamaica Hospital is pretty awful.

if you have a traumatic injury its not a bad place to go. Just dont want to stay too long.