CRANSTON – In the aftermath of a crash that took the life of a Coventry woman in late November involving an allegedly drunk driver working for a subcontractor for Medical Transportation Management Inc., the company is facing $600,000 in fines and a corrective action plan imposed by the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
The office announced on Thursday that it made the decision to impose the fine after conducting an audit of the company’s policies that was prompted by the fatal crash allegedly caused by Dauda Elegushi, 25, who worked for Assured Transportation, a subcontractor for Medical Transportation Management, doing business as MTM Inc., which provides patient transportation as part of an agreement with the state of Rhode Island.
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Elegushi was charged with driving under the influence, after police said he was on the job with an open bottle of Modelo beer in his cupholder as he crashed head-on into another vehicle while transporting 77-year-old Lina Russo home from her dialysis appointment, leading to her death days later from injuries caused by the collision.
The nonemergency medical transportation company failed to comply with contract requirements it has with the state to ensure the safety of patients that it brings to medical appointments in Rhode Island, according to a statement from the R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Those failures on MTM’s part, according to the office, involve the failure to verify the identity of the driver, who used a false identity; a failure to properly secure the passenger, who was in a wheelchair; and a failure to provide a driver who was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“This fatal accident involved a series of very severe violations of law and breaches of the standard of care expected when MTM transportation providers transport elderly members to medical appointments,” said Kristin Sousa, Rhode Island’s acting Medicaid program director, in a letter addressed to the company’s CEO, Alaina Macia. “The MTM driver was not even credentialed in MTM’s transportation network, was driving under a false identity, improperly secured the member’s wheelchair in the vehicle and was driving under the influence of a controlled substance with an open bottle of alcohol in the vehicle at the time of the accident. This egregious behavior by a MTM transportation provider occurred under the duty and care of MTM.”
The R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services said it will deduct $200,000 from the bill it normally pays out to MTM each month starting in February lasting through April.
The transportation company offered a statement on the situation in an email to Providence Business News on Thursday afternoon.
“We are reviewing the corrective action plan from EOHHS and will respond in a timely manner,” said Phil Stalboerger, vice president for public affairs at MTM. “We have zero tolerance for transportation providers who do not adhere to their contracts or those that allow their drivers to engage in illegal behavior. Our clients’ safety remains our top priority.”
The R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services said Attorney General Peter F. Neronha is still reviewing the matter, so there may be additional penalties to come.
“This fatal accident involved a series of very severe violations of law and breaches of the standard of care we expect when MTM’s providers transport members to medical appointments,” said R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Womazetta Jones in a statement. “The Rhode Islanders who rely on this essential transportation service deserve nothing less than safe, high-quality care every time they use this service.”
The R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the corrective action plan it is now enforcing on MTM will require the company to provide more sufficiently detailed critical incident reports. The company will also be required to develop a mitigation plan to prevent unauthorized drivers from working for its subcontractors.
The Missouri-based MTM has come under fire from state officials before, including problems when it first launched in January 2019 and was later fined $1 million. Its launch was mired by no-shows and late rides leaving patients stranded, and one case involving children crouching on the floor of one of its packed vehicles. Rep. Anastasia Williams, D-Providence, called on former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo to fix or cancel the contract that year.
Rhode Island’s $115 million contract with MTM is set to expire in June.
(UPDATE: SUBS seventh paragraph and adds eighth paragraph to include comment from MTM, as well as updates throughout to reflect Medical Transportation Management Inc. doing business as MTM Inc.)
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.
