Two Antioch Rescue Squad paramedics facing license revocation

Two EMTs could lose their licenses amid allegations they abused and mistreated patients and co-workers while working at the Antioch Rescue Squad, state officials confirmed.

The Illinois Department of Public Health officials said they are investigating the conduct of Kyle Shouse and Chris McBrady and will decide if they should ever again work as EMTs or paramedics.

The allegations include putting prescription medication into the food and drinks of other unsuspecting EMTs while working at the Antioch Rescue Squad, and pilfering prescription-only bags of IV solution and infusing themselves or others at the rescue squad without proper medical authorization, state officials confirmed.

It’s unclear whether McBrady and Shouse are still rescue squad employees. But state officials said both worked for the squad when the alleged mistreatment took place after 2008.

Attempts to reach McBrady and Shouse regarding the state’s allegations were unsuccessful Monday.

Calls to rescue squad Chief Wayne Sobczak and attorney Martin Lapointe were also not returned Monday.

Shouse is due back in front of state officials Sept. 17 to answer more questions about abuse allegations, officials said Monday. McBrady met with state officials Aug. 8, but an additional hearing has not been set, officials said.

The Antioch Rescue Squad is a charity foundation made up entirely of volunteer members, and not associated with the Antioch Fire Protection District or Antioch Fire Department.

The squad was formed in 1940 and provides emergency medical care 24 hours a day for people living in Antioch and some surrounding areas.

According to documents the Daily Herald obtained from the department of public health on Friday, McBrady and Shouse are accused of putting the prescription-only diuretic Lasix into the food and drink of unsuspecting members during shifts at the Antioch Rescue Squad.

Individually, Shouse is accused of reporting for duty under the influence of alcohol and for mistreating patients while working at the rescue squad.

According to the complaint, Shouse is accused of striking a psychiatric patient in the head with a clipboard, yelling at another psychiatric patient, and then unnecessarily restraining a third psychiatric patient.

McBrady was accused by the state of also putting Benadryl into the food and drink of other unsuspecting rescue squad members, beginning treatment of patients without first obtaining written consent, and falsifying patient care reports by claiming other EMTs were present for a patient’s care when there was none.

McBrady is also accused of throwing a patient’s walker, using profanity at a patient, then refusing to take a patient to the hospital who later suffered from an aneurysm.

A third member of the Antioch Rescue Squad, Ethan Bolin, faces a suspension of his license by the state for taking a prescription-only IV solution and ordering another EMT to use it on him. Attempts to reach Bolin regarding the suspension were unsuccessful Monday.

The accusations against the three come after the state department of public health wrote an informal letter to the Antioch Rescue Squad blasting it in virtually all aspects of performance.

The letter directs the Antioch Rescue Squad to make changes in 30 days or face serious state penalties.

Sobczak, LaPointe and Steve Smouse, president of the Antioch Rescue Squad, denied the state allegations against the rescue squad.

Shouse and McBrady were also specifically named in the text of a lawsuit against the Antioch Rescue Squad that was filed on behalf of three current or former employees. The three females claim they were routinely sexually harassed while on the job.

Sobczak, LaPointe and Smouse would not comment about the civil suit.

Lose: Two EMTs also named in lawsuit