Change to public authority requires new thinking from ambulance board
Posted on Thursday, December 4, 2008
When the transition from a nonprofit organization to a quasi-governmental entity occurs later this month, a change in thinking about what the public needs to know will follow.
That was the essence of the discussion members of the Washington County Regional Ambulance Authority Executive Committee had Wednesday with County Attorney George Butler.
The key differences Butler discussed have to do with how much information must be public and limitations on outside discussions among board and executive committee members that have to do with ambulance authority business.
One-on-one discussions among individual members outside of meetings cannot be conducted to discuss ambulance authority business, Butler said.
The transition from the nonprofit Central Emergency Medical Service Inc. to the quasi-governmental regional ambulance authority is expected to take effect at midnight Dec. 31, said Becky Stewart, Central Emergency Medical Service chief. She will be executive director of the authority.
Butler explained that there are statutes that govern actions of governmental entities, such as buying and selling commodities or property and soliciting public bids for equipment purchases.
He said that cities follow standards that are more lax than counties; because this ambulance authority will comprise cities and the county, it will follow the more stringent rules.
Butler said that counties, under statute, cannot waive public bidding except in emergencies, while cities can. Even if county officials know there is a sole source, “we still have to bid,” he said.
Counties and cities do not have to bid anything under $20,000.
It was noted that Butler and Fayetteville City Attorney Kit Williams, as well as CEMS attorney Jack Butt III, are available for any questions executive committee members may have about this change in the way things are done.
Stewart said paperwork for the transition is completed. That includes a new tax identification number. She said officials are awaiting a new state Medicaid provider number. She credited Tony Hickerson, chief financial officer of Central EMS, with his attention to detail in working toward the transition.
“It’s been a tedious task,” Stewart said.
The interlocal agreement for the county ambulance authority has been entered into by the county and the cities of Fayetteville, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Elkins, Lincoln, West Fork, Winslow, Johnson, Goshen and Greenland.
The purpose of the agreement is for the participating entities to own and operate the authority as the exclusive emergency and nonemergency ambulance service provider within Washington County, excluding the area served by Springdale’s city-run ambulance service.
The regional authority eliminates competition within the ambulance industry in the participating areas, allowing one ambulance service to provide emergency response and nonemergency transfers.
“We really have the best ambulance service in the state and even in this region,” Loyd Swope, president of the authority’s executive committee, said. CEMS, a nonprofit corporation, will transfer its assets to the ambulance authority and will be dormant after the transition takes place Jan. 1.
Notice of exclusivity
A public hearing is set for Dec. 11 prior to the Washington County Quorum Court meeting for justices of the peace to officially declare that the ambulance service will be provided by regional ambulance authority.
A notice of exclusivity has been sent to four other ambulance providers and 20 to 25 health-care facilities on Dec. 1, giving them 30-days notice of the transition. The notification tells providers and facilities that the ambulance authority will hold exclusive rights for emergency and nonemergency ambulance transportation in the county, beginning Jan. 1.
Stewart explained the definitions of emergency and nonemergency calls.
“If they need an ambulance right away, that is an emergency,” she said, adding that this is the Medicare criteria, as well, for an emergency call.
Scheduled interfacility transfers are what are considered nonemergency calls, she said.
“Typically, a nonemergency does not come from a resident, it comes from a facility,” she said.
CEMS board’s last meeting
The last meeting of the Central EMS board of directors will be Dec. 17, prior to a meeting of the regional ambulance authority executive committee, which will conduct a brief workshop on rates and how they are determined.
Stewart said the CEMS board will approve the budget for next year, which is the budget the authority will use next year.
“I’m excited. I think this is great. I’m glad you guys are putting me out of a job,” said County Administrator John Gibson, speaking to his role as chairman of the nonprofit CEMS board of directors.
Other business
In other business, the executive committee was introduced to its two newest members, who attended their first meeting Wednesday. They are Tina Whitley, a representative of nursing homes, and LaQuita Jech, the hospitals representative. Whitley is the financial manager at Fayetteville Health and Rehabilitation Center on Old Missouri Road. Jech is interim director of the emergency department at Washington Regional Medical Center.
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