ࡱ> 02/M bjbj== &"WWlJJJ8  $; [* * ? 8  \ rT `J ( U0.  ."FULTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SPECIAL MEETING October 9, 2006, 11:15 A.M., E.D.T., in Assembly Room of the Fulton County Office Building. Meeting Called To Order: Richard A. Powell called this Meeting to Order at 11:15 a.m., E.D.T. Present for this meeting were Commissioners Richard A. Powell; Roger D. Rose; Leslie Walters; and Denise Chandler, Fulton County Auditor. Also present, representing Woodlawn Hospital, were John Alley, Cheryl Musselman, Troy DeSonia and Tim Smith. The purpose of this meeting was to have further discussion regarding the EMS. Denise provided documentation of the cost in recent years. Powell said the six-year average is $333,000. He said in 2001 there was an $118,000 loss. Mr. Alley said that the loss depends on the number of runs to offset the fixed expenses. More runs provide more revenue to offset those fixed expenses. He feels the year should come in close to the budgeted amount in 2006 at approximately $400,000. He said also the reimbursements for the runs are decreasing, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements are at their lowest levels. A lot of Fulton Countys population has Medicaid and Medicare, which pays approximately 20 to 30 cents on the dollar while commercial payers may pay at 90 cents on the dollar. He feels the reimbursement will continue to erode. The Board discussed the issue at hand being the increasing budget over the last five years versus service-related problems. The Board has one proposal for privatized EMS service with paramedics. EMT service costs less and has a lesser level of service. The Board wants to look at complete privatized service for the entire county, as well as a service for the areas of Akron and Kewanna. The Board does not want to provide a lesser service than provided now. It wants to keep the paramedics. Mr. Alley suggested that a private provider might not provide the same skill level, but a lower skill level with lower labor costs. A hospital based paramedic service, such as ours, will be providing patient care at the hospital when they are not on a run unlike a private company, which merely waits for the runs. The Board asked whether everything is being done internally to see that the system is being managed as efficiently and aggressively as it could be. The Board feels it isnt qualified to make this determination. That is why the audit was completed. Dr. Dillman suggested an oversight committee of some type. The Board wonders if this isnt the responsibility of the EMS Board. Mr. Alley asked if the Board is directing that someone else do the non-emergency transports. He said that would provide some savings, though not a great deal. It wouldnt turn it from a negative to a positive. He understood that the Board had directed that the EMS service provide those non-emergency transfers. The Board said it needs a recommendation from some technically oriented group as to what should be changed, if anything. The Board needed to hear from the audit that the EMS would always lose money. It is not a money making endeavor. The need is to minimize the costs. The options are: continue doing things as they are being done now; staff two satellites with EMTs or staff two satellites with paramedics or to hire an outside business to provide this service. It may be necessary to go to each individual township to see if they want to provide some of the cost of providing the EMS Service. It was determined that the first responders are a necessary part of the system that cant be eliminated and may need encouragement to continue to volunteer in this capacity. The Board discussed the make up of the EMS Board and if it is best as is or if it needs different members. Mt. Alley said that if the Board decides to privatize the service, it could cost millions to go back the other way. This concluded the business of this special meeting of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Roger Rose moved to recess this meeting at 12:29 p.m. Leslie Walters seconded this motion. Motion carried 3-0. FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ___________________________ Richard A. Powell, President ___________________________ Roger D. Rose, Vice-President ___________________________ Leslie R. Walters, Member Attest: __________________________________ Denise J. Chandler, Fulton County Auditor Note: (tapes of this Commissioners Meeting are filed in the Auditors Office). PAGE  ,-0J j0JU5\ ,-stbc, -   ] ^ X Y $a$ )*rs!"#DEe*+z{|}~h]h&`#$$a$$&P1h/ =!"#$% i8@8 NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH <A@< Default Paragraph Font*>@* Title$a$5\,B@, Body Text$a$, @, Footer  !&)@!& Page Number,@2, Header  !" z z z^,-stbc,-]^X Y   ) * r s !"#DEe*+z{|}~000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000    !8@0(  B S  ?44%057HH 6 |  ~Fulton Co. 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