Ambulance service agency files petition in response to CARE’s contract breach

FAIRFIELD — The Jefferson County Ambulance Service Agency (JCASA) has filed a petition for injunctive relief against its ambulance provider, CARE Ambulance of Iowa City.

The petition was received by the court on Friday, Dec. 23. District Court Judge Myron Gookin has set a court date of Jan. 3 at 1:30 p.m. for a hearing on the injunction, where the two sides will be able to present their case at the Jefferson County Courthouse. The hearing is open to the public.

The case stems from statements CARE Ambulance representatives made in December indicating they could not fulfill the contract’s requirement to staff two full-time ALS ambulances in Jefferson County. An ALS ambulance, which stands for Advanced Life Support, is one where personnel can administer medicine on board. An ALS ambulance requires at least one paramedic, and CARE has told JCASA that it doesn’t have enough paramedics for two 24-hour ALS ambulances.

CARE’s director of operations, Chris Bodenstadt, told The Union Tuesday that he was aware of JCASA’s court filing but had not read it, though it had been forwarded to an attorney. As of Tuesday morning, no attorney for CARE had filed a written response to JCASA’s motion.

The ambulance service agency’s motion details the contract that CARE entered into, beginning Oct. 1, 2020 and lasting three years. It goes into communication between CARE representatives and the service agency about how CARE requested an additional $90,187.43 per month starting in January 2023 and lasting through the duration of the contract, which was “contrary to the negotiated terms of the contract,” according to JCASA’s filing.

Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding said JCASA is not seeking monetary damages from CARE.

“We’re just asking the court to require CARE to fulfill the contract,” he said. “It’s not like we’re trying to win anything from them. We’re not trying to sue our partner. We just want them to do the job they’re supposed to do. We negotiated in 2020 for a specific service to be provided to the agency for a specific cost, and we’re asking the court to fulfill that bargain.”

The Union asked Moulding if JCASA was willing to accede to CARE’s request for more money.

“We are willing to negotiate with CARE, but not while they are not performing the contract,” he said. “They’re not allowed to hold the county hostage during those negotiations.”

JCASA is a service agency representing three entities: the City of Fairfield, Jefferson County and Jefferson County Health Center. JCASA’s board consists of Dee Sandquist (Jefferson County), Elizabeth Estey (City of Fairfield) and Chairwoman Julie Greeson (JCHC). JCASA’s legal team consists of Moulding, representing the county, while Fairfield City Attorney John Morrissey represents the city, and Vanessa Willman represents the health center.

Bodenstadt told The Union that he could not speak to the financial issues, but he could speak to the staffing problems that have plagued CARE Ambulance, specifically in Jefferson County. He said a lack of local paramedics forced the company to hire three expensive traveling paramedics, but they’re leaving on Jan. 6. With the retirement of another paramedic, that will leave just two full-time paramedics to serve Jefferson County.

“I would like to have eight to 10 paramedics there. That’s the correct way to staff a base,” Bodenstadt said. “I need a minimum of six full-time paramedics.”

Bodenstadt said he and CARE Ambulance CEO Bob Libby have been picking up shifts in Jefferson County due to the shortage of staffing. He said the county has a good number of EMTs, currently 12, and he’s encouraged them to become paramedics, but so far none have sought to do the additional schooling necessary to become a paramedic. He said current requirements involve 400 hours of unpaid ride-along time, which is a deterrent to EMTs who have families and bills to pay.

“If you work full-time and have a family, it’s hard to justify all that free labor,” he said.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com