HCHC board of trustees discuss potential EMS tax levy on September ballot

HENRY COUNTY - The Henry County Health Center is continuing to work with the county's Board of Supervisors on transferring emergency medical services and are moving forward with the closing of their labor and delivery unit.

During the HCHC board of trustees meeting on Tuesday, Chief Operating Officer Michelle Rosell explained HCHC has been participating in meetings with the county supervisors about the transfer of EMS.

'I feel like we're making slight progress. We still have some additional things to go through,” Rosell said. The COO added the county is currently in the process of 'assessing the financial impact the transition will have on the county folks,” and that the supervisors are proposing a vote in September to get the community involved in whether it will support increased tax levies for the service.

'The supervisors have indicated to us that they will not take on EMS services without it going to the county for a vote as things stand currently, because when they take on EMS services, they will have to levy to fund the program,” Rosell explained.

Rosell noted that though legislation at the state level may eventually make it possible for the board to levy taxes for EMS without a vote, the supervisors are preparing the paperwork for the vote in case the potential law is not passed.

Rosell added she asked the supervisors what HCHC's role would be in the vote and said the health center would focus on 'the promotion of the program and trying to garner community support in support of the levy.”

Trustee Sally Olsen said she felt 'educating the community is going to be huge,” as well as helping the community 'understand it's going to cost no matter who does it.”

'It's not like it's only the supervisors who would be raising taxes. We're going to have to do something too if we continue to keep it. That's not really viable,” Olsen said.

Joel Prottsman, another trustee, noted 'Ultimately, if the vote does come back positive that still doesn't mean the supervisors have to do this.”

'They're just asking for the opinion of the residents of the county. How does that play in with the possible changing of the guard in November?” Prottsman asked.

'My concern is what happens if the vote goes down and I don't really see how it would, but you never know,” Carmen Heaton added.

Heaton said she felt there are potentially incorrect numbers 'floating around” about 'how much the tax increase would be.”

Rosell also said HCHC's auditor is working with the supervisors to put together a model 'that will provide a framework and cost estimate for the supervisor's to evaluate.”

'The hope is that then by seeing this model and understanding it, they will set their levy proposal amount and then we will be able to tell candidates and the community what the true number is going to be,” Rosell said.

During the meeting, chief executive officer Robb Gardner added that the health center is 'moving forward with a difficult transition,” and noted the labor and delivery unit 'still is scheduled to stop their services on inpatient June 1.”

'We continue to work with Great River Medical Center on the transition,” Gardner said.

The CEO also noted the health center has sent off paperwork last week to notify the state of the closing. Though the unit will be closing, nurse midwives will continue to provide prenatal and postpartum care at the Henry County Rural Health Clinic, Shelley Doak, HCHC's public information director added.