Henry board considers keeping ambulance with hospital

MT. PLEASANT - Rather than make emergency medical services a county entity, the Henry County Board of Supervisors is considering supplementing continued operation of the service under the Henry County Health Center.

Discussions about starting a county-run service began last fall when the health center approached the supervisors about removing the service from the hospital. By running EMS, the hospital continues to see a reduction of approximately $670,000 in reimbursements from Medicare annually due to its classification as a critical access hospital.

During a work session Tuesday morning, Henry County Health Center's Chief Operating Officer Michelle Rosell and trustee Kent Severson presented an alternative option to the board. After conferring with the hospital's auditor, Rosell said 'the option of the county paying the Medicare Cost Report shortfall,” could help keep the service under the hospital.

'The impact that it has on the hospital, if you fill that gap with funds from the county, then it would be a wash … if the gap can be closed, then that's not a bad thing for the hospital,” Rosell said.

The COO added the alternative plan 'eliminates” the board's concern surrounding management and expertise required to run the service. Rosell noted the reimbursement formula for the hospital would not change if the supervisors choose to supplement the service rather than take it over. The hospital would still see an annual reduction in reimbursements.

Under the alternative plan, the board plans to present a levy to voters in November. Because revenues from the service change year-to-year, the supervisors noted the county and the hospital would have to figure out how to structure the levy to account for that change.

Supervisor Marc Lindeen said the board members would seek counsel from attorneys about how to present the levy and the potential changes to voters.

Although a levy amount has not been decided, Supervisor Greg Moeller said going with a 'subsidy or gap-filler to the hospital … is much more palatable to the taxpayers.”

County Auditor Shelly Barber noted a 73 1/2-cent levy would bring in approximately $650,000 for the hospital, about a dollar less than the levy amount the supervisors were discussing when determining the county running the service. Supervisor Gary See added the alternative plan would mean the board and county would avoid 'having to raise an additional $1 million.”

When the supervisors expressed concern about explaining the levy to voters, Severson said he didn't 'see it being that hard.”

'What we're really talking about is keeping the hospital in Henry County. That's my proposal to the citizens. I mean, do you want a hospital in Henry County?” he said.