‘Where you live might just dictate if you live’

MT. PLEASANT - Henry County Supervisors will have a decision to make regarding the future of the ambulance service as the Henry County Emergency Medical Services Committee voted to recommend the county take over the service by a vote of 17-1-1.

Tim Batey was the sole nay vote and Deb Savage abstained.

At the meeting Monday night, Washington County Supervisors Richard Young and Jack Seward were in attendance to provide information on how Washington County is planning to operate the service as a county entity.

Young, also the owner of the private company Washington County Ambulance, Inc., said he approached the supervisors about a year ago to announce he was retiring and closing his business. This prompted the county to begin looking for a replacement service.

The contract was extended until June 30, 2020 and a committee comprised of city administrators, EMS representatives, Washington County Hospital and Clinics representatives and two members of the Board of Supervisors was formed to look into possibilities, Seward explained. The group examined multiple options before deciding to recommend the county take over the service.

The current budget to run the service is $1.6 million. With the tax levy in Washington being .38/$1,000 valuation residents contribute about $490,000 annually with the rest coming from reimbursements, Seward said.

Henry County Supervisors have not supported the idea of county run service in Henry County but have floated the idea of a regional service. Supervisor Greg Moeller asked Young if he could possibly see five or six counties coming together to create a regional service in the future, which would help with cost.

Young did not support the idea.

'I think when that happens the local communities will lose control,” he said.

Seward agreed, saying there was potential for citizens to not receive help due to the extended coverage area.

'Where you live might just dictate if you live,” he said.

Jefferson County Health Center CEO Bryan Hunger was also in attendance and gave an update on the ambulance service provided in Jefferson County.

Previously, the Fairfield Ambulance board approached Henry County about the idea of creating a joint service. That has since dissolved.

Jefferson County has had a contract with private company Midwest Ambulance Service for the past year and has sent out a request for proposal (RFP) for a new service.

The City of Fairfield, Jefferson County and the Jefferson County Health Center are in a 28-E agreement together and each entity pays $25,000 annually. Hunger said the three entities decided because health care is the responsibility of all three, they have combined resources.

'We're all responsible for the care provided. In our county I really appreciate having the city there and having the county involved and the hospital, too,” he said.

Moeller said his hold up on creating a county run service in Henry County would be the cost to tax payers. Because the county is already 28 percent above the general basic levy and creating a county run service would require a tax increase, he was concerned about impact.

'The gravest concern I have is what the tax payers can handle,” he said. 'I understand we need an ambulance service, (but) how we get there is an issue for me. I believe this county should do what's right for every citizen of the county.”

The Henry County Health Center board of trustees met Tuesday afternoon and unanimously expressed their support of CEO Robb Gardner and Chief Operations Officer Michelle Roselle moving forward to present the proposal of the county run service to the supervisors.

Once Gardner and Roselle present the county will then have to decide whether or not to adopt the service.