‘Plan of action’ formed for ACEMS
Mayor Terry Frank and Nathan Sweet, Director of the Anderson County Emergency Medical Service (EMS), have teamed up to create an immediate and short-term plan as well as a long-term plan for the future of the Anderson County EMS (ACEMS).
In an audit conducted by Fitch & Associates in the summer of 2017, it was revealed that the ACEMS was vastly underfunded compared to most other counties.
The underfunding has led to poor EMS performance and vital equipment being out of date or over-used to the point of deficiency.
Former mayor, now Trustee, Myron Iwanski has headed up an EMS Advisory committee in order to ensure that the ACEMS is brought up to snuff.
In the last County Commission meeting on April 16, the Commissioners, headed by Chairman Tim Isbel, all agreed that the state of disarray the ACEMS currently finds itself in is the top priority in the county.
In his proposal as to what the next steps should be to begin the rehabilitation of the ACEMS, Iwanski asked Mayor Terry Frank and Nathan Sweet to work together, with the County Commission, to formulate a strategic plan with detailed budgetary requirements for immediate, short-term and long-term steps.
The first of two immediate steps that Frank and Sweet listed was to begin funding and purchasing critical ambulance and equipment replacement needs based on the EMS Immediate Capital Plan.
The second immediate step listed was to determine and get approval for the 2018 – 2019 EMS Operating Budget.
Short-term steps include determining fundamental policies critical to the development of the EMS business model and strategic plan and beginning to develop a long-term strategic plan.
There are two fundamental policy decisions that Frank and Sweet listed as required for determining the EMS business model and strategic plan.
First one is the decision to go with convalescent care and 911 services or 911 services only.
The second one is deciding whether response time goals will be the same throughout the county or if response time goals will vary by zone.
As far as further proceedings went, in the County Commission meeting, Monday, May 21, it was brought to the attention of the Commission that there is a dispute with Medicare and Methodist Hospital over which should be paying for the ambulance transport.
Since March of 2017, ACEMS has accrued around $120,000 in supposed transport fees that Sweet doesn’t believe he should be paying.
“There is some disagreement between us and Methodist on what the Medicare rule actually means. We believe we are right and they believe they are right.” Sweet said Monday night.
Sweet requested that the Commission allow an attorney, which specializes in that field, to be consulted on the proper and necessary steps before moving forward.
