County emergency workers respond to 87 calls in August years ago
County writes off $47,000 of bad debt
Marion County Emergency Medical Services volunteers responded to 87 ambulance calls during August.
Of those calls, 37 were from Hillsboro, 26 from Marion, 12 from Peabody, nine from Florence, two from Tampa, and one time the back up ambulance from Marion was sent.
There were 20 medical emergencies, 16 no transports, 15 falls, nine each cardiac and transfers, seven each standby and motor vehicle accidents, and four other calls.
A total of seven first response runs were made with four from Goessel and one each from Burns, Durham, and Lincolnville. The rescue truck was not activated during the month.
Compared with previous months during 2005, there were 86 calls in July, 76 in June and 87 in August. The most runs during 2005 so far was 111 in January.
In other department business:
— The commission approved $47,864 in write-offs for the department. All were uncollected bills prior to 2004.
According to state statute, patients must be notified a minimum of three times of the outstanding bill. The ambulance department cannot collect unpaid debts after two years and if the patient has not made contact or made payment during the two-year period.
The commission instructed director Darryl Thiesen to submit write-offs on a quarterly basis.
Discussion followed regarding the reporting of runs and collections to the commission.
Thiesen reminded the commission that the ambulance department's main priority was patient care but revenue is needed to operate.
— Ambulance runs for patients jailed in Marion County Jail currently have not been billed to the sheriff's department. More than $3,500 in unpaid ambulance runs remain on the department's books and Thiesen asked for guidance.
Options are to charge the department what's owed, charge the department a reduced rate, or not charged at all.
Commissioner Dan Holub asked if the ambulance charges could be included with other expenses that can be requested when the inmate goes to court.
Technically incarcerated inmates are the responsibility of the sheriff's department while in custody.
Previous commissions did not want the sheriff's or other county departments to be charged for services rendered by county offices.
The commission took it under advisement and will make a decision at a future meeting.
— Thiesen reported two remanufactured defibrillators need to be purchased for the Marion and Hillsboro ambulances.
The older units would be used as backups.
— Thiesen reported he and county and city law enforcement, county health personnel, and fire chiefs participated in an emergency preparedness exercise sponsored by St. Luke Hospital.
— Commissioner Dan Holub previously had requested that Thiesen check to see if license tags are required for county-owned ambulances and emergency equipment. Thiesen said since the vehicles were already tagged, they had to remain tagged.
— Thiesen encouraged commissioners and other county personnel to attend future training regarding weapons of mass destruction similar to what he recently attended in Alabama.
— Ongoing projects included preparation of crew members' recertifications.
— The delivery of the new Florence ambulance has been delayed by the manufacturer.
— First aid and CPR classes were taught to USD 398 bus drivers and employees of Golden Heritage Foods, Hillsboro.
— A garage door key pad has been installed at the Peabody ambulance building to accommodate deliveries of supplies.
