Watch this first, this was the Somervell County Hospital District’s meeting from April 30, 2024 , again, about the EMS. Background links- Dec 14, 2023 Dec 19 2023 Jan 6 2024 Feb 26, 2024 April 22, 2024 May 6, 2024
Rough transcript: Watch for exact wording.
Pecan Plantation EMS Transfer Contract. The existing contract between Pecan Plantation and GRMC is for $15,000 for 6 months and then it escalates to $25,000. Pecan asking if we can raise it to the 25k now. .. they want to add a third truck. right now we’re supplementing Pecan. $200,000 billing (?) going outside our county to Pecan Plantation to cover transfer problems that we’re having. Pecan had had a little bit of trouble the last couple of weeks. Most of the time they’re available…
Drake: Were we at a loss because of this?
Honea: Interlocal agreement between Pecan and Somervell EMS but the definition of emergent is still being questioned by Somervell EMS. They haven’t absolutely refused them, they’ve transferred a few
Drake: picking and choosing.
Honea: Paramedics making decisions instead of doctors. Somervell County dissolved the committee, so we are pushing to reestablish the committee. Pecan has done a great job, when available they take good care of the patients. If our people refuse, we use Careflight, does have a provision if transfer is not available, waste of resources, patients we transfer by ground are emergent
Vacek: Criteria for emergent, high risk of imminent death… Fire dept is allowing people who have not evaluated the patient in any way, shape or form to override physicians decisions.. and we’re still stuck with it in the ER having to find ways to transport people.
Honea: Year long contract. Money that has never been paid before, will be in next year’s budget. About half a million, 300,000 generated from doing transfers. County actually losing about 500,000. Hamilton, called out of their county
Rough Transcript
Drake: is this going to impact some of our accreditation we’re looking for?
Honea: This is why we continue meeting with the county because we are applying for a trauma designation and the time it takes Pecan to get here could have a direct effect on our accommodation. We have a survey coming up sometime this summer. Trauma designation helps us pay, some state dollars that come….
Vacek: Mutual Aid agreement. I don’t think those same commissioners were aware this was happening. they’re aware now. Money on the table that they could be collecting for their services.
Honea: Much rather pay Somervell County for transporting . Might put it out for bids, Texas EMS, Hamilton, initial numbers were low because begging and pleading for someone to transport patients. Pecan has the staffing more of a financial piece ,due to medic injured during their shift.
Reason why we want to spend this extra $40k that we are not contractually responsible for? Good will.
Hankins. Want to address this from a legal standpoint. Pecan needs to give us some contractual consideration if we’re going to pay more than we agreed. Run past Kevin Reed
So.. as you heard above Michael Honea wanted to have the subcommittee meetings started up again. Once the Commissioners Court had voted with the MOU and the Somervell County Hospital District did a contact with Pecan, and there was a vote taken by Somervell County, the subcommittee meetings ended.
Yesterday a whole bunch of people showed up to the meeting, including fire/ems
Executive session
According to Judge Chambers, who I asked explicitly again about this today, it would require a vote of the Commissioners Court to restart the committee meetings, along with deciding who would be on it. No action was taken.
Side comment opinion. I obviously do not know what was discussed in executive session, but I understand that there is an organization the the Somervell EMS/FIRE is contracted with for emergencies that can determine the severity of an issue and that org can audit the transfers. Second, Glen Rose Medical Center did not pay for any services for the past 2 years and yet they are showing here that they have no problem paying roughly $300,000 a year for Pecan.
Third, the responsibility to transfer from the hospital belongs to them Fourth. one reason they are pushing so hard to get the ambulances is to change their designation to a critical access level trauma hospital, which they cannot do now because they don’t fit the criteria (I heard anecdotally, don’t know if this is true, that they were already turned down by CMS and are appealing) Sixth: Because the previous subcommittee meetings between Commissioners Court and the Hospital District were not open to the public, it’s impossible to know what each side was actually offering and what they turned down or accepted. Already know that Honea lied to the Hospital District board at least once about what was going on, back in February For example, they are paying Pecan a huge amount of money, did they offer the same to Somervell EMS? Fifth: Somervell Fire/EMS is in process of building up a volunteer program to create ride-along emergency care attendants.
Here is the monthly report for April 2024
