(Audubon) Audubon County Memorial Hospital and the Audubon County Board of Supervisors have reached a tentative agreement to help obtain ambulance services.
Patient transfers have become an issue. Supervisor’s Chairman Doug Sorensen says Hospital CEO Suzanne Cooner and COO Paul Topliff met with the board on Tuesday. “Paul told us in January that it was practically a crisis situation.”
The hospital has explored alternatives. The cost to share an ambulance with Panora is $120,000. Sorensen says the hospital could levy for the money, but they would have to levy 90% of the maximum to generate enough funds. “That would actually work, but by doing that if something happened to that contract or arrangement and they couldn’t get ambulance services from Panora they would be required to have an ambulance. They would have 3-4 months to buy an ambulance and have it staffed and it’s just too much risk.”
Their alternative was to find $120,000 in the budget to make this sharing agreement with Panora work. The hospital will pay $60,000 and the county will pitch in the remaining $60,000. “Public Health is now housed at the hospital and rent charged so far is zero on a brand new office for them. They thought they’d just write it up in a contract that they’ll provide housing for Public Health perpetually for zero in exchange for help with the ambulance service. That’s not a bad arrangement. It’s a very good deal for Audubon to have an ambulance service.”
Sorensen calls it a good compromise and says this will be much more affordable than trying to purchase an ambulance on your own and paying to staff it.
