By Mark Wilson
Evansville Courier & Press
Copyright 2007 ProQuest Information and Learning
All Rights Reserved
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Copyright 2007 Evansville Courier
BOONVILLE, Ind. — County responsibility for cost overruns in the Warrick County EMS program ended Wednesday with the signing of a new contract with St. Mary’s Hospital.
The county contracts with the Boonville hospital to provide ambulance coverage. However, the two sides have been at odds over past contract language that made the county responsible for the hospital’s costs when it exceeded what the county had budgeted.
The issue came to a head this year when the Warrick County Council refused to endorse the 2007 ambulance contract and to pay more than $1 million the hospital said it was owed under that arrangement from the previous contract.
The two sides renegotiated the contract with compromises on both sides.
On Wednesday, Commissioners Don Williams and Phil Baxter voted in favor of it. Commissioner Carl Conner was not present. Both sides signed the contract.
Although the new contract is for eight years, both sides have the option to back out with 120 days’ notice. While it will cost the county $2.4 million or $200,000 per month, county officials are expecting to recoup more than half of that. The new contract provides that all revenues from emergency runs will be returned to the county.
It also allows the hospital to reimburse itself for its expenses on private contract runs.
Any additional profits above those reimbursements will be returned to the county.
Finally, should the hospital back out of the contract, the county will have the option to lease or purchase the ambulances and equipment. If the county backs out, the hospital will have the choice of whether it wants to retain the ambulances or give them to the county.