PANAMA CITY, Fla. — After a two-month study, a Fla. county will take over the emergency ambulance operations from a local hospital.
Bay County will take over emergency ambulance operations from Bay Medical Center Sacred Heart Health System by the projected date of Jan. 1, 2013, according to News Herald.
County commissioners made the decision after EMS Director Mark Bowen presented two months of research that showed the county could operate the ambulance service with no taxpayer subsidy.
“In every possible scenario we’ve studied our revenue continues to cover our expenditures,” Bowen said.
Bowen’s plan would have all existing EMS personnel being hired at their current pay with start-up costs being covered by county enterprise fund reserves. Those reserves would then be paid back over several years with interest.
“I’m encouraged by the financial overview study we had commissioned,” Commissioner Guy Tunnel told News Herald.
Five ambulances currently under the hospital’s control will be transferred to the county with the county’s plan accounting for nine new ambulances to also be bought.