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SC county EMS chiefs agree to EMS unity talks

Nonprofit rescue squads, private ambulance provider and hospital begin talks as county prepares to hire an EMS consultant to analyze the system

By Nikie Mayo
Anderson Independent Mail

ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. — The chiefs of Anderson County’s nonprofit rescue squads agreed Thursday to start having joint meetings with a private ambulance company and with AnMed Health Medical Center to craft a plan for a unified system of emergency medical services.

The decision, made at an evening meeting of the chiefs, was then endorsed at a separate gathering of the county’s Emergency Medical Services Advisory Commission. The move comes as Anderson County prepares to hire a consultant to do an in-depth analysis of the squads. The analysis was sought after a county-commissioned study revealed financial problems in most of the county’s small squads, and after Williamston Emergency Medical Services became the subject of an ongoing state investigation.

“My concern is that if we don’t have a plan, they will shove something down our throats at the end of this study or audit,” said Teresa L. Morgan, the chairwoman of the advisory commission. “We need to work together, to unify, to try to figure out what we can do so that every resident of Anderson County gets the best possible service when they are in an emergency medical situation.”

The county normally pays nonprofit rescue squads in Belton, Honea Path, Iva, Pelzer, Pendleton, Townville and Williamston and the private company Medshore Ambulance Service a total of $4 million annually to handle emergency calls throughout the county. After officials determined that Williamston Emergency Medical Services was operating at least $300,000 in debt and could not make payroll, the county entered a contract with Medshore to provide temporary service in the town.

Representatives of Medshore have been contacting members of the nonprofit squads and the commission in recent weeks. Scott Lesiak, one of the company’s chief officers, made a brief proposal Thursday at the meeting of the squad chiefs.

“We would like for there to be meetings about forming some sort of joint venture that would unify EMS in Anderson County,” Lesiak said. “We would want Anderson County and (EMS Director) Scott Stoller involved, and all the chiefs and EMS agencies and AnMed and us. We want to be open and honest and aboveboard.”

Greg Shore, the chief executive officer of Medshore, said he has talked to a lot of people about the county’s current EMS system.

“In meetings, the consensus has been: ‘Why fix something that is not broken?’ ” Shore said. “But I think we need to architect a plan that we can have in our back pocket if we need it.”

This week, a three-member committee heard proposals from two out-of-state companies who hope to become the county’s emergency medical services consultant. The successful consultant will review documents from each emergency medical services provider, will interview squad members and will make recommendations about how the county can provide emergency medical services in the future. Stoller, County Administrator Rusty Burns and Steve Newton, the county’s governmental liaison, comprise the panel that will make a consultant recommendation to the County Council.

On Wednesday, the committee heard from David Shrader, president and CEO of The Polaris Group, a consulting company based in Southern Shores, North Carolina. On Thursday, the panel heard from Jay Fitch of Missouri-based Fitch & Associates. Both firms have extensive experience in emergency medical services consultation. The committee will make a recommendation to the council within two weeks, Burns said.

Some of the county’s rescue squads disagree with the earlier study that concluded most of them are in financial trouble. Stoller asked the chiefs outright Thursday: “Are you OK? Are any of your EMS operations circling the drain?”

No one in the meeting at the county’s emergency operations center said his or her agency is in dire shape.

“We’re currently OK, but we can’t make it without a lot of support from the county,” said Belton EMS Chief Scott Robinson. “We all need to do the best we can.”

The chiefs tentatively agreed to have their first meeting with Medshore, AnMed and county officials on Sept. 18.

Several chiefs expressed sentiments like that of Iva EMS Chief Sandy Sutherland, who opened one meeting with a prayer.

“It’s about serving the people, Oh Lord,” she prayed. “Help us to remember that and to come to a common ground.”

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©2015 the Anderson Independent Mail (Anderson, S.C.)

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