Published Oct. 11 in the Big Sandy News

Paintsville ambulance officials face takeover

By CHRIS McDAVID
Big Sandy News Johnson County Bureau

PAINTSVILLE — With an informal proposal in hand for a private company to overtake the Paintsville Ambulance Service and guarantee a profitable operation, rather than a $10,000 monthly expense on taxpayers, city ambulance officials were directed Tuesday to prepare a plan of action to decrease monthly expenditures.

“I’d like for you to bring us something back (next month) on your plans to (reduce expenditures),” councilman Ronnie Wells said during Tuesday’s meeting. “If we’re not going to be able to show something...if not, we’re going to have to look at the ambulance service.”

Prior to Wells’ directive to fire chief Bob Dixon, manager of the city ambulance service, Mayor Robin Cooper hinted that a proposal from Phillip Elliott, owner of First Response Ambulance, would be seriously considered.

The general proposal, cites the city ambulance service’s monthly expense on the city, and poses a potential solution, which involves Elliott’s company overtaking the city-run service — guaranteeing a profit for the city each and every month.

“There is a role, I feel like, for both of us...,,” Cooper said. “(I’m) very much willing to work with Phillip.”

Wells initiated Tuesday’s discussion on the city-operated ambulance service when he asked about a more than $11,000 line item listed as “other expenses” included on the ambulance service’s September report.

The expense was for supplies, Dixon explained, noting that a new cot was purchased for overweight patients.

The fire chief went on to explain that a small percentage of funds received from Medicare is earmarked for supplies. “Ambulance services that restock from hospital (and get money for supplies from Medicare) are double dipping,” he noted.

“Somewhere down the line, we’ve got to show that we’re breaking even,” Wells said, also asking that a detailed report also list how much money is allocated for supplies and how much is actually spent on those items.

Council woman Fran Jarrell noted that council knew the city’s ambulance funds “were going to be tight” with the purchase of two ambulances.

In response to Wells’ directive, Dixon said, “Ronnie, with all due respect, I can answer that now...

“The only thing I can do,” he continued, “is put the units out there, stock them, put people out there and wait on the calls...I don’t know what else to do, other than (not) buy supplies and we can’t do that. I don’t know what else to do.”

Cooper said some improvements can be made under some circumstances and referred to a “face-to-face” conversation he previously had with Elliott. “There has to be a common ground here maybe we all can reach,” the mayor said.

Elliott’s “general proposal” to overtake the city ambulance operations says that “most current city ambulance employees would be employed by First Response to man the city ambulances.”

A “very few” current city ambulance workers, who are former First Response employees, are not subject for rehire, and one current employee would be designated director-operations manager over the city units, the proposal says.

The proposed combined operation would involve the city’s ambulances primarily responding to 911 calls and the city of Paintsville receiving a two percent of collections received on all runs made by the city units.

Elliott also notes that his personal company would pay insurance coverage for all ambulances, unless the city prefers to maintain the coverage and get reimbursement from First Response, which will also be responsible for all maintenance costs on the ambulances.

“This is a general proposal,” Elliott wrote, “and, if the city is interested, we could discuss the additional details required to ensure that all parties could agree and be satisfied with the arrangement.”

During the meeting, Dixon took exception to a letter to the editor, drafted by Elliott. Dixon said Elliott insinuated he had “lied” to council. “I have not lied to you all,” Dixon said.

Dixon also noted that his “credentials” were questioned in the letter and added that he has been an EMT since 1977.

The fire chief-ambulance director also clarified that a statement, written by Elliott and presented to council, included false information — such as a city ambulance worker abandoning an emergency call to help a personal ambulance service. “(He) was not on another call,” Dixon said.

A brief talk about alleged misrepresentations in Elliott’s documents quickly became heated, with one city ambulance official directly addressing Elliott while defending Dixon.

“I hate for people to piss down my shirt collar and (try to) convince me it’s raining,” Dixon said.

“At some point, we have to be tolerant of each other and work together,” Cooper said.

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