BAKERSVILLE — Since Mitchell County Commissioners presented concerns in past meetings regarding Lifeguard’s performance as the county’s new EMS provider, some major resolutions have been made.
At its regular session on Monday, Dec. 7, Regional Director of Global Medical Response Dempsey Whitt provided an update to the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners regarding ventilators, IV pumps and re-striping the vehicles.
Mitchell County Commissioners Matthew “Vern” Grindstaff and Jeff Harding questioned Whitt at the Oct. 5 regular session about why there were no ventilators and few IV pumps on vehicles.
According to Whitt, there are now four IV pumps on each emergency vehicle and there are four ventilators on the way.
When it comes to re-striping the vehicles, which are currently red, white and blue, Whitt said he was waiting for approval from the company’s national marketing team to change the look of the vehicles.
“I’m pretty certain that we can get the same striping that we have now in Mitchell County purple and silver colors,” Whitt said. “Jeff [Harding] and I already talked about there would be a Mountaineer head on there somewhere. We can work that out. I’ll have those produced locally and get those installed. I’m pretty certain I can get that, but that’s not a promise.”
Whitt went on to report he had purchased two new four-wheel drive emergency vehicles that should arrive in May or June, thus addressing another issue commissioners have brought up in the past.
The company is currently using used trucks purchased from Mission Hospital, although they had said they would provide new, four-wheel drive vehicles at the beginning of Lifeguard’s operation.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Whitt said production of four-wheel drive emergency vehicles at Ford Motor Company had halted, so there was a major delay. Instead, the company bought the used vehicles from Mission to use in the meantime.
Additionally, Whitt reported they were conducting far fewer transports than anticipated, which he explained is a “very vital number” because they receive a certain amount of revenue per transport which determines the budget and thus the subsidy they ask for.
When Lifeguard was contracted, Whitt said they were told by the county Mission had conducted 2,098 transports per year, which would be an average of 175 transports per month. However, Whitt reported they had 124 transports in July, 127 in August, 138 in September, 129 in October and 150 in November.
“The November number is relative, though, because we talked with [Tim] Greene and got the OK to start transporting some non-emergent patients from the hospitals and nursing homes, so we did see some increase in November, but we’re still about 25 off,” Whitt said. “With about $300 per transport, that’s a pretty significant number.”
Whitt said they now know the number of transports given to them, 2,098, included transports out of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, which they do not currently conduct, and non-emergent transports, which Lifeguard began conducting in November.
Whitt said he needed to work with the commissioners to either get more transports or work to redo expenses to accommodate the lower number of transports. He then suggested two solutions to the issue.
First, there is a 12-hour period of time when three trucks are in operation. Whitt suggested they use the third truck to conduct some transports from Blue Ridge Regional to Asheville during that time period, which would leave two active trucks in the county during that time.
“I think it would be reasonable as long as we kept two trucks in the county during that 12-hour period when that truck is on,” Whitt said. “And we can adjust the hours on that truck for when a majority of transports happen, if we need to.”
The other solution Whitt suggested was to lower expenses by reducing the active vehicle during that 12-hour period.
“Quite simply, the numbers don’t necessitate having that third truck on during that period,” Whitt said. “I just wanted to bring that to your attention and ask that you please consider some relief there, in one way or another.”
After some discussion, Commissioner Steve Pitman made a motion to allow Lifeguard to make the transports from Blue Ridge Regional Hospital to Asheville. However, Commissioner Harding requested the board table the issue until the first meeting in January to allow the two new commissioners, Harley Masters and Brandon Pittman, to learn more about the issue and for Whitt to compile more information.
The issue is expected to be addressed at the board’s first regular meeting of the new year on Jan. 4.
As previously reported, all Commissioners meetings will now be held upstairs at the Historic Courthouse in Bakersville, located at 11 N. Mitchell Avenue.