Councilwoman wants details on proposed ambulance service

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - As city officials continue to work to put together a proposal to offer city and county ambulance services, a Fort Madison city councilwoman wants to see the proposal.

Fort Madison Fire Chief and Mayor Matt Mohrfeld have been involved in countywide committee discussions focused on shoring up an ambulance service for the county. The move comes on the heels of current provider Lee County EMS Ambulance, Inc., financial struggles that have the service operating week to week as it struggles to meet payroll.

BOWKER

Just over a month ago, Lee County Supervisors authorized a $36,000 payment to the Lee County Ambulance to help cover that weeks payroll on March 20. Supervisors have not had to make another payment for the past four weeks.

However, Lee County Ambulance's investors, headed by Richard Young, have not signed a new contract that would start July 1. In lieu of that contract, the Lee County Ambulance has submitted a new proposal, which would, in all likelihood, ask for supplemental funding from the county in excess of the current $500,000 that is budgeted for 2020-21.

Supervisor Gary Folluo said his conversations with the company have indicated amounts of $750,000 to $1 million may be needed to offset very low Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement rates that have crippled the service.

At Tuesday's regular Fort Madison City Council meeting, Councilwoman Rebecca Bowker asked if the city council was going to be able to any proposal from the city before it goes to the county.

The county is asking for all proposals to be in by 5 p.m. April 30. Herren said he's meeting with Keokuk city officials Thursday to iron out some final details before sending a proposal to the county board.

Bowker said that takes any investigation by the Fort Madison City Council off the table.

"Will we be able to see that proposal before it goes to the Board of Supervisors or will when will we get to see it," Bowker asked at the meeting.

Mohrfeld said the city will be making a preliminary report to the county and then the city council would have a chance to weigh in on the proposal.

"The problem is that it ends up being a cart and horse thing," Mohrfeld said. "It's been a whirlwind thing and I can't compliment Joey and his team enough, especially when you're working shoulder to shoulder with a sister city."

Bowker pressed the issue.

"At that point we don't have any wiggle room," she said.

Mohrfeld asked Bowker what she meant by that and Bowker said if the details are approved by the board, then basically the city is "rubber stamping" the plan and wouldn't have any say what's in it.

"I'm assuming we're getting money from the county for that new venture, but what does that look like?" she asked.

Mohrfeld said transparency to the council and the city is part of the process and the council would have the authority to decline the proposal.

In addition to the Lee County Ambulance proposal, the county also has a proposal from Global Medical Response, the parent company of the local AirEvac service with a base behind Fort Madison Community Hospital.

Other providers are also welcomed by the county to submit proposals for Lee County service before the April 30 deadline.

ambulance service, Fort Madison City Council, iowa, Joey Herren, lee county, Pen City Current, Rebecca Bowker

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