Ohio Mulls Merging EMS, Medical Transportation Boards

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Sept. 06--The thousands of private ambulances, medical helicopters and airplanes that transport patients across the state are inspected by the Ohio Medical Transportation Board.

The emergency medical workers in those vehicles are certified and disciplined by the Ohio Emergency Medical Services board.

Each agency has its own board and medical director, and operates independently of the other. Federal officials recently recommended merging the two boards to "create efficiencies, to reduce duplication and confusion to the public and EMS providers."

They made the same pitch a decade ago during the state system's last review.

This time, the state is listening. Gov. John Kasich has suggested that the agencies get together and talk.

Thomas P. Charles, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, which oversees the state EMS division, is open to the idea, and the state EMS board included it in its draft strategic plan.

"It's not my decision, but it's what makes sense," said Jeffrey Leaming, executive director of the Ohio EMS division.

The Medical Transportation Board, however, isn't eager to give up its autonomy.

"By combining those boards, you'd lose some efficiencies," said Tom Allenstein, a transportation board member and chief clinical officer at MedFlight of Ohio. "It may look good on paper but, unfortunately in practice, it may not play out that way."

The Medical Transportation Board has a $500,000 annual budget, four full-time employees and 22 contract workers who inspect and license about 4,000 private vehicles statewide. Ronald L. Grout, the board's executive director, said he doesn't think that a merger with EMS -- which has a $2.6 million annual budget -- would make his department more efficient.

"We need to make sure that every single change that we make is in the benefit of the patients and the citizens, too," Grout said. "It's not about the organizations, but the people."

A merger would combine private ambulances and air medical companies with publicly funded local EMS agencies.

Private vehicles are inspected annually by the state, while city, village and township ambulances are inspected by the local governments that operate them. If the state adds public ambulance inspections, it could be costly for taxpayers.

State Rep. John Carey Jr., who has sponsored EMS legislation in the past, said a merger is worth discussing. He said he would propose moving the state EMS division to the state fire marshal's office.

"Maybe we need to have some hearings and find out what the feelings are out statewide," the Wellston Republican said.

shoholik@dispatch.com