Okla. Agency Changes Travel Policy to Increase Transparency
Dec. 15--The days of $500-a-night hotel rooms are over for traveling executives with the public board that runs the ambulance service in Oklahoma and Tulsa.
The Emergency Medical Services Authority Trust voted Wednesday to approve a new, more restrictive travel expense policy after an investigation by The Oklahoman and the Tulsa World into EMSA spending practices, which also included a $100 car wash, a $2,800 retirement party and routine first-class air travel.
EMSA President and CEO Steve Williamson apologized Wednesday to trustees during the board's monthly meeting, saying he was sorry for any expenses that drew their ire. Williamson incurred some of the travel expenses as part of his duties as president of a Washington-based lobbying group, the American Ambulance Association.
"No one wants wrongdoing or this embarrassment to (not) happen any more than me," Williamson said.
The new travel policy will hold Williamson and other EMSA employees to the federal standard for travel per diem. Most of Williamson's travel is to Washington, where the per diem for meals and incidental expenses is $71 and for hotels is $183 plus taxes.
Williamson often far exceeded the standard trustees approved Wednesday. The board also approved a new more restrictive policy for employee awards and parties.
Trustees lament expenses
Ward 2 Oklahoma City Councilman Ed Shadid and Tulsa interim Economic Development Director Clay Bird, both EMSA trustees, said they were disappointed in the expenses and that they came to light because of media coverage.
Shadid and Bird said they were surprised it took more newspaper stories to alert them to the travel expenses and that Williamson should have brought it to their attention after the first stories came out about other EMSA spending.
"It begs the question, 'What else is out there?' " Shadid said. Earlier stories by the newspapers had revealed other spending and money transfers that drew scrutiny from officials in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The expenditures included $3,000 gas cookout grills, a well-furnished Deep Deuce apartment for overnight stays in Oklahoma City by Tulsa-based EMSA executives and interdivisional loans to cover cash flow shortages. Bird emphasized that he thinks Williamson has otherwise provided exemplary service when it comes to quality patient care at an affordable price.
"I think you're an excellent leader," Bird told Williamson.
Increased transparency
Other changes Williamson said he will institute to increase EMSA's financial transparency include posting video of trust meetings online, a more prominent place on the EMSA website advertising a whistle-blower service to report fraud or misconduct, and copies of financial statements and his own travel records posted online.
Williamson also distributed evaluations to the trustees to assess his job performance, and the results will be discussed at the trust's meeting next month during executive session.
The board decided to tentatively schedule a vote next month on whether Williamson should continue his service as president of the ambulance association, and whether EMSA should pay for related travel. Years ago when Williamson first explored becoming the association's president, the board supported his efforts and paying for the travel.
EMSA, which manages ambulance service for Oklahoma City, Tulsa and many of their suburbs, has spent nearly $154,000 on travel related to the ambulance association in the last 3 years. Williamson has defended the expense as necessary to secure about $1.5 million in extra Medicare funds over the same time period.
Copyright 2011 - The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City
