Texas Hospital to Take City`s Emergency Services
Sept. 02--The Jackson County Hospital District never looked to get into the emergency medical services business, but one city's budget woes about four years ago set it in motion anyway.
That was when the hospital absorbed Ganado's emergency medical services because it couldn't handle the costs.
The city of Edna is in the same boat as Ganado was. It is in the process of turning its fire and emergency medical services over to the Jackson County Emergency Services District 3 by 2016 to save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
District 3 commissioners will turn the emergency medical services responsibility over to the hospital to save costs, as well. Hospital leaders determined it could handle the additional responsibility.
When that transition is complete, hospital district emergency medical services employees will respond to calls throughout the county. The two remaining emergency medical services in the county, which are under Jackson County Emergency Services Districts 1 and 2, have not been absorbed by the district, though the hospital responds simultaneously to calls in those areas.
"There's this additional safety net of us coming along," said Bill Jones, hospital CEO and administrator.
The hospital has the best resources in the area when it comes to emergency medical response, Jones said, adding that shifting emergency medical services under the hospital district saves money for cities and makes more sense to some.
"I think what it all boils down to is funding," he said.
In District 3's case, Edna City Council extended its agreement with the district in August to provide its share of the about $1.1 million fire and emergency medical services budget for up to 90 days after Oct. 1. Overall, the district generates a little more than $600,000 from taxes, not enough for the district to handle the costs alone.
"Someone has to do it, and it looks like it's going to be us," Jones said.
The hospital district stands to lose at least $500,000 to absorb the Edna service because of salaries and costs, but revenue from taxes would help, Jones said.
Emergency medical services is not a profit generator but is about saving lives, he said.
"We do it out of necessity," Jones said.
With the Edna emergency medical services financial burden shifted, District 3 is focusing on the fire department's budget, which will take significant cuts, District 3 Chairman Jake Srp said.
"There's a lot of pressure," he said. "There's a lot we have to do with limited resources."
District 3 commissioners recognize that eliminating too many positions would defeat the purpose of a fire department, but the department needs to be prepared to pay for emergency costs such as a fire truck breaking down, Srp said.
The end goal is making sure the public doesn't suffer because of the changes, the chairman said.
"Public safety is our goal," Srp said. "We're working hard to figure it out and address it."
Copyright 2015 - Victoria Advocate, Texas
