EMS Operations Overhaul a Priority for S.C. County

Jan. 10--Overhauling Anderson County's delivery of emergency medical services will be a priority of county officials in 2017.

Anderson County Council Chairman Tommy Dunn said he plans to appoint a three-member public safety committee Jan. 17 to lead efforts to improve emergency medical services. The committee will be made up of council members, but will work with paramedics and residents to make a plan for improving care.

A county-commissioned study made public in October detailed multiple flaws found in Anderson County's delivery of care after a person dials 911 with a critical medical problem.

"We appreciate all the people who have put years of their time and their blood, sweat and tears into EMS," Dunn said. "We aren't trying to throw any of our providers under the bus. But when you call 911 with an emergency, our goal is that everybody in the county would get the best care as quickly as possible."

For years, the county paid nonprofit rescue squads in Belton, Honea Path, Iva, Pelzer, Pendleton, Townville and Williamston and the private company Medshore Ambulance Service a total of $4 million annually to handle critical medical calls. Anderson County began studying the health of its squads more closely after debt forced Williamston's to close in 2015.

In the coming weeks, county staff will put together proposed budgets outlining the costs of potential EMS changes. Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said he hopes any overhauled system would cost the county $4 million to $5 million annually. But he said Monday that he does not yet have firm numbers, and that costs will vary depending on who runs the county's EMS system and who makes sure medical protocols are followed.

The move to make changes comes after Missouri-based consulting firm Fitch & Associates conducted a yearlong analysis of Anderson County rescue squads. The study detailed differences in patient care from squad to squad and also found that the closest ambulances may not always be sent to emergencies.

Consultants discovered that emergency response times are not easily tracked in Anderson County.They learned that Medshore, the largest provider in the EMS system, met stringent requirements that made it the "gold standard" among providers. But Medshore was not part of the county's advanced vehicle location system, which meant the company's ambulances were invisible to county dispatchers.

"It's clear we've got some work ahead of us," Dunn said Monday.

Dunn said he plans to appoint new Councilman Ray Graham as one of the key leaders on the public safety committee. Graham has a background as a former Anderson County sheriff's deputy, a fireman and an EMS worker. As a teen, he was part of the junior rescue squad in Belton and also worked with that squad as an adult.

"One of my biggest concerns is that the squads need to have access to the proper resources," Graham said. "I think we have some really good paramedics, and I don't think we have to just scrap everything and everyone and start over. We can build on what we have here and make it better. It may begin as simple as putting one person in charge of supplies and making sure everyone has access to the same stuff. It may be using the same mechanic on all ambulances to save money."

The leaders of the county's nonprofit rescue squads hope that officials won't change the system without involving them. They last spoke publicly about the issue in November.

"Our community knows us," said Sandy Sutherland, chief of Iva Emergency Medical Services. "When you have a bad call, it makes a difference that people know you when you are going into their homes. ... We want to be a part of the changes that need to be made. Please, just give us a chance to make the changes, so we can continue to serve our communities."

Burns said he is already working with Fitch & Associates to make sure that better EMS quality-control measures are in place.Those quality controls will include things such as having an EMS official ride along on some calls to make sure care standards are being followed.

Follow Nikie Mayo on Twitter @NikieMayo

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