Chaired by MDH Interim CEO, Committee Reviewing Options for Continued Emergency Services
When former McDonough District Hospital CEO Bill Murdock announced that the hospital would no longer provide, nor fund, ambulance services for McDonough County earlier this year, it appeared the county could be without an ambulance provider. Following public outcry, along with discussions with county and city leaders, the hospital backed off its original decision and agreed to keep the contract in place through April 30, 2027 so a solution could be found.
Former Chief Nursing Officer Wayne Laramie, who was unexpectedly terminated by the MDH Board of Directors in May, had originally negotiated what hospital officials called a 'fiscally unsustainable' contract with Lifeguard, which led to the announcement in late March that the hospital was terminating the contract just months after it was signed. The revised agreement was put into place, and McDonough County Board Chair Eric Blakeley put a plan into motion to convene an ambulance service subcommittee to begin reviewing the possibility of the county taking over ambulance services for McDonough County if it came down to it.
The committee, which is now being chaired by MDH Interim CEO Wanda Foster, includes Blakeley; Mayor Mike Inman; Kaitlyn Damewood, MDH Emergency Services director; Kory Nichols, MDH EMS System coordinator; County Board member Travis Hiel, who also chairs the board's finance committee; and Patrick Osterman, vice president of business strategy for MDH. Blakeley said the first weekly meeting was held last week.
'We are meeting weekly so we can move forward with discussions in choosing possible vendors and the direction for future ambulance services for McDonough County,' Blakely explained. 'We have agreed to keep meeting weekly until we have made significant progress with the new ambulance service contract proposal. More details will be available in coming weeks on the future direction for 911 ambulance and transfer services. The county, city and MDH are working diligently and cooperatively to reach a beneficial resolution for all residents of our community.'
Foster noted that the group is in the very early stages of evaluating options for uninterrupted ambulance services. Inman added that even after the first meeting, its apparent that the hospital administration is committed to finding a solution.
'We're discussing options that were not previously on the table for consideration and we're definitely heading toward a positive resolution,' the mayor said.
MDH is continuing to provide the subsidy of around $180,000 for the term that runs through the end of April, which mirrors the contract that was previously place with Lifeguard before Laramie negotiated the previous five-year contract. Murdock had originally told The Community News Brief that MDH was not budgeting to subsidize the ambulance services after the one-year commitment.
McDonough County Ambulance History On June 5, 1970, the McDonough County Board voted unanimously to fulfill the need for a county ambulance service, and 'file with the proper state and federal agencies for financial assistance on this matter, with the purpose in mind of providing a full ambulance services for all residents of said County' and that the ambulance service be provided to the county by McDonough District Hospital, 'who shall administer and service said operation on a contract basis with McDonough County, the hospital to perform and maintain said service at actual cost without profit.'
Under Illinois' 1973 Public Act 78-456, non-home rule counties were authorized to provide emergency ambulance service to or from points within or without the county; or to combine with other units of government for the purpose of providing ambulance service. Before the county provides the operation of an ambulance service, an ordinance must be passed by a majority of the county board. Once passed, the Board may provide or operate an ambulance service, or contract with a private person, hospital, corporation or another governmental unit for the operation of ambulance service or subsidize the service.
