County Officials Happy With Transition To AmeriPro Health
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
From left: Mercer County. Emergency Management Director Brad Cox; Harrodsburg Fire Chief Michael Cox; Joe Rose, director of operations at AmeriPro Health; Daniel Jacobs, a paramedic at AmeriPro Health; Kelli Griffin RN, emergency department director at Ephraim McDowell James B. Haggin Hospital; Brian Durham, pperations supervisor/paramedic at Ameripro Health; and Mercer County Judge-Executive Sarah Steele.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
County officials say they’re pleased with the transition from Mercer County Emergency Medical Service to AmeriPro Health but are still seeking answers to paying for the new ambulance service provider.
Last week, the Mercer County Fiscal Court voted to hire AmeriPro at a cost of $62,917 per month to provide ambulance service, including two ambulances staffed with a paramedic and an EMT or advanced EMT. Raintree Health—which was operating as Mercer County EMS—ceased local operations at noon on Saturday, April 27.
At the fiscal court meeting on Tuesday, April 30, Judge-Executive Sarah Steele said it had been “a great transition.”
Mercer County. Emergency Management Director Brad Cox said they did not have to make use of mutual aid agreement with other counties to provide ambulance service during the transition.
“We were tickled to death with it,” Cox told the fiscal court Tuesday.
Last Friday, county officials and officials from AmeriPro held an open house at the fiscal court building
“That went well,” Cox said. “People asked questions. As far as I know, everybody was happy with our answers.”
He said AmeriPro has brought in people from other locations in Indiana to work on ambulances and has hired locals.
“Everything is going smooth,” Cox said.
While the service territory includes Burgin and Harrodsburg, the agreement is with the fiscal court. Previously, Mercer County and the City of Harrodsburg each paid 47.5 percent of the bill, while Burgin paid five percent.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Tim Darland asked about the city’s contribution, noting that more calls are in the city than in the county. It’s not only emergency medical services, Darland said.
“The last few things we’ve done at the park we’ve had to do ourselves,” he said.
“They could not contribute at this time,” Steele said, noting that both Harrodsburg and Burgin will continue contributing the same as the past. Steele said the county could not afford to wait until the other partners made a move.
“We didn’t have a choice,” Steele said.
Some of the magistrates said voters have asked about a possible tax increase.
“It doesn’t make it easy,” said Steele, who said she’s talking with Harrodsburg Chief Administrative Office Stacey Maynard on the issue. “We’re hopeful they’re going to work with us.”
