EMS agencies take heed to possible changes to Hillsdale County ambulance contract

HILLSDALE COUNTY — Ambulance administrators in Hillsdale County are worried about possible language being added to the county’s ambulance contract that they say may worsen existing issues caused by a nationwide EMS shortage.

Keith O’Neil, Reading Emergency Unit's executive director, sent an email to municipal leaders and village board members Sept. 25 expressing his concerns. A copy of the email was forwarded to The Hillsdale Daily News from a municipal elected official.

In the email, O’Neil alleges Hillsdale Hospital administrators met with Hillsdale County commissioners to discuss the needs of the hospital and one of those needs is having an ambulance service that will perform transfers for Hillsdale Hospital to other hospitals outside of the county. The Hillsdale Daily News has not been able to independently verify the meeting took place.

“This has been an issue that my predecessor was dealing with and I continue to have discussions on it,” O’Neil stated in his letter.

O’Neil further stated that in years past, his predecessor, former REU director David Slifka, had to seek legal counsel to stop the commissioners from “illegally adding language into the ambulance millage contract that would have benefited Hillsdale Hospital.”

Specifically, O’Neil stated the commissioners at the time were “manipulating the ambulance millage contract by adding contract language that would tie Hillsdale Hospital transfers into the approved ambulance millage contract.”

Commissioner Brent Leininger argued the millage language specified the funding would be used for ambulance services which includes transfers.

O’Neil stated the ambulance millage ballot language approved by voters did not mention hospital transfers and the millage was to ensure emergency medical services when 911 is activated.

The letter continued to claim that Leininger and Commissioner Brad Benzing are working to rewrite the millage contract language, although O’Neil admitted he had not seen the new contract yet.

“I have been advised through off the record conversations that a commissioner has said the contract does not have to be with Reading Emergency Unit as it can be with whoever they choose,” O’Neil stated. “There have been other off the record conversations amongst the fire chiefs that run ambulance services within our county that have mentioned the commissioners are 'up to no good again.'”

Benzing, the commissioner’s public safety committee chairman, responded to O’Neil’s statements in an email to The Hillsdale Daily News.

“At this time, there is no proposed language that has been drafted regarding the ambulance contracts,” Benzing stated. “Commissioner Leininger and I are charged with negotiating the new contracts and have not even met yet to go over any proposals. As of today, we have not made any proposals to any agency.”

Leininger confirmed he and Benzing had yet to meet to discuss the contract, but said conversations are ongoing as to what the ambulance needs are in the county.

Turning to O’Neil’s email to municipal leaders, Benzing stated that “any statements by (O'Neil) are purely speculation as to what may or may not (be) proposed.”

Benzing added that transfers have been a previous topic of discussion and that it may or may not be part of negotiations this time around.

“The county of Hillsdale spends about $1.5 million a year of taxpayer money on contracted ambulance services,” Benzing stated. “The county commission is responsible to see that county residents receive the best value and service for the dollars that they entrust to us.”

Hillsdale Hospital would not directly confirm or deny if it has engaged in discussions with the commissioners regarding transfers to a higher level of care.

“Communities across the country are currently grappling with shortages in EMS care and Hillsdale is no different,” stated Rachel Lott, director of marketing, development, community outreach and governmental affairs for Hillsdale Hospital, in an email. “EMS services are working hard to meet the need, but even so, we often have patients waiting hours or even days for transfer to higher levels of care. We have been exploring all possible avenues, partners and funding sources to solve this problem and will continue to do so until we have consistent availability of transport for our patients.”

When the prior Hillsdale County Board of Commissioners attempted to include transfer language in the ambulance millage contract in years past, Hudson Area Ambulance warned they would discontinue service in Hillsdale County’s Pittsford and Jefferson townships.

If that did happen, one of the other four agencies — Wright-Waldron EMS, Addison EMS, Somerset EMS or REU — would likely have to step in to fill that shortage.

Leininger said that while draft language is pending, nothing has been decided and the commissioners could go one way or the other.

O'Neil stated in his letter that REU currently takes around 500 transfers per year out of Hillsdale Hospital in addition to the transfers by Hudson EMS, Addison EMS, Somerset EMS and Wright-Waldron EMS.

Commissioner Chairman Mark Wiley said he believed the numbers referenced in O'Neil's letter were exaggerated.

The Hillsdale Daily News obtained call sheets from REU under the Freedom of Information Act which indicate the agency conducted 546 transfers in 2021 with a majority of those transfers being to Kalamazoo or Battle Creek. To date, in 2022, REU has performed 373 transfers out of Hillsdale Hospital.

“These transfers are to move patients to a higher level of care,” O’Neil stated. “Maybe our county commissioners should be asking Hillsdale Hospital administrators what they are doing to keep patients at Hillsdale Hospital. If Hillsdale Hospital offered a higher level of care, then there would be less ambulance transfers and more ambulances available for 911 calls.”

In a follow up interview with The Hillsdale Daily News, O'Neil said that he has stopped "emptying the fleet" for transfers, reserving one advanced life support unit for emergency 911 calls. Transfers would then be accepted again when an additional REU ambulance was able to return to Hillsdale County.

O'Neil has been a frequent visitor at municipal meetings answering directly to concerned citizens frustrated with EMS response times. Many citizens have asked why, at times, Hudson EMS or Somerset EMS is traveling over 20 minutes away into REU's coverage area for 911 calls for various medical emergencies.

Wiley said an additional issue with REU has been the lack of crews on duty at any given time.

He said that when the millage passed in 2018, former REU Director David Slifka promised to increase staffing.

O'Neil said REU is not exempt from the nation-wide EMS shortage, noting there was over 1,000 open EMS positions in Michigan.

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REU has adapted new recruiting and retention policies to attract new EMS personnel to its ranks, including revising benefits and adopting a flexible work schedule. The agency has also rewarded loyalty by sending long serving emergency medical technicians to paramedic school to increase its advanced life support capabilities.

O'Neil, a paramedic himself, often times steps out of his office and back into an ambulance, responding to various emergencies throughout Hillsdale County.

For disclosure, Benzing works as an advanced emergency medical technician for Huron Valley Ambulance which does not currently operate within Hillsdale County nor does HVA have a contract with the county. He also serves as a firefighter/medical first responder with the Woodbridge Township Fire Department.

— Corey Murray is a staff writer for The Hillsdale Daily News and may be reached by email at cmurray@hillsdale.net. Follow him on twitter: @cmurrayHDN.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: EMS agencies take heed to possible changes to ambulance contract