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Minutes 03/12/1997 EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE ADVISORY COUNCIL *' (EMSAC) INFORMAL MINUTES March 12, 1997 3:00 P.M. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES HEADQUARTERS 3301 East Tamiami Trail Council Bob Laird Excused Members: Fay Biles Members: Mike Davis Paul Gunther-Mohr Palma Fuson Tim Smith Rhona Saunders Gary Young Sheldon Reed Bob Schank Un-excused Members: Roger Evans Sharon Hanlon Others: Leo Ochs Diane B. Flagg Jeff Page Barbara Brown The regular monthly meeting of the Collier County EMSAC committee was called to order at 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday March 12, 1997 by Bob Laird Chairman. The minutes of the February 12, 1997 meeting were approved. OLD BUSINESS - No old business to discuss NEW BUSINESS - Leo Ochs reported on the FY97/98 budget. The EMS budget in terms of expanded service's is proposing to consider two (2) new units; one (1) for the Hickory Shores area and One (1 ) for the Golden Gate Estates area. These units are to being requested due to growth and in inability to respond within the 6 minute standard. Also looking at upgrading the Data Management system in EMS, to take more advantage of the current technology that is available and try to link this with the billing system in Revenue Services so we can expedite the time between service and issuance of the billing statement. One of the problems we have run into is gathering the data on the trip tickets in the field, sending this information from the field back into Quality Control, and then sending information back into Department of Revenue so they can begin to process the bill. Part of the Data Management system objective is to automate the process through scanning or other technology of the trip tickets that would allow us to send the demographic information that the medics obtain on the trip tickets immediately to Revenue Services so they can begin their processing of the statements a little faster. , Sheldon Reed thought the Sheriffs Department was looking at a new CAD system, and maybe that system could be piggy back into the EMS Department. Leo Ochs had discussed this with John Yonkosky and suggested John look into this as well. To do this an additional clerical FTE would be needed as well as managing the medical records request. Attorneys now go to the Department of Revenue to look for this information and EMS is the custodian of those medical records. Customers are being sent back and forth between the two facilities. Revenue Services spend a lot of time looking for these records, and someone must do this work and if Department of Revenue can't do it, it would fault to EMS, so it could possibly be done by volunteers, part time people or FTE if we could team it up with this Data Management system. With Revenue Services needing assistance with Medical Records, EMS is seeking a temporary person until the end of the fiscal year and at this point we have budgeted for is not the records person but a person to manage the computers, so we can do the data input in the field and then down-load all the information into the Revenue Services to their software program. Revenue Services is hooked into the NCH computer, but due to the time it takes for the computer to work with the NCH computer, DOR is currently going across the street and using the computer at Physicians Billing a completely separate office. That is how they are accessing with NCH. At this time the trip tickets are scanned in, but there are no demographics scanned in. The only thing scanned are initial blood pressure, illness, etc. but there is an entire side of the run report the medic has to write out. That information does not go into a computer. When the chart goes to DOR, the DOR hires two clerical people to input the demographic information. From that point they go to NCH for additional information needed and then the bill is sent. Under the proposed Data Manager this will become completely seamless, the initial information will down load to the NDT, the medic will complete the chart then up load to headquarters. The Data Manager will manage all of this and send the ASCII file that is needed over to DOR and they will not have to input anything at that point. Diane Flagg stated the closest station to Lely Barefoot Beach and the Bonita Shores area is located on Vanderbilt Beach Road at Pelican Bay. This results in a twelve to fifteen minute response time to that area. A unit was planned for that area in last year growth management but was not implemented at that time, but will be pursued this year. The Golden Gate Estates area, in the last five years has had a 97% population increase. As a result of this growth rate, and with the closest unit being in Golden Gate City, this will be the second area that we are seeking to address this year. To add a unit, complete with personnel, in this years budget it will be approximately $331,000. This will be the impact on the EMS budget per unit. Leo will keep the board advised on the budget as it goes through the channels. Mike Davis asked about the new Fire Chief in North Naples saying one of his goals is to expand Emergency Medical Services. Diane Flagg explained he was not familiar with the situation in Collier County. He did not know that greater than 50% of the time the EMS medic unit is on the scene at the same time or before the North Naples Fire Unit. One of the reasons this was started, years ago, was because the fire truck was available and medic units were not. The new Chief is from a Fire/EMS system and the communication channels will be kept open. Diane did discuss with the Chief the possibility of using a wing of the North Naples station that is not being used, to house an EMS station. Rhona Saunders asked what the situation was with Lee County using our ambulances. Diane Flagg stated Lee County will have a second unit in Bonita at the end of the month. We send a unit only for an emergency. This has been a very busy season with 140 calls in one 24 hour period. EMS is projecting 2,000 more billable calls this year. NCH and EMS will be exchanging fluids and tubing by the end of the week. The hospital will bill for the fluids and EMS will receive a fluid bag in exchange for each one left at the hospital with a patient. SPECIAL RISK Special Risk insurance is available to law enforcement, and fire fighters. Paramedic's and EMT's are a relatively new profession. The medics worked very hard to get this through legislation last year, but it did not make it. This year they have the support of Representative Burt Sunders, and hopefully with more support this bill will past. Leo Ochs stated the bad side of this is that the employer will have to pay 100% of the pension contribution. In the past Collier County has taken a neutral stand. Bob Laird, Chairman polled the committee to see if there would be any problem to changing the date of the monthly meetings. He has been appointed to the State of Florida Contractors Licensing Board and the date will conflict. Everyone was in agreement to change the monthly meeting dates to the first Wednesday of each month in lieu of the second Wednesday, The next meeting date will be April 2, 1997 at EMS headquarters. Meeting adjourned.