Starke County EMS to Update Reporting Software

Posted on August 16, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI

The reporting software for the Starke County EMS Department is getting an upgrade.

EMS Director Travis Clary told the Starke County Commissioners last week that the state is requiring the department to be system compliant with report writing software. The department has to show substantial progress of upgrading software by Nov. 1 or else face a $500 fine per occurrence.

There are certain statistics the state is looking for and the current software doesn’t allow for that to be reported to the state.

Two systems were reviewed and Health EMS was the cheaper option at $9,792 which is a yearly payment for five years paid for by the EMS Department. Clary and Clerk Mary Lynn Ritchie are pleased with this company and the programming available. It will also speed up billing.

ESO provided a quote for the same type of software for an additional $5,000.

IT Director Richard Franks hasn’t extensively looked at the program, but said it would work fine.

The Starke County Commissioners approved a motion to approve the proposal from Health EMS pending the review of the legal agreement by County Attorney Marty Lucas.

The reporting software can be linked with the Physio Control devices used by paramedics and EMTs. Laptops can be used by the personnel to fully work with the new reporting software as it all links together. The commissioners asked Clary and Franks to work with options to purchase those computers and that will be reviewed at the next meeting.