Posted on December 8, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
After seeing a sharp decline in revenue for Starke County Emergency Medical Services, Clerk Mary Lynn Ritchie informed the Starke County Commissioners this week that revenue is swinging in a positive direction.
Ritchie said the number of transfers from Starke Hospital was at 35 percent, which is a lot higher than numbers reported earlier this year. The transfers were either Basic Life Support or Advanced Life Support services. The transfers help sustain the EMS budget and are the main source of revenue for the department.
As a result of in the increased number of transfers, the revenue was able to catch up compared to 2017 to about a $22,000 difference.
Additionally, EMS Director Travis Clary said four ventilator transfers and five BiPAP transfers have been made. The BiPAP equipment is required by Starke Hospital officials in order to conduct for hospital transfers. A BiPAP includes a non-invasive oxygen mask that assists a patient with breathing. The commissioners previously approved the purchase of ventilator and BiPAP machine to meet the requirements.
Showing posts with label Starke County Emergency Medical Services. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Starke County Emergency Medical Services. Show all posts
Monday, December 10, 2018
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Starke County EMS Working on New Software
Posted on October 6, 2018
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
New reporting software for Starke County EMS should be ready in about three months.
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary told the commissioners this week that a lot of the initial work is being done to get the new software ready for the department’s billing procedure.
A lot of information has been given to the company to get the software customized to the department. In the next month, they should be able to get the training necessary to go live with the program.
In August, Clary said the EMS software update was mandatory as there were certain statistics the state was looking for and the old program didn’t allow for that to be reported to the state. If there was no update, the department would be fined $500 per occurrence.
The commissioners approved a contract with Health EMS for the new software in and the council members approved the cost at $9,792 for five years. Laptops were also purchased for the ambulances to streamline billing at a cost of nearly $8,800.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
New reporting software for Starke County EMS should be ready in about three months.
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary told the commissioners this week that a lot of the initial work is being done to get the new software ready for the department’s billing procedure.
A lot of information has been given to the company to get the software customized to the department. In the next month, they should be able to get the training necessary to go live with the program.
In August, Clary said the EMS software update was mandatory as there were certain statistics the state was looking for and the old program didn’t allow for that to be reported to the state. If there was no update, the department would be fined $500 per occurrence.
The commissioners approved a contract with Health EMS for the new software in and the council members approved the cost at $9,792 for five years. Laptops were also purchased for the ambulances to streamline billing at a cost of nearly $8,800.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Starke County Community Foundation Impact Grant Utilized to Help Save Lives
Posted on August 21, 2018
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI
A recent impact grant awarded by the Starke County Community Foundation is helping local emergency personnel save lives.
Starke County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) used the $14,350 they received from the SCCF to purchase a LUCAS CPR Device, and paid for one year of maintenance for the medical apparatus. The technology performs non-stop CPR, freeing the EMS responder to treat and transport the patient to the emergency room.
According to a press release from the Community Foundation, grant committee members received a demonstration of the device from a company representative and learned that the device had been used on a patient for 21 hours, saving the patient’s life and resulting in 99 percent brain function post-event. The device will be housed in the Knox Starke County EMS location.
So far this year, the SCCF has awarded for than $315,000 in grants and scholarships and more than $40,000 has been granted through the Community Support and Impact Grants program.
Other grant recipients include the Starke County Park Board which received $5,000 for Bass Lake Beach improvements, the North Judson Beautification Committee which was awarded $7,970 for the band shell at Norwayne Field, the Yellow Stone Trail Festival which got $3,900 for programming, Psi Iota Xi was awarded $2,000 for the 2018 Young Artists’ Conference and $600 was awarded to Starke County Community Corrections for Therapeutic Community programming.
In addition to assisting those organizations, SCCF also provided $2,674 to the North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department for protective gear, $2,000 to the Habitat for Humanity Starke and Pulaski Counties, $1,000 was given to the Knox and Winamac Community Health Center for health fair supplies and $2,279 in various grants was awarded to Starke County Schools.
Area nonprofits interested in a grant should visit nicf.org or contact Associate Director Corrine Becknell Lucas at 574-223-2227.
Author Jacque Ryan, WKVI
A recent impact grant awarded by the Starke County Community Foundation is helping local emergency personnel save lives.
Starke County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) used the $14,350 they received from the SCCF to purchase a LUCAS CPR Device, and paid for one year of maintenance for the medical apparatus. The technology performs non-stop CPR, freeing the EMS responder to treat and transport the patient to the emergency room.
According to a press release from the Community Foundation, grant committee members received a demonstration of the device from a company representative and learned that the device had been used on a patient for 21 hours, saving the patient’s life and resulting in 99 percent brain function post-event. The device will be housed in the Knox Starke County EMS location.
So far this year, the SCCF has awarded for than $315,000 in grants and scholarships and more than $40,000 has been granted through the Community Support and Impact Grants program.
Other grant recipients include the Starke County Park Board which received $5,000 for Bass Lake Beach improvements, the North Judson Beautification Committee which was awarded $7,970 for the band shell at Norwayne Field, the Yellow Stone Trail Festival which got $3,900 for programming, Psi Iota Xi was awarded $2,000 for the 2018 Young Artists’ Conference and $600 was awarded to Starke County Community Corrections for Therapeutic Community programming.
In addition to assisting those organizations, SCCF also provided $2,674 to the North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department for protective gear, $2,000 to the Habitat for Humanity Starke and Pulaski Counties, $1,000 was given to the Knox and Winamac Community Health Center for health fair supplies and $2,279 in various grants was awarded to Starke County Schools.
Area nonprofits interested in a grant should visit nicf.org or contact Associate Director Corrine Becknell Lucas at 574-223-2227.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Starke County Council Discusses Ambulance Finances
Posted on July 18, 2017
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
Starke County EMS officials approached the Starke County Council members Monday night to request a transfer of funds to cover ambulance repair costs.
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary informed the board that an inactive rotation roster for primary and backup ambulances as led to a large amount of breakdowns recently. The costs for repairs have gotten to the point that funds have gone into the red with constant work being done.
There are five ambulances on the fleet: three primary and two backup.
Clary said the Medic 1 ambulance has 180,000 miles on it and it keeps breaking down. He did point out that a remodeled ambulance with a newer chassis can help with costs.
Councilman Dave Pearman questioned why the trucks are so frequently out of service when it seems the younger fleet is running, but it’s the extent of the repairs that are needed on the primary ambulances.
Mary Lynn Ritchie said the department was cut about $88,000 in the budget for the past two years which has led to this fund shortage.
The council decided to table the request so the commissioners could assist them in finding the additional money needed to fund repairs for the remainder of the year.
The council did pass a motion to approve a transfer of $6,325 from the assistant EMS director salary to the director’s salary. This is to accommodate the approval of the salary ordinance approving Clary’s promotion to EMS Director by the commissioners. After much more discussion, the council agreed to update Clary’s position in the form of a salary ordinance. He will get a $2,000 raise after three months and another $2,000 in six months if his evaluations are favorable. He will be up to a $59,000 salary offered by the commissioners to be included in the 2018 budget. His training as a paramedic was noted when deciding his wages.
Author Anita Goodan, WKVI
Starke County EMS officials approached the Starke County Council members Monday night to request a transfer of funds to cover ambulance repair costs.
Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary informed the board that an inactive rotation roster for primary and backup ambulances as led to a large amount of breakdowns recently. The costs for repairs have gotten to the point that funds have gone into the red with constant work being done.
There are five ambulances on the fleet: three primary and two backup.
Clary said the Medic 1 ambulance has 180,000 miles on it and it keeps breaking down. He did point out that a remodeled ambulance with a newer chassis can help with costs.
Councilman Dave Pearman questioned why the trucks are so frequently out of service when it seems the younger fleet is running, but it’s the extent of the repairs that are needed on the primary ambulances.
Mary Lynn Ritchie said the department was cut about $88,000 in the budget for the past two years which has led to this fund shortage.
The council decided to table the request so the commissioners could assist them in finding the additional money needed to fund repairs for the remainder of the year.
The council did pass a motion to approve a transfer of $6,325 from the assistant EMS director salary to the director’s salary. This is to accommodate the approval of the salary ordinance approving Clary’s promotion to EMS Director by the commissioners. After much more discussion, the council agreed to update Clary’s position in the form of a salary ordinance. He will get a $2,000 raise after three months and another $2,000 in six months if his evaluations are favorable. He will be up to a $59,000 salary offered by the commissioners to be included in the 2018 budget. His training as a paramedic was noted when deciding his wages.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Starke County EMS Expands Electronic Billing
Posted on May 5, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Starke County EMS is working to expand electronic billing in an effort to improve the efficiency of the service. Office manager Marylynn Richie is now able to electronically bill both traditional and railroad Medicare, BlueCross and Medicaid. By the end of the year she hopes to have all of the companies that can be billed electronically set up and running.
She told the Starke County Commissioners Monday that 195 of the 269 runs billed in April were done electronically. Richie says it saves time, especially with a vendor like BlueCross BlueShield, which has several different entities. She says the claims are sorted and sent to the correct BCBS vendor.
The electronic billing system also flags errors so they can be corrected immediately, which results in a faster payment turnaround time.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
Starke County EMS is working to expand electronic billing in an effort to improve the efficiency of the service. Office manager Marylynn Richie is now able to electronically bill both traditional and railroad Medicare, BlueCross and Medicaid. By the end of the year she hopes to have all of the companies that can be billed electronically set up and running.
She told the Starke County Commissioners Monday that 195 of the 269 runs billed in April were done electronically. Richie says it saves time, especially with a vendor like BlueCross BlueShield, which has several different entities. She says the claims are sorted and sent to the correct BCBS vendor.
The electronic billing system also flags errors so they can be corrected immediately, which results in a faster payment turnaround time.
Friday, April 7, 2017
Starke County EMS Refining Electronic Claims Submission
Posted on April 7, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The electronic billing process Starke County EMS is using to submit claims to BlueCross BlueShield is going well so far. Director Keith Emigh told the county commissioners Monday the service is tracking the time from billing to payment. He says the insurance company pays claims in the same time frame, regardless of whether they are mailed or submitted electronically.
The biggest difference is Starke County EMS is able to submit claims faster. Also, Emigh says the electronic filing process catches errors right away so they can be corrected and resubmitted.
Emigh also told the commissioners he’s in the process of applying for grants to purchase new equipment for the ambulances. Specifically he’s looking to upgrade the cots and monitors.
Author Mary Perren, WKVI
The electronic billing process Starke County EMS is using to submit claims to BlueCross BlueShield is going well so far. Director Keith Emigh told the county commissioners Monday the service is tracking the time from billing to payment. He says the insurance company pays claims in the same time frame, regardless of whether they are mailed or submitted electronically.
The biggest difference is Starke County EMS is able to submit claims faster. Also, Emigh says the electronic filing process catches errors right away so they can be corrected and resubmitted.
Emigh also told the commissioners he’s in the process of applying for grants to purchase new equipment for the ambulances. Specifically he’s looking to upgrade the cots and monitors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)