Transaction Description:
EDUCATION FOR COVINGTON COUNTY EMS - THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 19,573 CITIZENS OF RURAL COVINGTON COUNTY. THIS COUNTY IS DECLARED AS A RURAL AREA BY HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND U.S. CENSUS BUREAU. IN 2020, COVINGTON COUNTY REQUIRED 4124 AMBULANCE RESPONSES AND 3200 TRANSPORTS. THE COUNTY-OWNED AMBULANCES RESPONDING TO THESE REQUESTS IS A STAFF OF 30 COMPRISED OF EMS DRIVERS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS, AND PARAMEDICS. THE AMBULANCE SERVICE STAFFS THREE 12-HOUR AMBULANCES FROM 7AM TO 7PM AND TWO 12-HOUR AMBULANCES FROM 7PM TO 7AM. THE AVERAGE AMBULANCE CALL IS 2 HOURS LONG AND 40 MILES IN TRANSPORT. OVER HALF OF THE AMBULANCE RESPONSES ARE TRANSPORTED TO A LEVEL 2 FACILITY IN HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI-30 MILES TO THE SOUTH OF COLLINS, WERE THE AMBULANCE SERVICE IS STATION. THE AMBULANCE CALL VOLUME ANNUALLY (4124 IN 2020) IS ROUGHLY EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN POVERTY (4,328 IN 2019 CENSUS PREDICTIONS) IN COVINGTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI. FOR THE SMALL SIZE, THE SERVICE IS BUSY. SURROUNDING COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE, 30 MILES IN ANY DIRECTION, IS A LARGER, MORE SOPHISTICATED AMBULANCE OPERATION WITH SHORTER TRANSPORT TIMES BETTER EQUIPMENT AND CONDITIONS, BENEFITS, ADVANCEMENT, AND PAY. IN THE LAST YEAR WITH COVID 19 PANDEMIC, TWO DEVASTATING TORNADOES, DECREASING MENTAL HEALTHCARE, AND INCREASE VOLUME OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE, COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE IS HAVING TROUBLE RECRUITING EMTS. RECENT EMS LITERATURE HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFECTS THAT SUPERVISION HAS ON THE EMS WORKFORCE. COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE SHIFT LEADERS ARE GOOD PARAMEDICS, BUT THEY LACK FORMAL SUPERVISION TRAINING. THIS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE TURNOVER AND RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTY. THE FLEET AT COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE IS AGING. THERE IS NOT AN AFFORDABLE CERTIFIED AMBULANCE MECHANIC NEARBY TO PROVIDE REPAIRS AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TO THE VEHICLES. CURRENTLY COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE MUST OUTSOURCE BILLING BECAUSE OF AN UNTRAINED STAFF REGARDING BILLING AND CODING. THIS HINDERS THE FISCAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICE. THE LACK OF AN ADEQUATE EMS WORKFORCE PIPELINE, LACK OF SUPERVISION TRAINING, DEFICIENCIES CODING AND BILLING KNOWLEDGE, AND NO LOCAL AMBULANCE MECHANICS THREATENS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE AMBULANCE SERVICE. IT THREATENS THE CITIZENS OF COVINGTON COUNTY. COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE PROPOSES AN EDUCATIONAL PROJECT TO RECRUIT COUNTY CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE IN EMS DRIVERS, EMT, OR ADVANCED EMT TRAINING. THIS WOULD CREATE AN APPLICANT POOL FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH THE AMBULANCE SERVICE OR VOLUNTEERS WITH THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT WOULD PROVIDE FORMAL EMS SUPERVISION TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION TO THE SIX PARAMEDICS THAT FUNCTION AS SHIFT LEADERS; TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION TO THREE OF THE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL; AND TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION FOR AMBULANCE MECHANICS. COVINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AMBULANCE SERVICE REQUESTS $199,970 TO FORTIFY THE EMS WORKFORCE PIPELINE FOR THE AREA. IT WOULD ENSURE UNINTERRUPTED EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR THE CITIZENS OF COVINGTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI.
