VIENNA — The Maries-Osage Ambulance Board (MOAD) recently discussed the updates Administrator Brian Opoka made to the district’s medical protocols dealing with ambulance operations and response and blood draws at the request of law enforcement.

At the board’s May meeting, Opoka presented the changes. For the blood draw EMS crews are to follow medical protocol 8.21. The guidelines for the blood draws include ensuring the blood draw kit provided by law enforcement is not expired; the paperwork in the clip board for the blood draw can be used in place of a patient care report if no other treatment is needed; if EMS crew is conducting a blood draw and an emergency call comes in, the crew is to divert to the emergency call and return to handling the blood draw afterward; blood tubes are to be turned over to law enforcement after proper signatures are obtained on their paperwork.

The blood draw also impacted the protocol for ambulance operation and response. Added to that policy was if the crew is on standby waiting for a scene to be cleared and an emergency call is toned out, the closest unit to the emergency is to respond. If that unit is the one on standby the further unit will cover the standby. Also added is when the crew is obtaining a blood draw at the jail and an emergency response to a call is needed in the district, the crew will leave the blood draw and respond to the emergency. Return back to complete the blood draw after handling the emergency call. 

Opoka said he spoke with Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman about the blood draws and talked about the entire process. “I want him to understand what we want to do. He said he was when we talked.” Opoka wants the sheriff’s agreement on file. He emailed and texted him but has not received a response. Board member Victor Stratman said he will try to get Heitman to respond to Opoka who wants the sheriff to clarify he understands and “is good” if there is an emergency call the EMS crew has to respond and leave the blood draw for later. 

EMS crew member Bruce Grotewiel said he’s been asked on the scene of a response to do a blood draw. Board President Don Lanning said the Highway Patrol can get a blood draw at the hospital.

In other business at the May MOAD Board meeting:

• In old business, Opoka reported his attempt to secure a grant from the Gary Sinise Foundation to purchase the Stryker power loading system cots was not successful. Opoka said this time all of the money went to requests by veterans and not to first responders.

At the March meeting, the board discussed DOT physical examinations for the district’s EMS crew members. Opoka had hoped to find a physician or someone to customize a physical for the ambulance district. The DOT physical appears to be the closest thing. His concern is some crew members may not be able to pass the DOT physical, yet still are able to do the work the ambulance district requires of them. 

Board member Laura Stratman asked what other districts do and Opoka said he does not know, but can ask. He told them what brought this about was a workers comp claim, which suggested preventing people from working if they aren’t fit. It was noted paid fire departments require annual fitness tests. Grotewiel said for another ambulance service he takes a drug and nicotine screen but no annual physical for it. Stratman said she thinks they should continue to see what the district’s options are, saying even above workers comp MOAD has liability. 

Opoka said crew members need to be fit for duty when they are hired on and a baseline is needed. People may not be at 100 percent, but were at 80 percent when they started so they can never get to 100 percent. It was a workers comp representative who suggested it, but Opoka said with the small size and location of MOAD, it may be hard to accomplish. He will continue working on this issue.

Not enough employees were interested in the Allstate supplemental insurance so MOAD will not be doing it.

•The board reorganized. Eileen Smith made a motion to keep the president and vice president the same with Don Lanning and Steve Maxwell holding those positions, respectively. Lanning made a motion nominating Laura Miller for secretary and treasurer. The board voted its approval of these new board officers.

• Office Manager Carla Butler talked to the board about claims she asked them to write off. Two were through the collection agency as one person is deceased and other declared bankruptcy. The collection agency closed the accounts. Another person owes $1,270 and they said they would pay $1,000 and asked the district to let the rest go. If the district does not accept the payment it will go to collections. The board members said there is no way to get the first two. Stratman said he thinks they should accept the $1,000 payment to “clear it out” and the board agreed. Butler said another claim was a motor vehicle accident and the patient dies. There was a medical payment on the vehicle insurance but that money went to the funeral home and the family member is refusing all of the bills. MOAD is owed $1,305.25. There is no estate pending and the bills come back marked “Deceased.” Victor Stratman said there is a slim chance MOAD will get anything. The board approved the write-offs Butler suggested.

• Opoka gave March stats of response times. The average on scene time was 21 minutes, and average arrive time at the hospital with the patient was 61 minutes. In April the average on scene time was 18.88 minutes, and average arrive time at hospital was 62 minutes.

• For EMS week May 16-21, the crew members will be treated to lunch at a local restaurant. 

• The board approved Butler doing her CEU’s for CAC certificate online at a cost of $350.

• Opoka gave a first quarter financial report. Budgeted year-to-date revenue for the first quarter is 240,833 and actual revenue is 288,857 for a positive variance of 48,024. The projected year-end revenue is 700,000 and leave a projected negative year end revenue number of 22,500.

Year-to-date budgeted expense is 240,833 and actual expense is 194,952 for a positive variance of 45,881. Projected year end expense is 690,000 for a positive variance of 30,000. 

Year-to-date revenue over expenses is 93,905 and projected year end revenues over expenses is 10,000. 

• The board members approved an employee of the month benefit of lunch for the chosen employee who goes “above and beyond” at work.

 • In the financial report for March, total income was $40,189.53 and total expenses were $71,453.52 for a negative net income of $31,263.99.

March income sources were $549.40 Maries County taxes, $614.69 Osage County taxes, $22,320.85 service fees, $16,689.41 sales tax, and $14.98 interest income.

In April total income was $39,086.67 and total expenses were $39,535.89 for a negative net income of $449.22.

April income sources were $1,492.15 Maries County taxes, $396.21 Osage County taxes, $25,402.79 service fees, $647.36 collection agency, $11,132.25 sales tax, and $15.91 interest income.