District finalizes new ambulance service
“Coverage will now go from Cromberg to Canyon Dam,” said Indian Valley Ambulance Services director Guy McNett. He was referring to how the new contract between IVASA and Plumas District Hospital for ground ambulance service through REMSA/Careflight will consolidate ambulance coverage for a large swath of Plumas County.
IVASA held a special meeting of the board of directors Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Greenville Town Hall to approve three resolutions related to Indian Valley’s new ambulance service — which is already in service as of this printing.
All three resolutions passed: An MOU of ambulance boundary agreements, the contract between IVASA and PDH (with REMSA serving as the subcontractor), and a payment to legal counsel for work rendered around the agreement.
The resolutions passed with the three directors present: Guy McNett, Wayne Dannemiller and Robert Heard. Directors Dan Litchfield and Tanya Henrich were not present.
Only two members of the public were present and did not offer comment.
The $45 tax per resident (that already exists) will still be collected with 94 percent going to PDH for its operation of the service and 6 percent going to IVASA for the clerical and managerial needs of the contract.
The new service was scheduled to go into place Oct. 30. There will be white ambulances with red stripes stationed on Hot Springs Road adjacent to Indian Valley Health Clinic, also run by PDH.
Another feature that pleased assembled directors was the potential trainings offered by the EMTs who will be stationed there.
According to McNett, former ambulance company PHI started work on the Heart Safe program, but the community para-medicine program’s implementation will eventually come from the new REMSA service.
Community wellness visits will be implemented for residents needing the service within the IVASA boundary as they are referred. The program will work with PDH based doctors with the goal of cutting down the need for 911 calls, ambulance calls and emergency room visits.
The IVASA board and REMSA representatives recognized that getting to the hospital and doctor’s appointments will continue to be a big concern for many residents of Indian Valley who may not have reliable transportation.
Having the EMTs across the parking lot from the clinic, according to McNett, will mean the clinic staff will be trained to recognize patient needs — especially heart concerns for immediate attention.
“This is a huge boon to the operation of the clinic too because they [REMSA] will be right there,” said McNett.
JoDee Tittle, CEO of PDH, assured that the perks of these programs are definitely “at the beginning stages” and acknowledge the short staffing of the clinic most of the summer had not been ideal.