Elmore County and St. Luke’s sign termination agreement for EAS

It was a time for celebration as the Elmore County Commissioners signed the agreement to transfer emergency medical services from St. Luke’s to the county. The event marked the culmination of six months of collaborative work between St. Luke’s Health System and Elmore County.

On Friday the Commissioners signed a Termination Agreement between the county, St. Luke’s, and the Elmore County Hospital District. Although called a Termination Agreement, it really begins a new chapter in providing emergency medical services (EMS) to Elmore County residents. Effective October 1, 2019, the EMS which is currently provided through St. Luke’s will become part of the county.

According to Alan Roberts, Elmore County Emergency Services Director, “It’s a huge step for the county. It gives us total control and management of the whole system. That way we can keep track of everything.”

Angie Heinzman, Director of Operations for Air St. Luke’s, served as the project manager to shepherd this process of transferring emergency medical services from St. Luke’s to the County. She stressed the advantage of local control that the Agreement brings: “There is a lot of pride in the agencies for the community. They’ll have a lot of input on it, a lot more ownership, and put a lot more investment into it.”

The Commissioners and the St. Luke’s team were unanimous in commending the team for cooperation and teamwork. Dave McFadyen, VP of Population Health for Boise, Elmore and McCall for St. Luke’s, remarked “The County and the St. Luke’s team have been a great partnership to make this a smooth transition.”

After the signing of the Agreement, the Commissioners, County officials, and St. Luke’s representatives gathered for cake and pictures.

In other business before the Commissioners, Derik Janousek gave a report on the Glenns Ferry Fire Department. The Commissioners unanimously approved a $5,200 payment for training, then received a summary report on recent incidents in the GFFD jurisdiction. Commission Chair Bud Corbus, praised Janousek for the way the GFFD has stepped in to provide EMS to the area.

Janousek updated the Commissioners on the status of the radio system including the radio repeater installation already underway. There was some discussion about whether to keep the current mobile repeater or use the existing components in a new fixed mountain top site, but no motion was made on the issue. The acquisition of 13 new field radios and pagers might qualify for grant funding, so it was suggested that Janousek consult with county personnel familiar with these sources.

The Commissioners spent time discussing a letter being prepared to the Bureau of Land Management. There is some frustration about the fuel loads that are building up on BLM lands. These are thought to present danger to private and public grazing lands. After reviewing photographs of such dangerous conditions, there was agreement among the Commissioners on the need for the letter, but there are still some wording changes being made.

There was a request from Old Dominion Solar Company to refund a building permit fee they had paid, but never used. The Commissioners unanimously agreed to refund the $683 fee

In executive sessions the Commissioners met to consider indigent applications, personnel matters, and receive an update on a property acquisition.

The next meeting of the Elmore County Commissioners will be on Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. in the basement of the courthouse.