The Lee County Board of Commissioners convened on October 6, 2025, to discuss several key agenda items, with a significant focus on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) presentations from MedEx Medical Transport and First Health.

The meeting began with a presentation by Jeff White, Chief Operations Officer of MedEx, who outlined concerns regarding the EMS selection process. White highlighted that MedEx had participated in four meetings with the advisory board since their initial meeting in June, which he described as lacking structure and consistency. He raised issues about transparency, noting that the board had been instructed to make decisions in a public forum, yet the final communication was a pre-written letter, which he argued contradicted the standards of transparency expected in such processes.

White emphasized the financial implications of the decision, stating that MedEx's proposal was approximately $12 million less than that of First Health, suggesting that rejecting their bid would result in higher costs for Lee County residents without a corresponding increase in service quality. He defended MedEx's experience, citing their record of 330,000 transports over the past five years and their status as the only private service in North Carolina authorized to operate as a teaching institution.

Following White's presentation, commissioners engaged in a brief discussion. Commissioner Martin sought clarification on the number of meetings held, while Commissioner Knecht inquired about the county manager's perspective on the advisory board's meetings. The county manager reported no complaints from advisory committee members regarding the process.

The meeting then transitioned to the next presentation from First Health, although details of that presentation were not included in the transcript.

In conclusion, the meeting underscored the ongoing discussions surrounding EMS services in Lee County, particularly the importance of transparency and cost-effectiveness in the selection process. The board's next steps regarding the EMS proposals remain to be determined as they continue to evaluate the information presented.