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Iowa County EMS reports steady call volume, equipment donations and staffing turnover
Summary
County EMS reported 151 calls in July, steady transports and a positive year-to-date cost variance; staff noted equipment donations and two full-time vacancies coming up for orientation.
Iowa County Emergency Medical Services reported steady call volumes and routine operations at the board’s Aug. 15 meeting, and staff described recent equipment donations and upcoming staffing transitions.
Lauren, an EMS representative, said the service handled 151 calls in the reporting period, similar to June, with 105 transports and 46 canceled or refused calls. She said there were 24 occasions when both ambulances were busy; on nine of those the agency staffed a backup truck without calling in another ambulance. Transfers were lower on July 17, she said.
Financially, Lauren reported July expenses of $188,369 against a budget of $209,107 and July revenue of $98,707 compared with a budgeted $108,708. Year-to-date, the service remained under budget by $20,738. Lauren said the agency still had a positive cost variance of $10,707.
Lauren described equipment gains: the service received four units described in the transcript as “nanolayers” from Iowa Home and Security Management after the group cleaned out a warehouse and donated surplus COVID-related supplies. UnityPoint performed preventive maintenance on EKG machines. Staff said the new equipment will support expanded use of noninvasive ventilation (BiPAP) in the future, while ambulances currently provide CPAP.
On personnel, Lauren said both full-time positions have been vacated and new hires will begin staggered orientation over the next four to six weeks; two staff members are on medical leave (one for three weeks and one for eight to 12 weeks). Patient satisfaction remained high at about 97 percent. Lauren said training and preparedness activities continue, including an upcoming August session on anaphylaxis led by a local physician.
The report was informational; no formal board action was recorded on the EMS report in the transcript.
