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Des Moines County EMS Association asks supervisors to consider pay for county medical director
Summary
At public comment, the county’s EMS association said Dr. Owens has served as medical director since 2023 without compensation and asked the board to consider a county-funded stipend similar to neighboring counties; supervisors agreed to place the topic on the next meeting agenda.
Representatives of the Des Moines County EMS Association asked the Board of Supervisors to consider compensating the county medical director, who oversees protocols and medical oversight for the county’s emergency medical services providers.
The association’s representative said Dr. Owens, who serves as the medical director for all EMS entities in Des Moines County, is handling extensive regulatory and oversight responsibilities without pay. “Up to this point, Des Moines County has not had somebody that was officially the EMS director,” the association representative said, describing the county’s reliance on a volunteer model in prior years and summarizing the scope of the medical director role.
Dr. Owens told the board he was a paramedic locally from 2008 to 2016, completed medical school and residency, and “moved back, and then that’s when I took over in the 2023. So it’s been about 2 years now.” He said his duties include establishing and ensuring adherence to clinical protocols used by county EMS agencies and that the role carries professional and legal responsibilities.
Comparison with neighboring counties and county response - The association reported that Washington and Cedar counties pay medical directors between $10,000 and $12,000 annually; those funds come from the county, not from the individual EMS agencies. - County staff and the board discussed possible compensation models, including a flat annual stipend. One county official mentioned an illustrative annual amount of $2,500 during the discussion; that figure was discussed as an example, not a final proposal.
Board action Supervisors agreed to place a formal item on the next meeting agenda so the board and staff can prepare contract language, draft a position description and estimate cost. Planning and legal review were discussed; the county attorney was present and indicated standard contract review would follow.
Why it matters Medical directors sign or oversee clinical protocols that affect care delivered by all county EMS providers; a funded arrangement could change oversight responsibilities or county costs and would require a contract or stipend approved by the board.
Next steps The board said the matter will be added to the agenda for the following week to allow staff to bring draft contract language and a recommended budget amount. No compensation was approved at the session.
