Health Department to seek council approval to fund community paramedic program; contract posted for 30‑day review

Warrick County Health Officer Dr. Curry said Feb. 18 the health department will ask the county council on March 3 to approve appropriations that fund a community paramedic program using a combination of COVID‑grant dollars and HFI carryover. "We will be on the March 3 county council meeting agenda for those appropriations," Dr. Curry said.

The department plans to split costs roughly half from COVID grants and half from the HFI carryover, Dr. Curry said, and expects contract posting and statutory notice requirements to align with the council schedule. "Since we're using HFI funds, we also have to post the contract for 30 days per statute," Dr. Curry said; staff posted the Ascension contract on the department website on Feb. 3 so the posting period will conclude about the time of the council meeting.

County legal counsel said the department must comply with statutory posting and publication requirements when using HFI funds and that such steps are standard before the county can execute appropriations tied to those funds. Counsel also said the school‑related portion of the program can be charged to the COVID grant where the work is school‑related and that MOUs with each school or the school board will likely be needed for school‑liaison duties.

The department is still finalizing the program's responsibilities and whether one staff member can cover both community paramedic duties and school‑liaison duties; counsel said those responsibilities can be reflected in the contract and job duties. Dr. Curry said Ascension's legal team is reviewing the contract and staff will meet with Tri Cap Legal on March 4 to resolve outstanding questions related to other agreements.

If the county council approves the appropriations on March 3, the department would move forward with contract execution and program implementation under the agreed terms. No formal appropriation had been completed at the Feb. 18 meeting.