Greene County board votes to pursue regional transportation grant for a transfer ambulance

At a Greene County board meeting, the chair moved and the board voted to pursue a regional health-transportation grant to fund a dedicated transfer ambulance and staff. The board’s decision followed a presentation by David, the county EMS director, who said Region 5 has allocated nearly $9 million for transportation improvements and that the grant award—if secured—would support operations for up to five years.

David outlined a model that would staff a transfer truck Monday through Friday on 12-hour shifts and estimated a preliminary five-year funding request of about $1,855,000. He said ongoing maintenance after the five-year grant period could cost roughly $200,000–$265,000 (transcript phrasing), a point several board members cited as a key sustainability question when weighing the application.

Board members discussed how the grant favors regional approaches and that listing mutual assistance—helping neighboring hospitals—would increase the chance of award. The chair noted the county already provides mutual aid at times and emphasized the need to demonstrate regional benefit. Members discussed separating transfer-billing in their records to allow the truck to fund itself if possible and the variability of payer rates for transfer mileage.

After discussion, the chair moved that the entire board pursue the grant and investigate the numbers further before the next meeting; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. David agreed to email the preliminary budget model to members so the board can take a deeper dive at the next meeting.

Next steps: staff will provide detailed budget proposals and usage projections for the proposed transfer truck at the next board meeting, and the board will decide whether to submit a formal grant application.