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Des Moines County EMS Association urges board to fund medical director role
Summary
The Des Moines County EMS Association asked the board to consider county-funded compensation for the county medical director, saying the role is required by state rule, currently unpaid in Des Moines County, and that neighboring counties pay between $10,000 and $12,000 annually.
The Des Moines County EMS Association asked the Des Moines County Board of Supervisors on Thursday to consider paying the countys medical director to ensure continuous oversight of emergency medical services.
The associations representative told the board that Dr. Owens currently serves as the county medical director and "his license is basically on the line for each EMS provider in Des Moines County," adding that the role requires enforcing state and federal protocols across local EMS providers. The representative said previous medical oversight ran through volunteers and that Carlos Falcon, the prior provider, received no pay.
The representative said two neighboring counties Washington and Cedar pay their medical directors between $10,000 and $12,000 a year, with those funds coming from county budgets rather than from individual EMS entities. "Maybe coming to the board is the right first approach to see what we should do with this situation," the representative said.
Dr. Owens, who identified himself during the meeting, summarized his background: he worked as a paramedic from 2008 to 2016, completed medical school and residency in 2023, and has served as the county medical director since returning in 2023.
Board members and staff discussed next steps. The association provided a contract template from Washington County for the boards county attorney to review, and a county staff member noted the matter will require a formal vote. The chair told the meeting that the item "will be on the agenda for next week" so the board can consider compensation options and any contract language.
The board did not adopt compensation at the work session; members asked staff and the county attorney to review the proposed template and return the item for formal consideration at the next regular meeting.
