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Highland council approves one‑year ambulance lease with HSHS St. Joseph Hospital to staff transfer unit
Summary
The Highland City Council approved a one‑year ambulance service and lease agreement with HSHS St. Joseph Hospital to staff a transfer ambulance 40 hours per week beginning March 1; the city called it a trial and said the unit will also provide emergency backup when available.
The Highland City Council on Jan. 20 approved a one‑year ambulance service and lease agreement with HSHS St. Joseph Hospital–Highland to staff a transfer ambulance 40 hours per week starting March 1.
City Manager Chris Conrad said the agreement includes a set reimbursement schedule for operating costs and maintenance and is intended as a one‑year trial. "It will not be a huge moneymaker, but it is not about generating revenue," Conrad said, adding that when the unit is not performing scheduled transfers it can provide backup for emergency calls.
The move followed a public comment warning that ambulance transfers can reduce availability for emergencies. "Response times for emergency services increase when ambulances are not available, because they are doing transports," Troy Hemann said during public comment, arguing that transfers may lead to burnout and turnover for EMS staff.
Conrad told the council that Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates create fiscal pressure: "Medicare and Medicaid pay fifty‑cents on the dollar. When eighty‑percent of calls are Medicare and Medicaid, it becomes hard to sustain." He said EMS in Highland functions as a hybrid service funded by property taxes and the general administrative fund and that the city intends to monitor the arrangement closely.
Council members voted unanimously to approve Bill #26‑10/Resolution #26‑01‑3248. Mayor Kevin B. Hemann and several council members asked for periodic updates; Conrad said staff should know within six months whether the trial is working.
The resolution authorizes the city manager to execute the agreement and directs staff to report back to council on operational and financial outcomes during the trial period.
