BENTONVILLE -- Rural ambulance service is providing quicker response times and saving Benton County money, County Judge Barry Moehring said.
Robert McGowen, public safety administrator, gave a presentation on the services Tuesday at the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Appointment
Benton County’s Committee of the Whole also on Tuesday night confirmed appointments of Rick Williams and Sean Collyge to the Planning Board. The items will move to the Quorum Court for approval.
Source: Staff report
Mutual aid agreements
Mercy Emergency Medical Services
• Lowell, Springdale, Rogers and the Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department.
Northwest Health Emergency Medical Services
• Bentonville, Bella Vista, Gravette and Siloam Springs.
Source: Benton County
The county signed contracts with Mercy Emergency Medical Services in January 2018, and Northwest Health Emergency Medical Services on Jan. 1 this year to provide more complete ambulance service coverage.
It will cost $1.3 million to provide ambulance service this year, compared with $1.5 million in 2018 and $1.8 million in 2017, according to documents. The county also has contracts with Bella Vista, Bentonville, Pea Ridge, Siloam Springs and the Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department.
The county has grappled with how to pay for ambulance service since 2012 when cities asked for help in offsetting the costs, according to the presentation. County residents passed a millage for rural service in 2014, according to the presentation.
"I think we are in a good place now," Moehring said of rural ambulance service. "It's still in the realm of health care. That's a fast-moving industry, and the cost is not going to go down."
The contract with Mercy covers the southeast part of unincorporated Benton County, including Beaver Lake, Rocky Branch, Piney Point, Arkansas 94 East, Hickory Creek and areas near Lowell, according to the presentation. The Rogers Fire Department provided ambulance service to those areas for many years, Moehring said.
Mercy partners with the Beaver Lake Fire Department to provide service. Mercy also provides air ambulance service to that part of the county, Moehring said.
The contract with Mercy is for three years with an annual cost estimate of $546,272, a savings of $272,033 compared with 2017.
The county reached a three-year agreement with Northwest for service to the rural west side of the county in October. The agreement is $292,705 per year for three years with options for extensions. The contract will save $189,473 per year.
The county contracted with Siloam Springs and Gravette for emergency medical services on the west side of Benton County. The new contract covers services for Sulphur Springs, Gravette, Maysville, Decatur, Gentry and Gallatin.
Under the new contract, Northwest has Advanced Life Support ambulances in Gentry and Gravette, Moehring said. A Northwest ambulance at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital also will help cover 911 calls, which will expand service coverage in the region, Moehring said. Northwest also provides air medical services through AirEvac.
The agreement includes three-year contracts between Gentry, Decatur and Northwest. Decatur will pay Northwest $35,750 per year and Gentry will agree to pay Northwest $72,150 for three years.
Average response times are 11 minutes and 40 seconds for Mercy and 7 minutes and 5 seconds for Northwest Health. The industry standard response time is 20 minutes, McGowen said.
"We've got more ambulances rolling along and the response times are better," Moehring said. "Everyone is covered, though in the more rural, remote areas the response time could be longer."
NW News on 07/17/2019