by Jim Ashley, Rhea County Herald-News
posted September 19, 2005
Rhea County could soon be getting additional ambulance service for its citizens and cheaper health care services for its inmates at the Rhea County Jail.
Those two items were discussed at length during the Rhea County Commission’s monthly workshop last Tuesday evening at Frazier Elementary School. A possible future wheel tax was discussed briefly, and local citizen activist June Griffin was the only person to voice opposition, which came at the conclusion of the workshop.
Professional Medical Transport (PRO MED) of Spring City had some of its representatives at the meeting to try and persuade commissioners to include PRO MED as a dispatch ambulance service provider in that area.
Rhea Emergency Medical Services had been the sole provider of ambulance service in Rhea County.
PRO MED is a Knoxville-based, ambulance-service company that has been in business since 1992. It began offering ambulance service in Spring City over three weeks ago.
Thomas “Scooter” McKeehan, PRO MED supervisor in Spring City, told the commission that PRO MED has the same A rating from the state licensing board that Rhea Emergency Medical Services has but that PRO MED also provides some things that Rhea EMS does not provide, such as emergency medical technician (EMT) drivers and emergency medical dispatching. McKeehan, who once worked for Rhea EMS, noted that Rhea EMS provides free inmate ambulance service and that PRO MED would do the same.
Much of the ambulance discussion focused on boundary lines and proximity issues. Both the commission and the ambulance representatives agreed that the top priority should be dispatching the closest available ambulance to the emergency location.
At the conclusion of the discussion, commissioners decided to consider PRO MED’s request at its Tuesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. meeting at the Rhea County Courthouse.
Regarding inmate health care services, Rich Ellis of Detention Health Care Services told the commission that his company could save the county $50,000 to $60,000 per year compared to what it is currently paying.
Rhea County spent about $175,000 last year, according to County Finance Director Brad Harris.
Ellis told the commission that if the county uses his company’s services, it will provide both a doctor and nurse on staff and a psychiatrist. He said Detention Health Care Services, which is only about a year old, provides basic health care for inmates, not such things as anti-depressants “that are not necessary in a jail.”
Ellis made the crowd laugh when he said, “I would be depressed if I were in a jail.” He then added that if he was in jail, “I could convince my psychiatrist or my mental health professional that I can’t sleep well” and needed medication.
Ellis stressed to the commissioners, “These people are in jail, folks, and the county does not need to pay that freight.”
Commissioner Bradley Varner asked Ellis to provide proof of insurance. The commission then agreed to put Ellis’s request on the October workshop agenda.
Following discussion of the workshop agenda, citizens were invited to speak. June Griffin, wearing a Paul Revere-style hat, stood up and said she was opposed to any type of tax increase. She also praised God for sparing most of Tennessee from the wrath of Hurricane Katrina.
(The Rhea County Herald-News web address is http://www.rhea.xtn.net/)
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