June 19, 2024 |
Photo – Saratoga’s SCWEMS Ambulance Barn – Bigfoot99 file photo
The South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services board updated county commissioners on new ambulances and payment opportunities.
During yesterday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, SCWEMS Board Chairwoman Irene Archibald presented the commissioners with a copy of the upcoming fiscal year 2024 through 2025 budget. Archibald said the SCWEMS board has set aside $225,000 to purchase a new ambulance. The board chairwoman said the money for the ambulance is coming from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Industrial Siting Committee. Archibald said she hopes to take delivery of the medical transport vehicle by the beginning of next year.
Archibald said the SCWEMS board has applied for a $50,000 Wyoming Intertie impact assistance grant. The board chairwoman said the money will be used to cover a portion of the cost of the new ambulance.
Archibald said the SCWEMS board is also using a portion of the Industrial Siting money to cover the salaries of their four full-time employees.
The board chairwoman said volunteer EMTs are getting harder and harder to come by.
Archibald said SCWEMS is currently participating in a Medicare reimbursement study. The board chairwoman said the study is necessary because the federal health insurance program only pays a fraction of what SCWEMS bills them.
However, Archibald said Medicare will decrease its payments to SCWEMS if the medical transportation organization refuses to participate in the study. The commissioners compared the federal agency’s actions to a mafia-style shakedown. Archibald says she hopes SCWEMS will begin receiving a little more money from Medicare.
Archibald said SCWEMS is using federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding to cover half the price of a plot of land for a new ambulance barn in Hanna. The board chairwoman said SCWEMS will continue to seek out more grant money for the project.
Archibald said the Hanna ambulance barn should cost roughly $520,000 to build.
On July 1st, the SCWEMS board will have a new member. Archibald said Gayle Wessel will take Helen Weiland’s place as the Riverside SCWEMS representative. The board chairwoman said Weiland has been a part of the ambulance service since its formation.
Archibald said the SCWEMS board does a great job keeping the ambulance service running. The board chairwoman thanked the six other SCWEMS board members.
Archibald said she is excited for the outcome of the Medicare reimbursement study because SCWEMS provides a lot of charity care throughout Carbon County.
