Commissioners approve final MOU with city and Morrill hospital for ambulatory services

CHEYENNE COUNTY – The Cheyenne County Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement between Cheyenne County, the City of Sidney and Morrill County Community Hospital to provide ambulatory services to Cheyenne County with the purchase of two ambulances to start July 1.

During an emergency meeting on June 22, Cheyenne County Commissioner Chairman Darrell Johnson, Vice Chairman Philip Sanders and Commissioner Randal Miller approved an agreement with Morrill County Community Hospital (MCCH) and the City of Sidney to purchase two ambulances to be used in a seamless transition – with the city buying one of the ambulances and the county buying the other.

MCCH will be required to pay back the promissory note in equal installments of $20,000 on July 1 every year starting on July 1, 2024 with the last payment being July 1, 2028.

The temporary loan is being paid out of the Cheyenne County Inheritance Tax Revenue Fund and will fully be repaid.

The agreement states:

WHEREAS, (Cheyenne) County and City (Sidney) desire to obtain medical transportation and related services by MCCH and MCCH is willing to render such services to County and City in accordance with this agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, it is agreed as follows:

1. SERVICES OF MCCH. MCCH will perform the following services for County:

A. Maintain two (2) ambulances staffed and equipped to meet or exceed regulations of the State of Nebraska, Department of Health and Human Services, Regulation and Licensure. One (1) ambulance shall be equipped to provide Advanced Life Support.

B. Ensure that One (1) ambulance is physically always is located in County and does not leave County at any time to cover 9-1-1 services. MCCH has sole discretion over where ambulances shall be physically located at all times, as it deems fit to perform pursuant to this agreement.

C. Be on call for and accomplish ambulance transportation of persons in need of medical services to and from medical facilities on a twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) days per week basis.

D. Transport inmates and patients under law enforcement custody or Emergency Protective Custody (EPC) to the nearest appropriate health care facility and bill the law enforcement agency with legal responsibility for services rendered according to the fee schedule of the facility then in effect. In the event that the law enforcement agency with legal responsibility for services rendered is unable or unwilling to pay such a bill within 90 days of issuance, County and/or City shall reimburse MCCH in full for said billed amount.

E. Provide coordination of EMS services during the Cheyenne County Fair.

F. Provide other ambulance transport or related services as requested and agreed to by MCCH. MCCH will not transport those who have been pronounced dead by the County Coroner.

G. Be responsible for the care and management of patients during transport.

H. Be responsible for providing a Physician Medical Director that meets or exceeds the Nebraska Rules and Regulations and the Nebraska Revised Statutes pertaining to ambulance services. The applicable statutes are currently located in Article 12 of Chapter 38 of the Nebraska Revised Statues, Reissue of 2016.

2. OBLIGATIONS OF COUNTY and CITY. County and City will:

A. Provide dispatching services to MCCH at no cost.

B. Provide an interest-free loan or loans as needed to purchase additional ambulance units deemed necessary by MCCH for performance under this agreement.

C. Cooperate with MCCH in locating a suitable site for housing for duty crew and ambulances and providing said site for housing at no cost to MCCH.

3. OBLIGATIONS OF MORRILL COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. MCCH will:

A. Manage all aspects of the furnishing of ambulance services under this agreement, including, but not limited to: scheduling, disciplining, training, supervision and payment of personnel who provide services under paragraph one of this agreement; ordering of disposable supplies (including medications); and maintenance, stocking and cleaning of ambulances and equipment.

B. Respond to the area's requests for transport in a reasonably timely manner under the circumstances.

C. Employ a sufficient number of qualified personnel to perform its services and obligations hereunder. Such personnel shall be employees of Morrill County Community Hospital and not the County or City, and such personnel shall be controlled solely by Morrill County Community Hospital in its sole independent discretion.

D. Procure and keep in force at its expense one (1) commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1 million dollars coverage per occurrence with a $2 million dollar general aggregate, two automobile liability insurance of not less than $1 million dollars combined single limit; three (3) professional liability insurance covering its activities hereunder affording not less than $1 million dollars coverage per incident with $3 million dollars coverage aggregate; and four (4) workers' compensation insurance covering all personnel involved with the services provided under this agreement who are its employees. MCCH will furnish County and City with evidence of such insurance upon request.

E. Bill patients, intermediaries, third-party payers or agencies for services rendered hereunder and retain all proceeds with full risk of collections.

After some discussion, the commissioners agreed to sign both the resolution and the promissory note to purchase one of the two ambulances for MCCH while the City of Sidney purchases the second one needed.

The commissioners said going forward, there will be more communication between MCCH, the city and the county and the agreement to end services is more agreeable for the city and county.

A future edition of the Sun-Telegraph will feature the CCC full monthly meeting.