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MEMORANDUM
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Denise Pomeroy, Health Services Director
Erin Gustafson, M.D., Interim Health Officer
DATE: February 5, 2019
SUBJECT: (Continued from January 29, 2019) - Consideration of the future of Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA) for Lake County and status of North Coast Emergency Medical Services (NCEMS)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Health Services Department has been working in collaboration with the Lake County Fire Chiefs, Sutter Lakeside Hospital and Adventist Health Clear Lake Hospital over the past eight months to address system efficiencies needed within the Local Emergency Medical Services System, including services provided by the Lake County designated EMS Agency, North Coast Emergency Medical Services (NCEMS). Monthly meetings for this purpose were scheduled in coordination with the Emergency Medical Care Committee meetings. Additional meetings as needed were scheduled at convenient times for the stakeholders.
The County of Lake, as local government, has prescribed functions and responsibilities concerning The Emergency Services Act. California Health and Safety Code, Division 2.5, Section 1797 et seq., which requires counties that elect to develop an Emergency Medical Services program (EMS) to designate a local EMS agency.
On December 22, 1992 the County of Lake entered into an agreement with NCEMS to perform the local EMS Agency functions in the administration of the County’s EMS Program. The agreement has been amended over the years including authorizing NCEMS as the Local Emergency Medical Services Agency (LEMSA) on October 16, 2012.
While the county has had a long history with NCEMS, for several years the local EMS stakeholders have expressed concerns with NCEMS’s inability to meet their needs. During the last eight months meetings have taken place to afford NCEMS the opportunity to address the stakeholders concerns. Without a resulting plan or action on the part of NCEMS to correct the concerns identified, we do not feel that NCEMS can meet the goals and objectives of the agencies, and believe that they are unable to keep up with ever changing challenges and trends currently driving the pre-hospital EMS systems. Given the medical challenges operating in a rural area where resources are thin and disasters have become the new norm, our county needs an EMS agency that is proactive and engaged to address the unique aspects of Lake County’s emergency response system, thus improving the outcomes of our critically ill and injured patients. In addition we need a LEMSA that supports our county not just for emergency planning, but during actual disasters working in collaboration with the Health Officer and the Health Services Director to full fill the Medical and Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) functions designated by the State of California to be the responsibility of the LEMSA.
The Health Services Department on behalf of the EMS Providers and Hospitals request your Board’s support and direction to staff to pursue a change in our EMS Agency/LEMSA.
FISCAL IMPACT: _x_ None __Budgeted __Non-Budgeted
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FISCAL IMPACT (Narrative): None
STAFFING IMPACT (if applicable): None
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Possible direction to staff.