HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08 Firemed Administrative Services Contract with Life Flight Network, LLC AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 4/7/2014
Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Brian Evanoff Staff Phone No: 736-1019
Estimated Time: Consent Calendar
S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Provide Financially Responsible and
Innovative Government Services
ITEM TITLE: FIREMED ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES CONTRACT WITH LIFE FLIGHT NETWORK, LLC
ACTION
REQUESTED:
By motion: Authorize City Manager to sign a contract extension with Life Flight
Network, LLC to provide inter-facility critical care ambulance transport services
from the Springfield ambulance service area (ASA#5) to other locations.
ISSUE STATEMENT:
This contract will continue to allow SFLS to subcontract critical care ground ambulance
calls originating at the hospitals in ASA#5 to Life Flight Network. This will preserve
the availability of SFLS ambulances for emergency scene calls as well as provide the best quality patient care available.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. First Amendment to Life Flight Network, LLC Contract
DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Quality patient care is our highest priority. Air medical is the preferred method to
transport critical care patients whose conditions require specialized treatment and are
time sensitive. Occasionally, due to weather, mechanical breakdowns, or other
unforeseen circumstances, the air medical resources in our area may be unavailable. In
that case, due to the timely nature of the transport, the option is send these patients by
ground ambulance. This contract addresses those few occasions each year when this situation occurs. The projected number of critical care ground ambulance inter-facility transports is approximately 15-20 per year. Critical care patients require specialized medical care beyond the scope of SFLS Paramedics. Therefore, to complete a critical care, ground transport, specially trained nurses are required to accompany the medic unit crew and provide care to the patient during transfer. This puts a burden on the hospital staff, as well as taking one SFLS
medic unit out-of-service for ASA#5 calls. Inter-facility transports are generally to the
Portland metro area, requiring approx. 5-6 hours round trip.
Life Flight Network has a critical care team assigned to the Eugene area, and provides
23/7/365 coverage out of their base at 2nd and Chambers. These highly trained people
are skilled in delivery of critical care, and ideally suited to the transport of such patients. Life Flight will subcontract the actual ambulance and qualified driver from a local resource, and ensure quality care is provided. SFLS Transport volumes continue to hold steady for FY14, and contracting these critical care transports will help ensure SFLS is available for emergency calls as call volume increases.
ATTACHMENT 1