Continued problems: Stanislaus County looks to leave agency overseeing ambulance services
Stanislaus County could serve notice it is withrawing from a joint powers agency that regulates local ambulance service.
The county once again is looking for another option to replace the multi-county arrangement.
For quite some time, county leaders have not been happy with its partnership in Mountain Valley Emergency Medical Services Agency. The joint powers agency including Stanislaus, Calaveras, Mariposa, Amador and Alpine counties has existed since the early 1980s.
Stanislaus officials cite a lack of local control and inability to set priorities in line with the county’s needs. A staff report for Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting says there are inconsistencies between county practices and the administration of Mountain Valley.
In the county’s opinion, the weaknesses in the joint powers agreement existed before the coronavirus pandemic and have been exacerbated in the past year. The executive director for Mountain Valley did not return a message Monday from The Modesto Bee.
In the past decade, the county has brought problems to light, such as ambulance companies not meeting response time standards, and has tried to remedy issues with the regional agency, with only short-term improvement, the county report says.
If supervisors give approval Tuesday, the county will issue a termination notice withdrawing from Mountain Valley between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.
The county Health Services Agency and Office of Emergency Services plan to work with the smaller counties in the JPA to develop another model for administering emergency medical services.
According to the staff report, the other counties in the partnership have concerns about the possible break-up of Mountain Valley and still want to work with Stanislaus on a joint model for continuing services.
Stanislaus may try to establish an internal capability to replace what’s provided by Mountain Valley. The regional agency has set the standards for ambulance response and coordinated services in the five counties.
County staff members are recommending board approval to separate from the JPA in the 2021-22 fiscal year; however, more time is needed to “establish the details of an internal EMS function which could serve just Stanislaus County or could serve as a multi-county service on a contractual basis (with) the other counties,” the county report says.
The multi-county partnership has provided Stanislaus County with about $300,000 annually in state funding. That funding is only given to counties that team up to administer emergency medical services.
Stanislaus County talked seriously about leaving the partnership in 2010. In the past two or three years, the county has identified issues with ambulance response times and taken action in attempts to improve patient outcomes.
San Joaquin, Tuolumne and Merced counties were part of the regional agency when it was formed decades ago but later severed ties with the partnership.
The county Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the basement chamber of Tenth Street Place, at 1010 10th St., in Modesto.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 4:55 PM.
