KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Kaufman County Commissioners’ Court unanimously approved a five-year contract with CareFlite for EMS services in the county.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Kaufman County Commissioners’ Court unanimously approved a five-year contract with CareFlite for EMS services in the county.
CareFlite has been servicing the county, in a joint contract with the City of Forney, on an interim basis since March 1, 2015, after East Texas Medical Center announced it would withdraw from Kaufman County citing a change in Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance funding.
CareFlite will continue to serve the county contract under the interim contract until February 2016 when the 5-year contract takes effect.
In July, the City of Terrell also inked a 5-year deal with CareFlite. In both contracts, the municipalities agree to pay CareFlite $1 per year.
A board recommended the CareFlite contract over bids from American Medical Response (AMR) and Acadian EMS services who were each given an average grade by the board — 95.2, 73.4, 62.4, respectively.
CareFlite President and CEO James C. Swartz told the commissioners’ court this morning CareFlite has placed 10 ambulances throughout the county, an increase over ETMC’s coverage.
Also, in the transition from ETMC to CareFlite, Swartz says CareFlite was able to maintain 90 percent of ETMC’s employees.
CareFlite also plans to replace all 10 ambulances before the beginning of the new contract at a price of $135,000 each. Each ambulance inherited in the ETMC transition averaged 368,000 miles.
“I fell very strongly that CareFlite will provide our county with the best possible care for our citizens,” stated Kaufman County Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Steve Howie.
The five-year contract includes a five-year extension option.
The county contract services all areas of the county except the City of Terrell and the City of Kaufman.
