Both would benefit from funding

QUINCY — Quincy Valley Medical Center and Fire District No. 3 reached an agreement for funding both entities can live with.

Hospital commissioners voted Monday to support the fire district in running a November levy where some of the funds would be given to the hospital for its ambulance service. The hospital would receive $100,000 per year, the same amount they are repaying Medicare annually for the next three years.

"I tell you what, it's definitely going to be a unified approach with Quincy Valley Medical Center and Grant County Fire District 3," said commissioner Anthony Gonzalez. "I'm very much in support of this."

The hospital district lost reimbursement it was receiving through a Medicare critical access hospital program. Medicare auditors required the hospital pay back $300,000 in reimbursement after discovering the nearest ambulance service was in Wenatchee, less than 35 miles from the hospital.

Faced with a bill from Medicare, in need of a new ambulance and wanting to maintain employee training, the hospital district planned to run a levy. Staff learned running such a levy would be impossible because the district overlaps with Fire District 10, which is already collecting on a levy.

Now Fire District No. 3, another district within the hospital's boundaries, plans to run a levy and share the proceeds with the hospital.

The levy would be 38 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, an increase of 13 cents from the current levy, said Fire Chief Don Fortier. If approved, the fire district would continue to receive $144,000 per year. The hospital district would receive funds from the increase.

Fortier said Tuesday a contract for the agreement should become available to the hospital in approximately one day.

The two entities worked together over multiple meetings to find a solution, Fortier said.

"I think we came together with a really, really good plan and a really good idea," he said.

Gonzalez and Fortier said the meetings were positive.

"It was a very educational time for myself, and I'm sure the fire commissioners," Gonzalez said.

According to a July 2007 Emergency Medical Services report, the hospital ambulance responded to 53 situations in June.

Hospital Administration Mehdi Merred said the community would benefit from the agreement.

"We're definitely looking forward to the association," Merred said.