It appears county officials are hedging their bets on mediating a conclusion concerning the closing of the Clairfield West Ambulance Station by the Claiborne Medical Center (CMC). Otherwise, the issue will likely end up in a costly court battle.
The Claiborne County Commission revisited a resolution deferred last month, calling for the halting of further subsidy payouts to CMC until the matter can be resolved.
Commissioner James Hatmaker, who sponsored the original resolution, was given moral and verbal support by a crowd of Clairfield residents who were in attendance during the regular June meeting of the commission.
Residents spoke of instances in which sick and injured loved ones were forced to wait an hour or more for help to arrive from the Claiborne Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Help never arrived for some, according to a few who spoke.
Hatmaker asked Roger Hager, the executive director of Claiborne E-911, to verify computer read-outs of Clairfield emergency call waits.
According to Hager, the official readings show an average 52 minutes from the time the emergency calls came into E-911 and the time of ambulance arrivals at destination.
Hatmaker became emotional during the discussion, saying he wanted the Clairfield West Station restored. He said that CMC had “sneaked over” and packed up the station equipment.
He reminded his fellow commissioners of the multi-million dollars in revenue generated in the Clairfield community through coal severance and property taxes. Those funds, he said, benefit the entire county.
A verbal skirmish of sorts broke out between Hatmaker and Patti Ketterman, CMC chief administrative officer, over whether the West Station was actively in place at the time Covenant Health acquired the lease.
Ketterman insisted that, as of Sept. 1 of last year, the station did not provide “consistent” staffing or services. For the last several months, Ketterman said, an average five emergency calls per month were generated from the Clairfield area.
Hatmaker insisted the numbers presented by CMC were “bogus.”
A disagreement broke out between Ketterman and county mayor Jack Daniels over an alleged discussion during a private meeting between Ketterman, Daniels and Hatmaker.
According to Daniels, Ketterman offered to staff the West Station if the county would agree to a $250,000 to $265,000 subsidy paid to the Claiborne Medical Center.
Ketterman vehemently denied she had set a certain dollar amount while discussing the issue.
County attorney James Estep III said the county would be liable for damages, costs and expenses if a breach of contract case were lost. Estep said the county could pursue a dispute resolution via mediation between CMC and the county.
“This body will need to weigh the risks and ramifications of your actions,” said Estep.
He said he had been in contact with Covenant attorneys. However, neither side has been able to come to an agreement, he said.
Commissioner Juanita Honeycutt, who made the motion last month to defer the issue until Estep could review the lease agreement, suggested deleting the paragraph in the original resolution calling for the discontinuation of subsidies until the problem is resolved.
She said the Medical Center is a business and that the county should not try to tell CMC how to “run their business.”
After more discussion, amendments to the original resolution were made and adopted by a majority of the commission.
The final version of the amended resolution deletes the paragraph Honeycutt suggested cutting. The amended resolution also requires the county to invite the Claiborne Medical Center advisory board to the mediation, with the request that the advisory board also consider inviting Estep to the meeting. Apparently, Estep is not allowed to attend the closed advisory board meeting unless formally invited.
If favorable to the request, the mediation is expected to occur during a special-called meeting. A date for that meeting has not been set as of yet.
The final version of the resolution was adopted by a vote of 16 to five. Those commissioners voting against the amended resolution were Hatmaker, Whitt Shuford, Zachary Bunch, William Jessie and David Mundy.
Those voting in favor were Honeycutt, Charlton Vass, Bill Keck, Gary Poore, Mike Campbell, Ann Bowling, Dennis Estes, Mitchell Cosby, Joan Cosby, Bill Johnson, Aimee Upton, Dan Longworth, Nicholas Epperson, Shawn Peters, Steve Mason and Anthony Rowe.
Reach Jan Runions at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @scribeCP.
