The Starke County Commissioners at their meeting this week highlighted the EMS Department, which has exceed their predicted revenue for the year. Auditor Kay Chaffins explained that the EMS Department predicted their revenue for the year to come in around $560,000, but as of Nov. 19, they’ve already collected $601,494.57.
Chaffins said this 7.41 percent increase is extremely helpful for the county, and it’s expected to increase even more as there is still a month and a half left in the year. She explained that the miscellaneous revenue that comes in affects the county’s cash flow; when they don’t reach the estimates, there is a negative impact on cash flow. However, Chaffins said the county has reported a 21.98 percent increase in revenue, which is a very good thing.
EMS Director Paul Mathewson said his department is continuing to grow, and while it’s hard to put his finger on the exact cause of the increased revenue, their ability to provide ALS services definitely had an impact.
“That’s exactly why we are at where we’re at,” Mathewson explained. “We are continuing to grow; we’ve only been operating in an ALS function for eight to nine months, so we have more room to grow there as well as continue to work with the hospital in getting more transfers out of there to help our bottom-line number,” said Mathewson.
Mathewson said they will focus on continuing to grow and expand their bottom line by providing a higher standard of care, particularly the ALS service. He said they will continue to work closely with IU Health Starke Hospital to provide them with any assistance they may need, and though their efforts take time, the county is already seeing the benefits from their increased dedication.
