Rural Health District Board OKs Purchase, Write-off

The Johnson County Rural Health Care District Board, during their regular meeting this week, approved the purchase of equipment, and also writing off an ambulance bill.

Buffalo Ambulance Director Dave Harness explained that there are increasingly more women EMTs and that during some calls where patients may need lifted from the floor or onto gurneys, they just don’t have the strength to get the patients where they need to be.

He also said male EMTs sometimes have trouble lifting patients as well.

He asked the board to approve the purchase of an air lift assist device he called an Elk Lifting Cushion.

The board approved the purchase of the equipment.

Also approved was a write-off of a bill for an ambulance call for a patient whose insurance denied the claim.

The patient had asked for a write-off or to pay off the bill with a small payment per month, even though their limited monthly income is solely from VA Disability.

After discussions, the board voted to write off the entire $845 bill.