The Cleburne County Hospital Board approved a number of allocations for Cleburne County Emergency Medical Service Tuesday, including an increase in time off for long-term employees.
The board’s auditor, Bart McCurley of Self, Maples and Copeland P.C., told the board that although EMS was in the red for about $124,000 last year, that loss was $95,000 less than the year before. The board, which oversees the Cleburne County Nursing Home and EMS, thanked Director Tracy Lambert for his efforts to cut costs; board members said they offered the increase in time off as a thank you to employees for their loyalty.
Employees who have been with the service for 15 years or more get six and one-third days off each year right now, Lambert said. Tuesday’s vote gives those employees 10 vacation days a year. The money spent for additional vacation pay would be offset by savings in overtime pay, he said.
When Lambert first took over as director, he and the board cut vacation days for employees, he said.
“If you’ve been here 15 years and since we don’t have retirement, it would be good to give you 10 working days off a year,” Lambert said.
The employees work a 24-hour shift, so the change would take them from 160 hours of vacation time each year to 240 hours, Lambert said.
The change would affect three or four employees, he said.
The board unanimously approved the change. The board also approved allowing Lambert to buy five new handheld radios with batteries and chargers for up to $3,500 and a new treadmill for the exercise room for up to $1,000. The money will come out of the EMS operating funds.
In other business the board:
— Heard that the nursing home had an operating income of $153,000.
— Heard a recommendation from its auditor, Bart McCurley, that it work to decrease indirect expenses such as activities, housekeeping and social service costs in the nursing home to increase its Medicaid reimbursement rate. On average, the nursing home spends $10 more on indirect expenses per patient than Medicaid will reimburse, he said.
— Approved appointing board member Patrick Nolen to the EMS Committee.
— Heard that EMS will be shopping around for health insurance after the current company increased the cost.
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