HomeMy WebLinkAbout85 0427 minCity Council Special Session Centr~)Plains Hospital
April 27, 1985 Board Room
Present were Mayor Gene Ridlehuber and Councilmsmbers Tom Aday,
Bobby James and Barbara Dorman. Councilman absent were: Andy Taylor and
Junior Brown. Staff members present were: Fire Chief Joe Ferguson and
City Manager Jim Jeffers.
Also present were the following: Dr. Ralph Thomas, Dr. Anthony
Lyons, Dr. Coe Branch, Dr. Steve Turner, Dr. McKinley Lunday, Dr. John
Dorman, Dr. Carl Weidenbach and Dr. Larry Karrh. Also present was
Director of Nurses, Vicki Casey, R.N., and Hospital Administrator George
McGcwan. Richard Orr of the Plainview Daily Herald was also present.
Mayor Ridlehuber called the n~eting to order at 1:00 p.m. and
called upon Fire Chief Joe Ferguson to summarize the various proposals.
Carl Weidenbach who is Chief of the Medical Staff, stated tb~t the
Medical Staff would like to see the Plainview Emergency Medical Service
advance to the Advanced Life Support Stage. He emphasized that there
was a need to increase the number of people throughout the community who
could perform CPR. Weidenbach felt that if Central Plains Hospital was
to be successful in influencing other c~¥Efunities to utilize Central
Plains Hospital, tb~_n the Medical Facilities beginning with Emergency
Medical Services must be the best. Ralph Thomas added that Advanced
Life Support will save sc~e lives in Plainview and the ALS will fill a
void in cardiac care.
McKinley Lunday, who is a Cardiologist, reiterated the need for
Advanced Life Support in the field. Lunday added that he was new to
Plainview and he felt that it was important that as much money as
possible should be kept in town and he endorsed the concept of the Fire
Department operating the Ambulance Service. Lunday felt that Fire
Personnel could become teachers of basic life support throughout the
community thus improving the chances of survival the card~ac patient.
Tc~ Adey expressed concern about emergency roc~ transit physicians
wanting to know as to whether or not there would always be a physician
in the emergency room in order to provide medical control for a
paramedic in the field. Dr. Thomas assured that there is adequate back
up locally therefore, there should be no probl~u in properly staffing
the emergency rocm.
Bobby James pointed out that in order to keep the current level of
service that the subsidy would be going to $58,000 therefore, the City
took a very logical step in requesting proposals frc~ other entities and
now is the time for the City to give serious consideration to upgrading
Emergency Medical Services to the State of the Art.
In responding to a question about why there is not more public
input on this matter, Dr. Thomas felt that the ~ty may assume that
the City already bbs Advanced Life Support capabilities due to the
numerous television programs,
Joe Ferguson informed the group that the Fire Department responds
to all major trauma incidents with a rescue van that is fully equipped
with the proper equipment and essential first aid items. Ferguson also
added that the Fire Department currently bbs one certified paramedic on
staff.
Tom A~_may pointed out that Don Pruitt and Bill Barrett have provided
adequate basic life support service for many years at a very reasonable
cost.
Vicki Casey stated that she supported the medical staff in their
expression of the need for Advanced Life Support and she also emphasized
that if Central Plains Hospital was going to be a regional hospital then
the Advanced Life Support concept was essential to mseting that goal.
Dr. Coe Branch noted that the City bbs bbd a suppressed emargency
medical services system for many years and the reality of the matter is
that if the City chose to upgrade to Advanced Life Support if would cost
roach more than it had in the past.
There being no further business, Mayor Ridlehuber adjourned the
meeting at 1:55 p.m.
PASSED AND APP~ this the 14th day of May, 1985.
E.V. RIDLER-0BER, Mayor
k~LTER S. DODSON, City Clerk