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Jan Beach-Sickels, Director
TCA / CHI Health Clinic
210 S. Main St.
Lenox, IA 50851
Cell Phone: 641-344-3020
Email: janice.beach-sickels@commonspirit.org
PCC, Inc. An Ambulance Billing Service
P.O. Box 19
Castlewood, SD 57223
Toll Free Ph: 877.882.9911
Toll Free Fax: 877.882.9922
www.pccforme.com
The Taylor County Ambulance Service was created Oct. 1, 2012, when the cities of Bedford and Lenox transferred their city ambulance services and EMS property to Taylor County. At the same time, Taylor County contracted with CHI Health (f.k.a. Alegent Health) in Corning for management of the service.
The TCA is a hybrid clinic based service, the first arrangement of its kind in Iowa. CHI employs 10 full time EMS staff, including the ambulance director, to work in the medical clinics in Bedford and Lenox. Staff working in the clinic will respond to calls, with a staff member employed by the county as their partner.
This arrangement saved our EMS services and greatly improved response times to emergencies and reliability in the county.
TCA answers around 750 calls a year. In addition to responding to emergencies, EMS provides standby at football games, community events, county fair events, and more. EMS responds with fire departments for fire calls, and fire responds to accidents with EMS, as well as lift assist calls.
In addition to being overseen by the TC Board of Supervisors, Taylor County Ambulance Board provides guidance to the Department.
When TCA was started, full time staff consisted of 2 paramedics, 2 EMT-Is, and 6 EMTs. Since then the level of care that is consistently provided has increased greatly, with a full time staff of 6 paramedics, 3 Advanced EMTs, and 1 EMT.
Full Time CHI Staff includes:
Jan Beach-Sickels, PM, Director*
Mark Spencer, PM*
Brent Spurrier, PM
Donna Stringham, PM
Tammy Peterson, PM*
Shelly Smith, PM*
Penny Spencer, AEMT*
Rhonda Russell, AEMT*
Chelsea Christensen, AEMT*
Kessa Hoepker, EMT*
Part Time CHI Staff includes:
Seth Rickabaugh, PM*
Tyril Green, PM*
Tyson Brown, PM*
Tracy Thompson, EMT*
County Staff, in addition to those above marked with an *:
Diana Fisher, AEMT
Ben Roed, EMT
Paula Borland, EMT
Amy Jenkins, EMT
Tamara Fitzgerald, EMT
Paige Sites, Driver
Preston Lawson, Driver
David Henrichs, Driver
Tim Pafford, Driver
Mike Fletchall, Driver
Melissa Potts, Driver
TCA owns 4 ambulances:
2024 Lifeline Ford E450
2022 Lifeline Ford E450
2017 Lifeline Ford E450
2010 Osage Ford E450
TCA is contracted with PCC Billing Services to handle the billing for ambulance services. CHI provides someone to assist with that, and with operational financial processes.
TCA utilizes the same financial assistance program that CHI uses, and patients with limited financial resources may apply for that assistance to help with ambulance costs.
CHI does not receive any of the revenue from patient billings. CHI does receive a monthly management fee which is a very small portion of what they provide for TCA, such as salaries, housing for the ambulances, utilities, and more.
The budget that TCA has carries over year to year, so all of the ambulance revenues, including donations, stay with EMS.
TCA covers a wide portion of Taylor County, a small part of Adams County, and is sometimes called to Ringgold and Union Counties. TCA does not follow a strict border such as a clear fire district. TCA responds where needed.
Bedford Ambulance is simultaneously dispatched with Gravity and Blockton for ambulance calls. Lenox is simultaneously dispatched with Clearfield and Sharpsburg for ambulance calls. If staffing is short or an ambulance is already on a call, an ambulance in Bedford may respond to Lenox, and vice-versa.
TCA believes a patient should be able to be taken to the hospital of their choice, as long as feasible. TCA regularly transports patients to Corning, Creston, Mt. Ayr, Clarinda, and Maryville, MO.
Copyright © 2024 Taylor County.