LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) -- Baptist Hospital Northeast is scheduled to sign an agreement Tuesday to manage Oldham County Emergency Medical Services. The agreement was first announced last month.
Oldham County EMS has been struggling financially. Last year, the agency over spent more than $300,000 and was forced to borrow more than $800,000 from the county's fiscal court last August just to make payroll.
Baptist Northeast says it was the only non-profit among five companies that submitted a proposal. Board member Stan Clark said last month that Baptist Healthcare offered the best options that would allow for a "smooth transition" once a contract is finalized.
EMS employees, who were concerned they might lose their jobs, were told they will have to re-apply for their jobs but, if accepted, will receive the same salary and competitive benefits. They will not receive hazardous duty pay, which many received under the current structure. The board told employees earlier this year it could no longer afford to provide hazardous duty pay.
A WDRB News special report earlier this year examined many of the problems within Oldham EMS, including employee complaints that hundreds of thousands of dollars were wastefully spent on an upgrades and improvements at EMS substation that could have been financed. At the time, Clark dismissed those claims that financing would have been a viable option.
"I really think (Baptist Healthcare) looked at this and thought about being a community player and stepped up big time," said Clark in an interview Monday.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
