MedStar, the Fort Worth-area ambulance service, is out of the financial woods as they ditch a $4.2 million ask for City funds, the Fort Worth City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Emergency Medical Response learned at their latest meet-up. Chiefs of the local medical centers gave their two cents on Dec. 12, mostly giving thumbs up to MedStar’s patient care, though, they gripe about their slow-to-arrive bills and want a better way to chat about nonurgent hops between facilities, as reported by the City of Fort Worth.
The consultants from Fitch & Associates, tapped to figure out how to up the game for the City’s EMS, piped up about the 911 call process which is being looked at for an efficiency overhaul, and said the 911 Working Group is on the ball. They're trying to make a one-stop shop for Police, Fire, and EMS and linking up with mental health pros. They plan on making an easier ride for folks in need, according to the City of Fort Worth.
Money-wise, MedStar’s board gave the nod to a balanced ledger for the fiscal year 2024, end-running the city's financial life preserver. Council folks want the nitty-gritty on that and will get schooled on it come Jan. 23. "Budget-smudget" – seems that the cash reserved for MedStar in the city's stash will hang tight, just in case they holler for help, but that’d mean the mayor and the suits on the council would have to give another thumbs up.
The study by Fitch, which first got its marching orders on Oct. 31, ain't just number crunching – they’re digging into how MedStar does its thing, including SOS calls, dough, the places they park their vans, and what each town on their map needs. The council’s Ad Hoc Committee, with Councilmember Carlos Flores at the wheel and the rest of the crew from various parts of town, is keeping an eagle eye on it all, looking to keep Fort Worth’s EMS swift and slick, per the City of Fort Worth.
