Controversy surrounds Van Buren ambulance service
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Houston, who took office in September, hired local resident Jeff Cole to take over the service and spearhead efforts to recoup some of the money from uncollected bills. According to Houston, after asking Bricker to step down as director, she did offer him a job as a paramedic since she had no problems with his performance in that capacity, but he declined the position, opting to seek employment elsewhere.
Houston says Cole has the credentials to head the service.
“He had worked with the ambulance service in ’99 when it started, but he was more of a volunteer,” Houston said. “He’s been a paramedic, I understand, since the late ’70s. He’s very well qualified. He’s a good paramedic. He’s very good with knowing from the beginning to the end on filing claims. Medicare, TennCare requirements, and the like.”
Cole, who built computers prior to taking over the ambulance service, is a state certified paramedic and has been since 1979. Houston feels his strong computer background will be a benefit with some of the administrative and collection responsibilities.
Houston said she had no problem with Bricker’s performance as far as the actual operation of the ambulances and timely transportation of patients, just basic differences in administrative procedures. While Houston emphasizes her changes were not politically motivated, she has had to address rumors that the entire department left when Bricker stepped down, which she says is not true.
Though the service did lose some employees in the shake-up, Houston and newly hired office manager Wil Simons want to assure Van Buren County residents that ambulance service will continue uninterrupted.
“What we’d like to do is let the county know the ambulance service is very stable,” Simons said. “It is here providing excellent service for the community and for those who pass through our county.”
Houston says, despite the controversy, her ultimate goal is to ensure the service is run efficiently and cost effectively, therefore stabilizing the service so it can be run independently, saving taxpayer dollars to be utilized in other areas.
Both Houston and Simons say ambulance runs are being made and a full team is on call.
Cole says despite the controversy, he wants to provide the best service he can under the circumstances, and has definite goals for the future.
“I want to work to improve the level of care for the citizens of Van Buren County, and at the same time decrease the burden on Van Buren County taxpayers,” said Cole.
Bricker was by all accounts very popular with local residents, who reportedly were quite vocal in their displeasure with his replacement. Bricker says Houston did approach him about the problems with collections.
“She said that a person coming in there full time to do that could more than pay for themselves,” he said. “And I said that may be true, it may not. I hadn’t investigated it that much to see if it would pay for someone to do it full time. I told her if she thought that was the best, that was OK with me to bring in someone full time to do the billing.”
Bricker said Houston went on to offer him a position as a paramedic.
“She did offer me a position as a paramedic there, and I told her I didn’t believe I could do that after being in charge and then bring someone else in and work under them,” Bricker said. “And at that point I was terminated as director.”
Bricker says despite what Houston claims, he thinks the changes were politically motivated.