Fire Chief Steve Sims unveiled a plan at Monday's City Council work session that he believes will cutdown hospital re-admissions, reduce ambulance calls for the Fire Department and improve healthcare for residents.
Sims proposed that the city form a partnership with Mercy Clinic to create a community paramedic program. Under the program, paramedics would visit a patient after they were released from the hospital but before home healthcare services begin, Sims said.
The paramedic's primary duty would be to educate patients about their discharge paperwork and medications, but they also could inspect patients' home for risk of re-injury, Sims said.
When patients are released from the hospital, often times they feel overwhelmed about what to do during the 24-72 hours they're at home before home healthcare begins, Sims said. That panic leads to 911 calls that in turn causes unnecessary ambulance transports, emergency room visit and hospital re-admissions, Sims said.
Similar programs exist in Forth Worth, Texas, and Mountain Home. Both have very successful, Sims said.
"This program would be a great asset to the community," Sims said. "It's just another way of providing highest level of care for residents."
The program's major expenses -- equipment and mileage -- would be funded by a grant from Medicare and Medicaid, which is currently being discussed at state and federal levels, Sims said. However, the program has to be in place for one year before it can receive funding, Sims added.
But Sims said the department can train the five paramedics for the pilot program during their regular shifts. The care provided through the community paramedic program would be free, Sims said.
Aldermen John Flynn and Frank Anderson both voiced support for the program.
"It certainly seems worthwhile," Anderson said. "We should be a part of it."
Aldermen will vote on the resolution Monday, July 27, during their regular City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. at American Legion Post 341, 1889 Bella Vista Way.
In other business, the council will consider resolutions to bring the city into compliance with requirements mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and jump start improvements to Riordan Road, Mercy Way and Dartmoor Road.
The council will hear an ordinance to annex several parcels on the west side of Chelsea Road near Plymouth Circle and Leona Drive. State law allows cities to annex unincorporated land that has become completely surrounded by municipalities, said Jason Kelley, staff attorney.
Gravette and Bella Vista surround the land in question, but because Bella Vista has the larger amount of perimeter around the parcel, the city can annex the land by ordinance, Kelley said.
A public hearing will be held before the council votes, said Chris Suneson, planning and building director. If the annexation is approved, zoning designations will be discussed later by the Planning Commission, he added.
Aldermen also will consider an ordinance to amend the city's fireworks code. Residents complained of fireworks being shot off long after the Fourth of July, Flynn said.
The city's ordinance allows for fireworks to be used at designated times from June 27 to July 11, New Year's Eve and New Year's. Aldermen will consider shortening time span around the Fourth of July holiday.
The council also will hear an ordinance seeking approval of a promissory note for a 2015 KME pumper fire truck. The new truck costs roughly $313,000. The note has an interest rate of 1.85 percent, according to council documents.
The truck should arrive later this year, Sims said.
An ordinance amending city code requiring towing firms to list their fees for rates of services will have its second reading.
General News on 07/22/2015