Why are you running for this office and what 3 major goals do you want to be measured by if you are elected?
As someone who has dedicated my life to public safety and public service my position on the MCHD board gives me the opportunity to use my 36 years of Fire / EMS background to better assist the citizens of Montgomery county.
My goals if Re-Elected are:
1. Continue to streamline our spending by finding resources that I have though my industry connections to give the district better options. This year I was able to introduce the district to a new ambulance remounting company that was able to get our trucks in faster than who we had previously used at a cheaper price.
2. Continue to work with the administration on employee recruitment and retention. With my association in the industry I was able to bring back from an industry conference information on the EMS Compact which is a 24 state reciprocity for EMS Certificaiton. This allows us the ability to recruit candidates from 23 other states to come work for MCHD in a time where finding qualified candidates is difficult. We passed our new debit day schedule to help with the work life balance of our employess but there is much more to do to ensure that MCHD is a place that takes care of its employees.
3. With our primary mission being serving the indigent population of the county, and sitting as the board repesentitive to public health board I want to find more programs that we can implement to reach out and serve those needing us the most.
Do you have any experience with EMS or medicine?
In my 36 years in Fire / EMS I've worked my way to the position of Paramedic Fire Chief and am still a Paramedic in the state of texas. My company Thor and Associates, Inc. has been in business since 2017 to help agencies look at new processes and technologies to help streamline their process. Not only have I worked in Fire / EMS directly but since 2009 I've working in the technology sector selling EMS software to departments and I've worked in the Revenue Cycle Management world for EMS billing. I would say I have a very well rounded knowledge of the industry as a whole and contacts in the industry to help the district find the resources it needs.
Should Disrtict employees take home District vehicles and if so for what purpose?
So that depends on the postion held. The Chief and Asst. Chief who may need to respond from home for major emergencies yes other employees no, they should in my optinion not.
Should the Medical Director answer to the Board?
Yes, in my opinion that position should at least jointly to the board and CEO. The board currently is very active in the selection and has the working relationship with the CEO to ensure that the boards desires witht he Medical Director are followed.
Is it the responsibility of the Board to monitor the spending of the District and verify expenses?
It absolutely is the responsibility of the board to ensure that every tax payer dollar is spent wisely. In our board book which is also available on our website to the public is a list of every expense that month. As part of the preparation for our monthly meeting I personally go through those expenses and flag anything outside of the norm. As the sitting chairman this year I before every meeting meet with the CEO and CFO to discuss any abnormal expenses then I ensure that those expenses are brought up and justified in open meeting so that it's on the record and in the transcripts. Our job as board members is to approve policy, budget and expenses but if we're not watching what is spent we're not doing the work of the people. I think right now we have a board that stays very informed and is not afraid to ask questions on expenses that seem off or to get involved in the budget process to ensure that we are spending every dollar wisely.
Should Board members have complete access to all areas of the District? Why or why not?
I believe that currently board members have all access to the district. There is not anywhere that i've tried to go that i've been restricted. I know that if I'm going to a station to talk to a crew or do a ride along I always clear that through the EMS leadership just to ensure that there are no special circumstances that day for that crew. But directly yes, I feel that as board members just as if we were city counsel or county comissioners it is our responsibility to be able to access anywhere in the district other than accessing HR files and Protected Health Information of patients. Those should need a specific reason and use proper channels to get that information to protect the individual as well as the integrity of the district.
Should Health Care Assistance Patients be required to have drug testing in order to receive assistance?
I do not know that we do not currently require that but yes, I feel that regular drug screening should be part of the HCAP program to ensure that we're spending money helping those residents with true healthcare issues not drug related issues. I do feel drug abuse is a disease and if we are helping someone get off drugs then regular testing to ensure they are not still using.
Do you believe Board members should be allowed to ride along with EMS crews and spend time with Alarm and other departments?
Currently the board is allowed to do ride alongs with the crews, we had put a stop to that during COVID for obvious reasons but that has been opened back up. Administration just asks that we schedule that through them and as a courtesy I agree. As for sitting in alarm, we can observe there as well as I did during our last Hurricane event I spent some time watching to see how we handled the events storm. As for other departments I think for a board member who does not come from the industry they should be able to sit in any department to understand their work flow and challenges to get a better understanding of their needs so when budget items come before the board they know why those things are needed.
The Board is to set Policy, should it have any say in procedures?
Without and understanding of the industry it is difficult to set procedures. Our administration is very open to suggestion when a board member has an opinion on procedures. I do not feel as a regular practice the board should set procedures as our leadership are the ones who stay on top of those and keep up with standards in the industry.
