In April, Milam County Judge Steve Young and the Milam County Commissioners created and appointed the Milam County Medical Task Force to evaluate and make recommendations regarding three primary medical issues within the county:
• The economic feasibility of after-hours and/or urgent care in Milam County.
• The economic feasibility of adding another ground ambulance to the existing AMR and PHI ambulance services in Milam County.
• The feasibility of using the existing Rockdale Hospital and/or medical clinic for medical or other services.
The task force determined over the past eight months:
• It is not economically feasible to pursue after hours and/or urgent care in Milam County.
• With the establishment of an Emergency Services District (ESD) it is economically feasible to pursue improvements to the existing AMR ground ambulance services and PHI ambulance services in Milam County.
• It is not economically feasible to use the existing Rockdale Hospital and/ or medical clinic for medical or other services.
An ESD would be a taxing entity with the money used to enhance emergency services for Milam County.
So what the task force has recommended is a 10 cent tax on each $100 of property valuation in Milam County to create an Emergency Service District. For example, if your property is worth $200,000 you’d owe $200 in taxes in order to update and improve the emergency services of both AMR and PHI. This would include updating some outdated equipment and adding ambulances, both of which are needed now and will be needed even more as the county grows.
The ESD would need to be placed on the ballot in November 2022 in order to be created. An ESD board would be created to promote the vote and development a plan for managing the emergency medical services for the county.
The ESD board would work continuously to improve the status of emergency medical services stiving to bring additional medical services into the county as needed.
There were two options the task force evaluated. The ESD which focuses exclusively on emergency services, or the other option was a healthcare district which can fund ambulance services along with a broader spectrum of medical services like hospitals, clinics and emergency rooms.
The task force agreed that while in the long run a healthcare district would greatly benefit the county, the current economic health of the county would not support a healthcare district at this time.
If the ESD is passed by the voters the board can begin to make improvements to our current emergency medical services. The tax generated by the ESD would be county-wide, sharing the cost of improving a service that is for the entire county. At present only the county and the cities of Rockdale and Cameron are paying for that service for everyone in the county.
Milam County is fortunate to have PHI helicopter services contracted. There are some weather-based limitations on their ability to provide the best service due to inadequate equipment at both the Rockdale and Cameron airports. Both cities will need to work with the Texas Department of Transportation to upgrade instrument flight equipment to allow for safe landing and take-off regardless of the weather.
The task force also said that the economic fore cast in Milam County has changed since the formation of the group with the sale of the Alcoa property and the arrival of Samsung in Taylor. Rockdale is also waiting to hear if the American Statesman Glove Co. will choose the Alcoa property to being their operations. Milam County residents should know of the company’s decision within the next two months.
While it is clear to the task force that a hospital or standalone emergency room is not currently economically feasible in Milam County without a major taxpayer funded subsidy, this situation could change with the introduction of large employers.
Members of the task force appointed by the county commissioners are Collier Perry, Nathan Fuchs, Kain Dodd, Pastor R.L. Johnson, Troy Zinn, Robert Kirkpatrick, Courtney Paulsen and John Egger.
These appointments offer representation from across the county with varying knowledge from the medical field, emergency services, rural healthcare and the business industry.
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