District’s EMS director resigns

By Melinda L. Lucas

The resignation of Shackelford County EMS director Mary Quintero was accepted after an hour-long closed session of the hospital district’s board of directors on Monday, Jan. 20.

Although it was not discussed in open session, Quintero submitted her resignation last Wednesday, Jan. 15, according to board president John Ayers,  and she has since apparently accepted another position.

Quintero has managed the local ambulance service since early 2015.

A new EMS director is already being sought, Ayers said, but he declined to make any other comment about the resignation.

Earlier in Monday’s meeting, following a discussion about options to revamp the EMS schedule for more complete coverage, a motion was passed for district administrator Jera Fairley to meet with crew members to “better address  schedule changes.”

Pharmacy Report

Pharmacist Eric Neal presented figures comparing the total number of prescriptions over the last few years, along with a financial analysis for the district-owned pharmacy.

“Sales went up, costs went up, and our net operating loss went up,” said Neal. “We went several months with a bad rebate situation, but we renegotiated a couple of months ago, and we’re back where we were.”

He also said that insurance is allowing more 90-day prescriptions than the previous year, which impacts the total number.

In other business, the directors approved the transfer of $250,000 from the main administrative account to the EMS operating account.