The members of the Board of Directors at Valley Emergency Medical Services have too many individual agendas and the setup interferes with the organization’s mission, according to a “policy analysis” review an attorney prepared for the Valley Council of Governments.
Valley Emergency Medical Services, better known as VEMS, is a regional paramedic service covering 91.7 square miles of the lower Naugatuck Valley.
A problem, according to the report, is that the VEMS board of directors is made up of people who also run town ambulance services. The situation creates a hyper-competitive situation that leads to distrust and infighting among board members.
Ten months ago, the Valley Council of Governments — made up of first selectmen and Mayors from Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Shelton — asked attorney Thomas J. Welch to delve into VEMS’ policies and procedures.
The request came after a new VEMS vehicle being driven by a board member was involved in a highway crash in Virginia last December. The vehicle was driven for personal use.
The incident was controversial. A VEMS internal probe found that another board member was worried about the details of the crash going public.
Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri was especially critical of the incident, saying it underscored a lack of transparency among the VEMS directors.
Local governments all pay annual fees for VEMS services, but Derby government had been withholding its contribution — $30,000 — citing issues with the VEMS directors. Derby hasn’t paid in six years.
The six-month Welch report, which was released to the public Wednesday, is not an indictment of VEMS or its directors. It makes no specific mention of the vehicle crash, but notes the VEMS board of directors changed its bylaws to state paramedic cars can’t be used for personal trips.
The Welch report also mentions that in 2012 VEMS amended its bylaws and ordered board members who are connected to companies that do business with VEMS to disclose such conflicts.
The Welch report notes the “personal agendas” among the board of directors (without detailing the personal agendas) and says a 2004 report on VEMS said precisely the same thing.
One perennial issue within VEMS — some local ambulance corps are looking to start their own paramedic services which would essentially compete with VEMS.
“It’s very hard to be at a board meeting and run this organization when I have to take the input and direction of what ultimately are competitors,” said Robert Pettinella, the VEMS executive director.
VEMS has a large and complicated board of directors.
Up to five people are appointed by mayors or first selectmen. Up to five people are appointed from local ambulance corps. The Griffin Hospital emergency services director has a seat on the board. A person from the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce has a seat. There are three non-voting members.
And then there is the executive director, who oversees the day-to-day operations.
The 2004 report said the VEMS board has too many people who are involved in local ambulance corps. More people from the general public should be on the board of directors, the 2004 report concluded.
VEMS attempted to change it bylaws pertaining to the composition of the board of directors, but hasn’t been successful.
The Welch report recommends that people appointed to the board by the mayors and first selectmen should not be from local ambulance corps. Instead, they should be from the public at large.
The report also recommends changing the bylaws to detail the executive director’s role and responsibility. The VEMS directors are guided by old bylaws, which were written before the organization hired an executive director. Under the old bylaws, the executive director’s duties fall to the president of the VEMS board of directors.
Welch’s report did not surprise Pettinella.
Amending the organization’s bylaws to change the board of directors — as suggested in 2004 and now in 2013 — is a critical next step for VEMS, Pettinella said.
However, the board of directors have to support the change. Pettinella said he will suggest that each town mayor or first selectman meet with their appointed representative on the VEMS board and ask them to support the changes to the bylaws.
Staffieri, the Derby mayor, said the conversation about VEMS was needed.
The service provided by the highly-trained VEMS medics was never called into question — just the administration of the corporate entity.
“I am happy about the changes and the future proposed changes that this dialogue has brought about and this will lead to a more professional relationship with all the cities,” Staffieri said.
The Welch report:
Final Report-VEMS Policy Analysis-Atty. Welch-Dec.2012(1) by ValleyIndyDotOrg
The 2004 report on VEMS:
Valley Emergency Medical Services Final VERSION2-DisasterbyDesign 8 – 2004 by ValleyIndyDotOrg
