Getting you the medical treatment you need in times of emergency is dropping, thanks to a unique arrangement between the county and Door County Medical Center. Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens and Door County Emergency Services Director Aaron LeClair addressed the Door County Board during its meeting on Tuesday. Last year, the two parties entered an agreement that calls for the hospital to help fund the service, which will later include purchasing a new vehicle and hiring new staff members. It also calls for only one transfer at a time and mandates that the services do not compromise the county's 911 commitments for emergencies. Previously, the hospital would rely on the county for emergency cases when other ambulance providers could not be used. If one were unavailable, it would set the stage for long wait times that could have poor outcomes. Stephens says because of the arrangement, the average wait time for patients in the emergency room to receive medical transport to another facility has dropped from 105 minutes to 68 minutes. Both Stephens and LeClair expressed their appreciation for the partnership and cooperation, including Door County Medical Center increasing their support payments due to a higher-than-anticipated number of Medicare-related transports.

Stephens says less than 10 percent of the medical transports have gone beyond hospitals in the Green Bay area. The Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department was also commended for installing a helicopter landing pad funded by donations. The Door County Board also approved resolutions that provided funding for a roof project and energy recovery system at the Door County Justice Center.