EMS director provides report to board

Cody Regional Health (CRH) ambulances responded to 717 calls in south Big Horn County between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, with most of the patients requiring transport ending up at Three River Health (TRH).

The call volume was slightly down from the 790 in FY 2024 and the 724 in FY 2023, but still far better than the numbers reported prior to and in the immediate aftermath of CHR’s arrival in 2018.

Phillip Franklin, the EMS director at CRH, told members of the hospital district’s board of trustees Wednesday night that the service continues to perform well.

TRH serves south Big Horn County with a 24-hour truck stationed in Basin and a second “half-time” truck that runs between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. The latter is a roamer that goes wherever it’s needed most, Franklin said.

According to Franklin’s report, 530 of the 717 calls that CRH responded to during FY 2025 were classified as a 911 response; the other 187 were transfers. 

When the 350 resulting 911 transports were included, CRH counted 537 transports for FY 2025.  TRH was listed as the destination of 321 of those transports, followed by Billings Clinic with 96 and St. Vincent’s and Washakie Medical Center, each with 24.

Finances

Board member Janet Evans provided the financial report. She said TRH showed a net operating gain of $47,807 in June, but that it was “written in pencil rather than pen” because it won’t be final until the year-end audit is completed.

Compared to June 2024, TRH saw an increase in clinic visit  (556, compared to 526), about the same number of ER visits (129, compared to 132), and far fewer inpatient days (19, compared to 48). Because of the drop in inpatient days, average daily revenue was down.

Other trendlines continue to be positive, as the district’s accounts payable has dropped from $2 million to $1.4 million, its gross accounts receivable days has dropped by 18 days and it’s nearly doubled its cash on hand to 120 days.

The balance of the board designated account stood at $1.1 million at the end of June.  This account is where the district holds money it receives in tax revenue from the county.

Other news

• Kelsey Sullivan, director of clinical and ancillary services, reported that TRH was on pace to far exceed the number of sports physicals it conducts this summer.  

Starting in early August, the mobile MRI truck will make weekly stops at TRH, staying for a half day each time.  A marketing push for this service is in the works.

• Three Rivers Health received a significant boost in its bid to establish a foundation with a $5,000 donation from Big Horn Rural Electric.   John Fernandez presented the check at the start of Wednesday’s meeting.  A meeting of the foundation board is planned for August.