EMS Fiscal Fiasco
2 pages full word Due on Wednesdayits an EMS classhere the instruction :You are the Executive Director of MetroStar Ambulance (MSA) and you have recently worked up your Revenues and Expenses projections for the next five years, based on the new Federal Regulations on reimbursement schedules. You manage 76 paramedics and 32 EMTs. At last night’s Board Meeting, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) made dire predictions about the fiscal status of the organization. She predicted a 5% net loss to the operating budget of MSA for the next Fiscal Year (July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015). She said that the organization should be able to meet the budget projections for the next Fiscal Year. Her projections are for a budget deficit of 4% in FY 2015-2016, if the current projections remain unchanged. She advised the Board that the organization should be prepared to file for Chapter 13 “Bankruptcy” in FY 2018 if corrective actions are not taken. She recommended starting immediately by planning on reducing budgeted expenses during the next 2014-2015 fiscal year.The Board of Directors has charged you, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to take the necessary actions, make the necessary financial adjustments, and recommend any major strategic approaches that are necessary to meet the new fiscal realities. The current “pretend sample” MSA fiscal budget is attached here.***(its the downloaded file)***After you pull out your projected budget for next year and review it, you begin to form strategies for how you will address the fiscal challenges that MSA is facing. Here are some of the strategies that you might consider:Cut the golf country club membership (just for you, as CEO) ~ $2500 per year (buried in the “perks”)Cut travel expenses (buried in “perks”); these amount to ~ $8,000 per year (sends managers, training officers, and providers to conferences each year)The budget for vehicles and equipment is $750,000;MSA purchases one vehicle per year, on average (~$100,000)Older vehicles involve higher maintenance costsAny delay of a vehicle purchase will only result in a modest savings for one year (~ $75,000) while increasing the cost with an additional vehicular purchase in the next, or subsequent years, along with the higher maintenance expensesThe Building lease ($180,000 per year) cannot be changed for five yearsPersonnel costs (Salaries, Fringe Benefits, and Perks (travel expenses, conference registration fees, holiday gifts and occasional celebratory activities, such as the annual picnic etc) are the largest part of the budgetOvertime is currently ~12% of compensation for paramedics and EMTsOffice staff costs ~ $187,500 per year for three employees (Do you need an Office Manager, an Administrative Support (Secretary-Receptionist) and a Billing Clerk?The health plan costs are going up by about 15% this year, an increase of more than $500 per employee ( ~ $60,000)Your assignment:What actions do you take immediately? What fiscal strategies do you propose to your Board of Directors? How do you communicate this situation to all the staff (management, clerical, and field responders)?