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The EMS Director concluded that additional information regarding public need would be required to formulate a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. A staff member was designated to personally contact twenty-nine (29) user facilities in the County and the following information was obtained. Wheelchair Service 1. Is your facility satisfied with the current wheelchair services being provided to you? Yes 21 No 7 2. Has your facility experienced excessive delays in transport? Yes 12 No 16 3. Does your facility feel that there is sufficient need to provide an additional wheelchair service? Yes 19 No 9 4. Would your facility utilize an additional wheelchair service provider? Yes 19 No 10 Medical/Comfort Stretcher Service 2. Does your facility feel that there is sufficient need to provide medicaUcomfort stretcher service? Yes 9 No 21 Would your facility utilize a medicaUcomfort stretcher service? Yes 9 No 21 (Some facilities did not answer all the questions on the survey which accounts for the discrepancy in some of the totals.) Most facilities and staff seemed to be satisfied with the current wheelchair services being provided. However, the majority felt there was sufficient need to provide an additional wheelchair service and most indicated they would utilize an additional service provider. A common issue verbalized by some of the larger facilities was related to having more choices of providers and small institutions were satisfied with the current level of service. Many of the facilities had concerns regarding the availability of current providers and cited examples that some close early in the afternoon and on weekends and scheduling requirements wherein some required trips to be scheduled up to two (2) weeks in advance. As to the medical/comfort stretcher transportation services, staff acknowledges that the majority of the user facilities indicated that there was not a need to provide additional service in this realm and they would not utilize an additional service. However, staff submits that since there is only one other provider in the County (IRMH) that is authorized to provide stretcher service, it would be useful to have another provider available if the IRMH unit was involved in another transport, maintenance, or the using facility wanted to utilize another service due to pricing or personal choice. It should also be noted that the City of Sebastian submitted a letter to the EMS Director advising that at the Sebastian City Council regular meeting on December 20, 2000, it was the consensus to support the application for We Care of the Treasure Coast to be granted a COPCN. Also, HealthSouth Treasure Coast Rehabilitation Hospital submitted a letter to the Board of County Commissioners in favor of the COPCN being granted to We Care. The required Public Hearing Notice was published in the Vero Beach Press Journal on February 5, 2001. February 13, 2001 69 3M 117PG081