TITLE
RESOLUTION APPROVING TRANSFER OF SHARES OF STOCK OF FLORIDA MEDI-VAN AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC. TO NATIONAL HEALTH TRANSPORT, INC.

BODY
WHEREAS, this Board desires to accomplish the purposes outlined in the accompanying memorandum, a copy of which is incorporated herein by reference; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that in accordance with Chapter 4 of the Code, the transfer of shares of stock of Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc. to National Health Transport Inc. is approved.

HEADER
Date:

To: Honorable Chairman Joe A. Martinez
and Members, Board of County Commissioners

From: George M. Burgess
County Manager

Subject: Resolution approving transfer of shares of stock of Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve the transfer of shares of stock of Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc., the holder of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (COPCN) to operate ambulance service, to National Health Transport, Inc.

SCOPE
The COPCN provides for countywide operation.

FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE
There is minimal fiscal impact to the County. Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc. is an existing provider of ambulance service. The transfer application fee, as established by Implementing Order 4-107, was $1,500.

TRACK RECORD/MONITOR
National Health Transport, Inc. currently holds eighteen (18) COPCN�s to provide nonemergency medical transportation service. Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc. has held a COPCN since 1990. Neither company has an enforcement history. CSD is responsible for regulating for-hire transportation in Miami-Dade County to include ambulance services.

MANAGER'S BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Chapter 4, Article I of the Code of Miami-Dade County, which governs ambulances, requires Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity to be approved by the Board. Section 4-4 (g) of the Code provides that any change in the ownership structure of a Certificate Holder that results in a change or the possibility of change in control must also be approved by the Board. The transfer of a certificate requires that a public hearing be held. In reaching its determination, the Board shall consider the application, the County Manager�s report and recommendation, all matters presented at the public hearing and the following criteria:

* Financial ability, including adequate liquid assets to sustain a new operation during an eighteen month start-up period;
* Adequacy of the management plan;
* Any recommendations from municipalities;
* The benefits that will accrue to the public interest;
* The community�s need for the proposed service, including a response time analysis of existing private providers for the previous 3 years as compared to benchmark response times stated in each provider�s most recent application and the quality of existing services as determined by the results of the comprehensive market survey conducted during the year preceding the term

for certificate renewal and acceptance of new applications.

Florida Medi-Van Ambulance Service, Inc. has been providing ambulance service in Miami-Dade County since 1990. They are currently authorized to operate 10 active units and one spare unit. In December 2010, the company informed the County that it had entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with National Health Transport, Inc. The agreement established the sale of all of the company�s shares of stock held by the sole shareholders, Mr. Antonio Gomez Ortega and Ms. Isabel Rodriguez, to National Health Transport, Inc. for $2,400,000 and other consideration. (Attachment A)

National Health Transport, Inc., located at 1225 SW 125 Avenue, Suite 403, Miami, Florida 33186, is an existing certificate holder with eighteen (18) COPCN�s for nonemergency medical service. The company appears to have the necessary financial strength to sustain its operations. In accordance with the Code, staff will monitor quarterly and annual fiscal and other statistical data on an ongoing basis. The management plan submitted by the applicant details the business functions that will be conducted and managed, including employee/crew training, a mechanism to handle complaints, accidents, maintenance, communications and dispatch, maintenance of business records and a quality assurance program. The proposed service standards meet all requirements of the Code and adequately meet transportation and comfort needs. The benchmark response times provided by the applicant are within the parameters of being reasonably responsive to the expectations of customers and are in line with the other providers� self-imposed schedule of benchmark response times.

A notice of the application filing was transmitted to all County municipalities and certificate holders as required. The City of Miami and the City of Homestead sent letters to CSD supporting the transfer application. One of the existing certificate holders, Randle Eastern Ambulance Service, Inc., objected to the transfer indicating that the Miami-Dade County ambulance market is saturated with ambulance providers and that approval of the application will contribute to the dilution of revenue from other providers. Alternatively, Randle Eastern requested that Florida Medi-Van be capped at the current number of ambulance units. (Attachment B)

The preliminary results of a Triennial Private Ambulance Service Market Survey conducted in the last quarter of 2010 show that a high quality of ambulance service is being provided throughout the County and that there is no need for significant expansion of providers; however, this application does not constitute an expansion of the service currently being provided within the County since it only deals with the transfer of the stock of an existing provider. Section 4-4 (h) of the Code sets forth the procedure for the addition of authorized vehicles based on an operator�s past utilization.

The benefit to the public is the continued availability to the community of a highly specialized, equipped and staffed ambulance service operating in compliance with Federal, State and County regulations.



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Assistant County Manager