POINT PLEASANT, W.Va – The Mason County Commission is the latest to enter into an agreement with HealthNet Aeromedical Services to manage the county’s emergency medical system.
A three-year agreement was announced Thursday at the commission’s meeting and goes into effect on Friday. The partnership, in cooperation with Marshall Health Network, brings HealthNet in to oversee day-to-day operations for Mason County EMS while keeping the existing staff in place.
“They will be integrating their clinical policies, their operational procedures, and their policy directives in order to better serve the residents of Mason County,” county commissioner Chris Johnson told MetroNews affiliate WMOV Radio.
An interim team leader is in place for the short term with a permanent replacement anticipated to be hired by September 1. HealthNet officials hope to use their resources to assist the people of Mason County.
“HealthNet is very well-resourced and have a very deep pocket of professionals that can take on improvements in EMS, and we’re going to be doing just that here,” HealthNet President and CEO Clinton Burley said.
Healthnet currently manages the EMS departments in Monongalia, Marshall, and Wayne counties. The move comes at a time of expected expansion with developments like the upcoming Nucor Steel plant being built in the county.
“It just raises the bar of administrative expertise and knowledge. It’s not something new that Healthnet’s doing. It’s something that they’ve done in other counties across the state where other counties are in need of some assistance when they’re experiencing growth or some additional stressors,” Marshall Health Network President and CEO Scott Raynes said.
Healthnet already has upgrade plans in place, including an additional permanent response station in Baden that is expected to open in early 2027. In addition to on-site management, HealthNet takes charge of larger-scale administrative responsibilities.
“We’ll handle safety. We’ll handle education for the staff. We’ll handle group purchasing, make recommendations perhaps for insurance improvements, and basically provide on-site professional EMS management,” Burley said.
The addition of the Baden station is anticipated to create around 12 new jobs. A senior director from HealthNet will serve as Mason County’s interim team leader until a permanent official is named.