HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-10-2026 Personnel & Finance Committee MinutesOFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
BIANCA L. T IRADO, crrY CLERK
PERSONNEL & FINANCE
Committee Members Present:
Committee Members Absent:
Other Council Present:
Others Present:
Presenters:
Agenda:
AUGUST 10, 2026, 3 :35 P.M.
Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers, Caz Margenau,
Karen L. White
Rachel Tomas Morgan, Sheila Niezgodski
Sharon McBride*, Canneth Lee
Bianca L. Tirado, Matthew Neal, Jasmine
Jackson, Lari'onna Green, Veronica Pitt-
Payne, Bob Palmer
Jenna Throw, Andrew Myer
Bill No. 49-26 -Amending Section 9-16 of
the South Bend Municipal Code to Establish
Rates for Mobile Integrated Health Care
Visits
Members marked with an asterisk (*) are in virtual attendance.
Please note the attached link for the meeting recording:
https://docs.southbendin.gov/WebLink/browse.aspx?dbid=0&mediaid=412049
Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White called to order the Personnel and Finance Committee
meeting at 3:35 P.M.
Bill No. 49-26-Amending Section 9-16 of the South Bend Municipal Code to Establish Rates
for Mobile Integrated Health Care Visits
Jenna Throw, City Attorney, with offices on the sixth (6th) floor of City Hall, South Bend, IN
46601 , presented the bill. She explained that new state legislation requires insurance companies
to cover mobile integrated healthcare services. She said the bill establishes rates and charges for
the City's mobile integrated healthcare program.
Andrew Myer, Assistant Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS), South Bend Fire
Department, 1222 South Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601 , elaborated on the City's mobile
Jasmine Jackson
Q-rrEF DEPUIT 0TY 0.ERK I Q-rrEF OF STAFF
INTEGRITY I SERVICE I ACCESSIBILITY
Matthc"v N cal
D EPurY O TY 0.ERK I DIRECTOR OF POLICY
Veronica Pitt-Payne
DIRECTOR OF SPEOAL P ROJECTS
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.91731 www.southbendin.gov
f~ CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
integrated healthcare program. He said SBFD has had this program for ten ( 10) years, and in 2021
it was the first (1 st) mobile integrated healthcare program to be formally recognized by the state
of Indiana. He explained that the program is staffed by two (2) experienced full-time paramedics
who work with overutilizers of the nine-one-one (911) system to address their social and medical
needs.
Citizen Member Caz Margenau asked how "overutilizers" are determined.
Assistant Chief Myer said the program's client base is the top eighty (80) most frequent nine-one-
one (911) callers. He said emergency responders can also make referrals to the program when
they encounter residents who need these services. He explained how the nine-one-one (911)
reporting system is used to share information with the mobile integrated healthcare team.
Citizen Member Margenau asked if nine-one-one (911) calls "count against" a patient when they
are initiated by someone else.
Assistant Chief Myer clarified that "overutilizer" is an industry term and does not reflect
negatively on the patients themselves. He said the program's goal is to figure out why these
patients are frequently calling nine-one-one (911) and provide resources to address their social
and medical needs.
Citizen Member Margenau noted that there would be a financial cost.
Assistant Chief Myer clarified that patients' insurance would be charged, not the patients
themselves.
Citizen Member Margenau noted the different rates for "new" and "established" patients. She
asked how these categories apply to the "top eighty (80)".
Assistant Chief Myer replied that all patients are in the "top eighty (80)". He said "new" patients
are new to the mobile integrated healthcare system, not the nine-one-one (911) system.
Citizen Member Margenau asked for confirmation that this is for charging insurance.
Assistant Chief Myer confirmed that is correct.
Citizen Member Margenau asked if patients know their insurance will be charged.
Assistant Chief Myer said he does not know.
Citizen Member Margenau asked about uninsured patients.
Assistant Chief Myer replied that uninsured patients would not be charged.
Citizen Member Margenau asked about patients with high-deductible insurance plans.
Assistant Chief Myer replied that these patients would not be charged.
Committee Vice Chair White thanked Citizen Member Margenau for her questions and stated that
the Committee needs to move on due to time.
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I 215 S. Or. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 I p. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbendin.gov
CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
Council President Canneth Lee thanked Assistant Chief Myer for his service to the community.
Committee Vice Chair White held the public hearing, and nobody spoke.
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers moved to send Bill No. 49-26 to the Committee of
the Whole with a favorable recommendation, which was seconded by Citizen Member Margenau
and carried by a vote of three (3) ayes with two (2) Committee Members absent.
Committee Chair Sheila Niezgodski -Absent Committee Vice Chair Karen L. White -Aye
Committee Member Ophelia Gooden-Rodgers -Aye Committee Member Rachel Tomas-Morgan -Absent
Citizen Member Caz Margenau -Aye
Committee Vice Chair White thanked Attorney Throw and the South Bend Fire Department.
With no further business, Committee Vice Chair White adjourned the Personnel and Finance
Committee meeting at 3 :45 P.M.
Karen L. White, Committee Vice Chair
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
300 City Hall I 215 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I South Bend, Indiana 46601 Ip. 574.235.9221 If. 574.235.9173 1 www.southbendin.gov