EMSA President and CEO Steve Williamson has resigned effective Oct. 19.
The resignation was accepted by the EMSA board of trustees Tuesday morning after nearly two hours behind closed doors in Stroud. Stroud is halfway between EMSA’s Tulsa and Oklahoma City divisions.
"It’s been my pleasure to serve the organization that has, through its thousands of employees through 39 years, cared for and given millions of patients excellent medical care," Williamson said, reading from a prepared statement.
Williamson will be paid through Thursday and for any unused leave time. He will also get 60 days of severance pay, based on his annual salary of $266,094.
Williamson has been the head of the ambulance service since it was founded in 1978 to replace the old Central Ambulance Service in Tulsa.
"The timing of this retirement is to allow the focus to be on the high quality of care EMSA is providing without any further distraction," Williamson said in a prepared statement.
EMSA has been embroiled in a federal lawsuit since January alleging Williamson helped orchestrate a $20 million kickback scheme with a Texas ambulance company
The EMSA board agreed to cover most of Williamson's legal fees for the federal civil case. The agency will cover all legal fees through Nov. 8. After that, costs paid to Williamson's attorneys will be capped at $25,000 per month through July.
Williamson will be entitled to coverage for any potential settlements through an insurance company.
There is also a criminal investigation of the alleged pay-for-play scheme. EMSA did not agree to cover costs related to that case.
The city of Tulsa recently denied a rate increase for EMSA to help offset its mounting legal costs.
Williamson thanked his staff throughout the years.
"For some time, it’s been very trying and very hard to keep your eye on the ball, but with all that we face now and from the hard work of the past, the team has accomplished some of the lowest costs per calls with some of the highest clinical performances achieved today," Williamson said.
EMSA was initially set up by the then Tulsa City Commission as public trust to provide ambulance service to Tulsa and several of the bedroom communities. The trust was later expanded to include Oklahoma City.