A new contract proposal for the county’s ambulance service appears to be missing one important part: transfers from Allen County Regional Hospital to other facilities.
Global Medical Response, through its subsidiary American Medical Response, submitted a proposal to provide 911 emergency ambulance services for $1.8 million with a 3% annual increase. The company would operate two full-time ambulances and staff, with another ambulance and a medically equipped SUV to be shared with Linn County.
“That means we’re not transferring patients from the hospital to where they might need to be,” Commissioner Bruce Symes noted. “So that’s a gap we’ve got.”
“Is that something that could be provided,” Commission Chairman David Lee asked Craig Isom, program director with AMR who presented the contract at Tuesday’s meeting.
“It could be if we could find staff. And there would be additional costs associated. But staffing is the biggest hurdle,” Isom responded.
Commissioner Jerry Daniels said he requested an inventory of the county’s ambulances and EMS equipment. The county owns four ambulances, which could be used for transfers.
Currently, the City of Iola provides EMS services for the county with four ambulances; one is dedicated to hospital transfers. The city voted to terminate the contract, effective Aug. 1, citing staffing and budget concerns. The county paid $1.65 million for the service in its first year in 2022, with a 2.5% annual increase.
Hospital transfers were one of the sticking points for the city, with Council members noting an increase in transfers that take two ambulance personnel out of their respective stations for an average of six hours at a time, even if they are near the end of their shift. The Council members said they believed that contributed to a sense of burnout among the staff.
Jeremy Armstrong, ACRH administrator on behalf of the Saint Luke’s Health System, said he hopes to continue to have conversations with commissioners.
“There is a concern about no coverage of services for the hospital if transfers need to be made from facility to facility,” he said. 
The hospital needs to transfer patients to other facilities about 500 times a year, with about half going to Saint Luke’s facilities. Others go to such places as the Kansas Heart Hospital, KU Med, Overland Park Regional Medical Center and other facilities.
Commissioners did not vote on the contract and plan to continue the discussion next week. Isom said AMR needs at least 90 days to set up the service.
“Because that transfer piece is missing, my main concern is getting ambulance service in the county, absolutely. This was pressed on us by discontinuation of the contract by the city so I’m very appreciative AMR wants to step up and get us good ambulance services,” Symes said.
“I agree with Bruce,” Daniels said. “This is one leg of the table. Let’s get this leg established and then focus on the other one and find a solution.”
