Wellspan York Hospital is discontinuing their EMS services. WellSpan staffs its own EMS team. The provider leases employees to several ambulance companies, including emergency medical technicians (or EMT’s) for basic life support services, and paramedics for advanced life support.
WellSpan is in the process of sending out notifications giving companies 90 to 120 days to figure out alternate coverage.
One paramedic who wants to remain anonymous reached out to Fox43 to express his concern. “As of 1/1 there will be NO primary paramedic coverage from Red Lion Borough, south to the Maryland border and from I-83 to the Susquehanna River. [This is] a very large portion of the county currently covered by two Wellspan medic squads. Yoe, York Township, Dallastown, and Northern Windsor Township are covered by Yoe Ambulance. Grantley, Jacobus, and West York will have to find their own coverage, ALS wise, as Wellspan gives up their Paramedic leasing program. Multiple Basic Life Support ambulances will lose EMT coverage (from the Wellspan leasing program) and will have to go back to either scrambling for volunteers, or paying their own employees. Not a lot of time to find all of this.”
An EMT with Eureka EMS also expressed concern about losing Advanced Life Support Service.
“If we don’t have an ALS here we have to go to another service who could be up at York hospital. Until they come down here, it’s about a 20 minute transport. If they’re busy then we have to go further out. We could go as far out as into Dover.”
Eureka EMS has BLS coverage but would lose WellSpan’s ALS coverage. “BLS is a basic life support so we provide oxygen, bandaging, splinting, traumatic injuries, things like that. ALS is advanced life support. They provide IV’s, medication, anytime there’s severe traumas, where they need to have intervention, like cardiac arrest or respiratory problems.”
Wellspan says they will work to help these companies transition to other providers.
One Eureka EMT is skeptical. She says they would have to find a private company, start their own ALS service, or go without. “It’s a very large area that is going to be affected by this. And for other services to pick up that coverage it’s going to be a lot of taxing. And are we going to have the providers to do so? Can all the companies do that? No. You have small ambulance services out there that cannot afford to put in truck because they don’t have the billable call volume to support that ALS service. It’s very costly, it’s very expensive. Just for your ALS equipment alone is thousands of dollars.”
A spokesperson for Wellspan released this statement in regards to the change:
What has WellSpan decided?
WellSpan is currently re-evaluating its model and its role in the provision of Advanced Life Support Services (ALS) and Basic Life Support (BLS).
Currently, WellSpan provides Advanced Life Support Services (ALS) and leases emergency medical technicians (BLS) and paramedics (ALS providers) to various ambulance companies in the community.
In York County, the current number of private ALS and BLS providers adequately meets the needs of the communities. Some community providers have actually integrated ALS and BLS services via Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs), which has become the most preferred model of care across the country. Therefore, WellSpan York Hospital will notify ambulance companies that currently lease its services or receive ALS services from WellSpan that the organization will discontinue the provision of ALS services and the leasing of paramedics and EMTs. Required notifications range from 90 to 120 days, during which time WellSpan will work closely with private ALS and BLS providers to ensure a smooth transition that will not disrupt service to the communities.
In Adams County, WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital will in the coming year work to transition BLS services to the multiple providers currently in place. As the only provider of ALS, the hospital will over the next 18-24 months work closely with area fire companies and community leaders to evaluate the best way to provide these services in the future.
Our region is fortunate to have many skilled and capable first responders, such as local fire companies and private providers of BLS and ALS services, and WellSpan has a long history of working closely with them. We look forward to engaging with these organizations to assess and develop plans that will ensure the effective and efficient provision of these services.
Why has WellSpan made this decision?
When WellSpan hospitals independently began offering BLS and ALS services in the region more than 30 years ago, the availability of paramedic coverage in York-Adams counties didn’t exist.
Over the years, advancements in EMT capabilities among municipal fire companies and private companies have become more prevalent and sophisticated. And, today they can provide excellent care in response to emergency needs.
The challenges of a changing health care environment require the hospitals to focus on quality of care measures for hospitalized patients and preventative health care efforts throughout our region.
Does this decision jeopardize the safety and care of those in the community?
No. WellSpan is confident that the level and quality of ALS AND BLS in York and Adams counties will be maintained.
How many WellSpan employees will lose their jobs as a result of this decision?
It is uncertain at this point.
There are four fire companies in York County and four in Adams County in which WellSpan leases ALS or BLS services.