CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — Caldwell County is cutting some of its ambulance transports to other hospitals in an effort to keep its EMS personnel in the county.
The change comes as the number of calls for non-emergency transports has risen and services at Caldwell UNC Hospital have dropped.
EMS estimates that more than 2,000 patients are being transferred out of the hospital each year and it is straining county resources.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty went to one of the EMS bases on Thursday. Caldwell County has an average of eight to nine ambulances available at any given time.
The concern is that by running so many patients to other medical facilities for non-emergency transfers, it reduces the number of ambulances available for other calls.
The county manager believes the reduction in services at the hospital is adding to the problem. As an example, Caldwell UNC confirmed it no longer delivers babies. The hospital says it is requesting the county to give approval to a private medical transport to stage an ambulance at the hospital.
County Manager Donald Duncan talked to Faherty about his decision to cut some of the services.
“When we leave Caldwell County to go to another facility, that can be as quick as an hour and a half,” Duncan said. “It could be as long as five or six hours depending on which hospital we go to. And that’s taking an ambulance off the road and not servicing citizens for emergency response.”
Duncan said he would like to see more details on the hospital’s proposal. EMS says it will continue to transport patients facing life-threatening illnesses from Caldwell UNC to other medical facilities.
Caldwell UNC officials said it wants the county to approve a private-transport service.
“This would allow North State Medical Transport to stage an ambulance at our hospital and to carry out inter-facility transports and transfers,” officials with UNC Caldwell said.
Sherry Robison has had tests done at the hospital and, along with her husband, is concerned about what will happen if they need to be moved to another hospital.
“If they need it, they should be able to do that,” Robinson said. “The hospital should be able to provide that.”
The county manager said he would like to see more details on the hospital’s proposal.
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