Dear Members of the Media,
Attached is a letter from the Vanderburgh County Commissioners to Mayor Stephanie Terry regarding the proposed transition of emergency medical services from AMR to the Evansville Fire Department. Also attached is a Cost Analysis Estimate from AMR.
The Commissioners felt it was important to share this communication with the media to keep the residents of Vanderburgh County informed on this matter.
Dear Mayor Terry,
On behalf of the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners, we are writing to respectfully request that the City of Evansville engage in a collaborative effort with Vanderburgh County and AMR Evansville to determine the best course of action for our community’s emergency medical service needs. As part of this collaborative effort, AMR has offered to commission and pay for an independent study performed by Fitch & Associates, a national leading EMS and public safety consulting firm. We would propose that Evansville Fire Chief Tony Knight take a lead role in the study.
There are a number of unknowns that could adversely impact the success of a City-run ambulance service, including local government funding cuts with Senate Bill 1 (“SB1”) and the prospect of cuts to Medicaid that could negatively impact revenue projections anticipated by the City. We also have concerns regarding the financial and operational implications to County,residents of transitioning emergency medical services from AMR to the Evansville FireDepartment. While AMR’s services could be improved, AMR currently operates without anysubsidy from either the City or the County. Based on certain financial projections made available to the Commissioners, which was derived from prior years data of emergency medical runs, it would appear the City could likely experience a $2 million loss beginning in the first year of the transition, with losses increasing year over year. We would also be remiss if we did not note that the City of Evansville was once responsible for the emergency medical services and it was ultimately concluded that the private model was more efficient for the taxpayers.
We would propose commissioning the study as soon as possible as we understand the study could be completed by the Fall of 2025. As such, if the study concludes it is in our commuity’s best interest to move forward with the City’s plan, it will result in only a short delay in the implementation of services. Perhaps more valuable, it would also allow for us to gain further clarity on the SB1 changes and impacts of the federal government’s cuts to Medicaid.
In light of this information, we hope the City will engage with Vanderburgh County and AMR Evansville in this collaborative effort to determine the best possible outcome for our community
We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this matter further.
Sincerely,
The Board of Commissioners of Vanderburgh County
Justin Elpers, President
Amy Canterbury, Vice President
Mike Goebel, Member
I have called an AMR ambulance twice for my wife in the past two years. The EFD first responders, both times, got there 15 to 20 minutes before the ambulance did. EFD running the ambulance as they did in the past would be a God send for the people of Evansville as there would be more ambulances available and closer to the people. AMR just wants to keep the money coming in to them. Ask them what their coverage is now for the city and how many ambulances, not just a supervisor, are available to respond faster than 20 minutes.