The Owensboro City Commission and Daviess County Fiscal Court have now both approved a new backup ambulance provider and subsidy agreement with Owensboro Health. OH will be responsible for paying a $150,000 annual subsidy to America Medical Response (AMR), which has served as the ambulance operator for the city and county since 2019.
Owensboro Health previously served as a backup ambulance provider, but tense disagreements in 22018-19 led to them not reinstating their contract when the City and County entered a contract with AMR to replace Yellow Ambulance.
Negotiations since that time eventually led to this new agreement, which was approved by Fiscal Court during their December 15 meeting. Judge-Executive Al Mattingly noted at the time the agreement was for the next 3 years.
“I want to thank the hospital and I want to thank the board, and I think they made the right decision and at the same time they also agreed to provide a backup ambulance service,” Mattingly said.
The City approved their portion of the agreement during their meeting Tuesday.
OH will only have to step in as an ambulance provider for the City/County should AMR withdraw from the community.
OH President/CEO Mark Marsh said that he has been grateful for the aid from the City and County thus far and looks forward to the agreement from hospital systems’ perspective.
“This agreement is one way we are working together to strengthen access to healthcare services in the region,” he said. “We thank our local officials for their work on this issue, and we welcome more opportunities to collaborate in the future. Working together, there is nothing we can’t achieve.”
