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Amberwell hospital warns EMS staffing, equipment and regional capacity are stretching local transfers
Summary
Hospital leaders told Atchison County commissioners that a rising number of transfers and limited regional capacity are forcing outside ambulance services to handle many time-sensitive transfers, and that paramedic shortages, equipment availability and tertiary hospital backlogs are lengthening turnarounds.
Amberwell hospital leaders told the Atchison County Commission on Jan. 28 that a growing share of both non-emergent and time-sensitive emergent patient transfers have been completed by outside ambulance services rather than Atchison County EMS, and that region-wide capacity constraints and local staffing shortages are increasing delays.
The hospital presented a breakdown of transfers from August through December showing non-emergent and emergent transfers by day and night shift and by which agency completed each run. The presentation said many time-critical patients — for example, those needing immediate cardiac catheterization or stroke intervention — have required outside transport because the county’s EMS or regional air and ground resources were unavailable.
Hospital officials said several factors are driving the problem: the closest helicopter service previously based in St. Joseph no longer operates locally; tertiary receiving hospitals have been unable to accept transfers because of unusually high volumes; and Atchison County…
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