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Council discusses EMS contract and hears University Hospital interim president on response improvements
Summary
Council members raised questions about an emergency medical services (EMS) contract with University Hospital and sought information about response times and potential inclusion of other ambulance providers; University Hospital’s interim president said response times have improved and invited further discussion and site visits.
Council members questioned a municipal contract to provide emergency medical services and heard a presentation from Dr. Baston (interim president and CEO of University Hospital) about EMS response improvements and the hospital’s community work.
Councilman Ramos asked whether the current EMS contract was awarded through a competitive process and whether the city was exploring including multiple ambulance providers to improve response times. Business Administrator Eric Pennington said the contract in question did not require a competitive bid because it is an emergency services arrangement, and that the administration is assessing whether additional providers can be included in dispatch rotations.
Council members described consistent concerns about ambulance response time across wards and asked whether more ambulances or alternate dispatch arrangements could be used. Pennington said dispatch currently comes into the city and is routed to University Hospital, which has been the principal provider; the administration is “still looking to see whether or not we can add other ambulance services into that route.”
University Hospital’s interim president introduced herself and described her background as the state health commissioner and as a physician, said she would return to answer additional questions and offered to host council members at EMS facilities. She told the council that from 2021 to the most recent year the hospital reduced response times by about half through partnerships and expanding its fleet and workforce, and said the hospital has placed outposts across the city to reduce response times. She invited council members to view EMS data and operations in person and emphasized continuing efforts to cut response times and expand community services.
Ending: Administration acknowledged council concerns and said it is exploring ways to include more providers in dispatch; University Hospital committed to follow‑up meetings and to share operational EMS data with the council on request.
