Commerce leaders deliver petition over ER closure and press hospital for more ambulance capacity
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Summary
After Hunt Regional closed the Commerce emergency room, the Chamber and volunteers gathered about 1,500 petition signatures delivered to the hospital board; city leaders plan follow-up talks to seek ambulance funding and increase countywide ambulance capacity because patients now face 20–25 minute longer transports to Greenville.
City leaders told the Commerce City Council on Nov. 18 that the recent closure of the Commerce emergency room has prompted a community petition and follow-up engagement with Hunt Regional Hospital leaders.
City staff and the Chamber of Commerce organized volunteers who collected roughly 1,500 petition signatures that were delivered to the Hunt Regional Hospital District board at its meeting, according to City Manager Mister Lizzabee. Lizzabee said the petition’s intent was to ensure the hospital board and leadership heard a unified community message about the closure and the impact on local access to emergency care.
Lizzabee and Chief Bassett said closing the Commerce ER increases ambulance transport times for local patients — adding an estimated 20 to 25 minutes to reach care in Greenville — and reduces immediate on-site emergency capacity. Lizzabee said he and Chief Bassett were invited to meet hospital leadership the following day to discuss countywide ambulance coverage and urged the hospital to allocate some of the savings from closing the ER toward increasing ambulance capacity serving Hunt County and Commerce.
City staff said the countywide backup ambulance model means that when the Commerce ambulance transports a patient out of town, coverage gaps can leave the city with fewer units available for simultaneous emergencies; city officials urged additional ambulances in the network to respond to increased demand. No funding commitment from the hospital was reported during the council meeting; staff framed the next step as negotiations and follow-up with hospital leaders.