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Atchison County emergency services report rising 911 calls and transfer volume, stretching local ambulance capacity
Summary
Corey Scott, chief of emergency services, told the commission that 911 and transfer volumes have increased substantially, driving staffing and budget pressures; staff said more transfers to Kansas City and a regional reliance on private transfer services are reducing local ambulance availability and increasing net costs per call.
Atchison County's emergency-services leaders told commissioners on Dec. 17 that emergency-call volumes and interfacility transfers have risen to the point of stretching the county's ambulance capacity.
Corey Scott, chief of emergency services, said that since 2017 the county's annual calls have increased from about 1,850 to a year-to-date figure of 2,614; he said the department staffs three ambulances a day and that transfers to Kansas City — rather than nearby Saint Joseph — have taken ambulances out of the county for longer periods. That combination, Scott said, currently adds roughly 15 to 20 24-hour periods per year during which an ambulance is out of county due to transfer destinations.
Scott and staff described several operational pressures: growing call volumes across categories (trauma, respiratory distress, lift assists), difficulty recruiting paramedics, and the financial strain of transfer runs. Staff described efforts to increase billing recoveries — including improved Medicare billing throughput — and reported that recent payment recoveries have begun to reduce a shortfall. One staff member described a net-per-call taxpayer burden of roughly $422 after accounting for reimbursements and local staffing costs.
Commissioners discussed pilot programs and regional transfer services as potential options. Scott said private transfer providers have begun filling gaps for nonemergent transfers; the county has not refused calls but is triaging based on emergency priorities. Staff noted limitations on using non-certified drivers for some services and referenced state board rules that limit exemptions to very rural areas.
No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked for continued reporting and suggested the county include net revenue information in the 2025 budget discussions.
