Safford council backs Mount Graham hospital's ambulance CON after divided public comments

The Safford Mayor and City Council voted June 22 to approve a letter of support for Mount Graham Regional Medical Center’s application to the Arizona Department of Health Services seeking a certificate of necessity (CON) to operate ambulance services in Graham County.

During the agenda item, Jacob Dalstra, regional director for Lifeline Ambulance, asked the council to remain neutral and to consider risks to 911 coverage if a hospital-operated service refocuses ambulance work on interfacility transfers. Dalstra said Lifeline meets or exceeds state response-time requirements and warned that resources and expertise could leave the community if long-standing providers are displaced.

Danny Smith, chief marketing and community relations officer at Mount Graham Regional Medical Center, told the council the hospital’s application is a community-driven response to perceived poor ambulance performance. Smith said the hospital intends to provide local dispatch and locally based crews, and that town governments in the valley had already expressed support.

City Manager Eric Bayorono summarized a prior work session and staff analysis: the council’s role was limited to deciding whether to provide a letter of support, and the Arizona Department of Health Services will make the CON decision. After brief council discussion about dispatching, response times and neutrality, the mayor moved to approve the letter of support; council voted in favor of the motion.

The letter of support will be included in Mount Graham Regional Medical Center’s CON application materials submitted to the state department.