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Star Valley Health asks Star Valley Ranch for help to cover $1.7 million EMS shortfall
Summary
Star Valley Health told the council it subsidizes EMS about $1.7 million annually and asked towns and Lincoln County to restructure the 2021 agreement, budget EMS line items for FY 2026–27 and consider in-kind support; council members pressed on response times and potential stationing of ambulances.
Star Valley Health (SVH) presented the Town Council with a formal position statement on June 9 asking local governments to help address an ongoing EMS funding shortfall.
"SVH currently contributes approximately $1.7 million annually to subsidize EMS services across the valley," Dan Ordyna told the council, saying the hospitals’ current EMS agreement with Star Valley Ranch, Alpine and Thayne, entered in 2021, expires in November 2026. Ordyna said SVH is asking jurisdictions to work together to identify a sustainable funding solution, or it may need to reevaluate its role as EMS provider.
SVH requested that towns and the county restructure the 2021 agreement to share shortfalls within each jurisdiction, that local governments budget EMS line items for FY 2026–27 and consider in-kind contributions, such as garage space or living quarters for EMS personnel, to reduce operating costs.
Council members pressed on operational details. Councilman Bitter noted an ambulance for Star Valley Ranch is stationed far away and reported response times in the 25–30 minute range for some calls; Ordyna said that is a concern and that the systemwide average response time across three stations is about 16 minutes. Councilman Toolson asked whether an ambulance could be stationed at or near the local firehouse to improve response times; Ordyna said that would be possible if the town provided funding.
Councilman Merrill requested SVH financial statements for 2021–2025 to understand how the deficit developed; Ordyna said SVH stepped in when volunteer EMS capacity deteriorated and invested in higher-level care (critical-care-trained paramedics) rather than basic EMTs. He also estimated roughly $2 million in downstream hospital revenue generated annually from EMS-delivered patients and clarified SVH bills for scene-to-emergency-room transports but not for intra-facility transfers between its own campuses.
During public comment, former Mayor and Water Board member Boyd Siddoway criticized the shift from volunteer EMS to hospital-run services and said the hospital "took over EMS promising better service and now, less than ten years later, is reporting an unsustainable deficit and seeking municipal subsidies." Ordyna acknowledged the history while maintaining that volunteerism had declined by 2021.
Why it matters: The hospital's request could lead to municipal budgetary commitments or service restructuring before the November 2026 expiration of the current EMS agreement, with potential effects on response times, billing and local emergency coverage.
Next steps: Council members requested SVH financial statements for 2021–2025 and discussed options including cost-sharing formulas, pursuing federal Rural Health Transformation funds, and stationing ambulances locally if the town commits resources.
