Dickinson County Health Care System says it’s making arrangements for seamless ambulance coverage after Beacon Ambulance announced that it would not transfer patients to the hospital beyond a 30-mile radius of Iron Mountain.
That decision took effect Friday morning. The hospital says that Integroty Ambulance, which has been sharing patient trabsfer duties with Beacon, will step up to serve more patients. Integrity has a fleet of six ambulances, and the hospital says patients will continue to receive high-quality service.
Other local health systems have also pledged to help out should Dickinson County need the help.
The hospital’s statement follows in full:
Holding true to our commitment of open communication between Dickinson County Healthcare (DCH) and the community, please take a few moments to read this important update.
We received a notification from Beacon ambulance service that as of 0900 today they will no longer transfer patients outside of a 30 mile radius of our hospital. We respect Beacon’s business decision as we ourselves know that changes to daily operations are sometimes necessary.
DCH is taking all steps necessary to ensure the safe and timely transfer of our patients to facilities that provide the level of care that is needed. As part of our plan to continue to provide transfer services to our patients, Integrity ambulance service has pledged additional support to accommodate our needs.
Integrity has historically shared the patient transfer duties with Beacon, and with a six ambulance fleet, they are well equipped to care for all of our patient’s needs. We anticipate the level of care to continue at a very high level and the patient experience will be seamless.
Neighboring health systems have also offered support should we need it and we are very thankful that we have seen a collaborative outpouring of effort to provide great care for our patients and our community.
