Heartland Ambulance Service will become Greenwood’s new ambulance provider effective Sept. 1. Provided photo
A Greenwood board approved terminating the city’s contract with its longtime ambulance provider and moving to a new company Monday.
The three-member Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously ratified the termination of the city’s ambulance services contract with Seals Ambulance Service, effective at midnight Sept. 1. In a subsequent vote, the board unanimously approved a contract making Heartland Ambulance Service the city’s new provider, effective at midnight Sept. 1.
Seals has been the city’s exclusive ambulance transportation services provider since 2016, also providing services to other Johnson County fire departments, including Franklin. City officials are not renewing their contract with Seals due to issues the company is having with staffing ambulances for the city. The company operates three ambulances for the city, with the expectation they are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mayor Mark Myers said last week.
But Seals has had trouble with getting staff and keeping the trucks staffed for at least the past year. Officials have talked with their management on “multiple occasions” about this, and while management has tried to do what they can to keep the truck staffed at an “acceptable level,” they’ve not been able to do so, Myers said.
In a statement, Seals expressed “sincere gratitude” for serving the city.
“We want to extend our sincere gratitude for the privilege of serving the city of Greenwood,” said Sharon Kraun, the company’s vice president of marketing and communications. “We remain fully committed to providing exemplary service through the final day of our agreement and our assistance in facilitating a seamless transition.”
Heartland representatives say they’ll combine resources, expertise and personnel to deliver a “a seamless and efficient EMS response” with Greenwood Fire in their new partnership.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Greenwood Fire Department to enhance the level of emergency medical care available to the residents of Greenwood,” Heartland CEO Kenneth Jackson said in a statement. “By combining our strengths and resources, we are poised to deliver faster, more efficient and higher quality care, ultimately saving lives and improving health outcomes in our community.”
Fire Chief Jayme Washel said the resources Heartland will bring to the city will enhance the quality of emergency medical services to residents and visitors. Heartland is very data-driven, has cameras and systems in place to ensure safety of all of their ambulances and is one of the highest-rated safety services in the county.
Heartland has GPS locators in their ambulances, allowing fire command staff to see where all of the ambulances are in real-time, Washel said.
The provider is also looking into using “whole blood” transfusion for traumatic situations, instead of traditional methods, Washel said. A study by Boston University from January found that the earlier someone receives a whole blood transfusion in a trauma situation, the greater their odds of survival.
To learn more about the switch, read the Daily Journal’s previous coverage online.
