High ambulance response time remedied in Ash Grove

City plans for further emergency medical improvement, considering ambulance district

 
Ash Grove ambulance response times—which once clocked over an hour—are now back down to the usual wait according to Chris Boyd, who operates under many titles for the city.
In discussion at a board of aldermen meeting, Boyd stated that ambulance response time was climbing to nearly an hour and a half, waiting for emergency transport vehicles from Mercy Hospital in Springfield to respond. This has recently been remedied said Boyd, but changes still should be made.
In the city’s comprehensive plan that was recently adopted by the board of aldermen, one area for growth identified by Southwest Missouri Council of Governments, was the fact that Ash Grove did not have an ambulance barn or an ambulance district. This means that if an emergency incident were to occur, a citizen would have to wait for help from an emergency team in Willard, the usual response time being about 20 minutes. This would skyrocket up to wait times of more than an hour due to disruptions with Willard’s ambulance barn service and a shortage of paramedics in the Springfield area, though Boyd said they are now back to the usual duration. No incident was recorded in which a patient needing care could not receive it because of the wait said Boyd.
“The care was always there,” said Boyd.
Boyd added that Willard will respond to render aid but an ambulance from Mercy Hospital must be dispatched from Springfield for transportation. This is known as the sprint model of care, wherein a paramedic arrives first at the scene to take action before transportation arrives. This might not cut it though said Boyd, as the city is discussing the possibility of adding more measures to keep its residents safe.
Boyd said that the city is considering creating an ambulance district to better assist citizens with medical needs. This differs from the ambulance barn system in ownership and operations. An ambulance barn would simply house vehicles, paid for by Mercy Hospital to be used in an emergency. The city is looking to form an ambulance district, paid for and operated by the city. This too poses a problem though as the city has had a difficult time finding volunteers for emergency services.