Quincy terminates ambulance service

QUINCY — The Quincy Valley Medical Center is terminating its ambulance service.

Board chairman Anthony Gonzales read “Resolution 2011-01,” which stated the ambulance service ends July 11, but may cease sooner if it’s taken over by another company.

The ambulance department was under scrutiny by the hospital for its substantial financial losses over the past few years.

The service lost money in 2008 and 2009. The losses for 2010 reached $453,000, according to Gonzales.

Community meetings as well as an ambulance service analysis by Certified Public Accountant Konrad Capeller, of Wipfli CPAs and Consultants, explored alternatives to continue service at a financial loss.

During his presentation, Capeller said it would make sense to dissolve the service and redistribute the funds into other departments of the hospital.

“A positive revenue effect would result from termination of service,” Gonzales said.

Quincy Valley Medical Center Financial Officer Dean Taplett says ambulance repair bills for the department exceeded $24,000 a year and the vehicles were getting older, which would mean more maintenance.

“It’s expected that whoever takes over the ambulance service will either purchase or lease the equipment from the hospital,” said Taplett.

The board decided to begin closing the department with hopes to be finished by July 11.

“We knew that six months had worked out for (Grant County) fire district 5 and had worked out for their transition,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that American Medical Response (AMR) and Protection One looked into taking over the service, but the decision would ultimately go to the state Department of Health in Olympia.

“Going forward we should be able to reallocate costs,” Taplett said. “We will be losing less.”