Hospital board reexamines night ambulance coverage

CLINTON — Six months after the hospital reduced nighttime ambulance coverage from two ambulances to one ambulance, some board members are having second thoughts about the decision.

Clinton Ambulance supervisor Terrance Hubbard told the board on Monday that, ideally, he would feel more comfortable with two available ambulances at night. The service was reduced to one night ambulance in January.

Hubbard said he was mainly concerned about night coverage during times when the ambulance was on a long patient transfer to Springfield, Champaign or Peoria

Hospital CEO Earl Sheehy said, however, that the patient transports, times when patients were actually transported to Dr. John Warner Hospital, averaged about two per night. He said ambulances were less likely to be occupied at night than compared to daytime and that the use of mutual aid from neighboring ambulance services was much less common at night.

For the complete article see the 06-26-2012 issue.

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