THATCHER — The current ambulance service provider’s care for Graham County is being challenged.
Representatives of AMR, which owns and operates Life Line Ambulance out of Tucson, spoke at the Safford City Council meeting on May 11, and the Thatcher Town Council meeting on May 18. They said there is no need for Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center to obtain approval to start an ambulance service, since AMR is committed to the Gila Valley.
“Over the last two years, we’ve modernized our ambulance fleet. Just this year alone, we invested a quarter of a million dollars in new ambulances just for this community,” Austin Hawkins, with AMR, said to the Thatcher Town Council. “We’re actively working toward a new station for our crews, upgrading our radio communications across the county and continue to strengthen our operations.”
He added that AMR is “100 percent compliant” with response times approved by Arizona Department of Health Services.
Thatcher Town Councilman Randy Bryce questioned AMR’s commitment.
“In your presentation . . . you said that we could ask you for whatever we wanted, and you would help us. We want better ambulance service,” Bryce said. “We’re, frankly, a little tired of our community members passing away waiting for the ambulance.”
Bryce also works as the chief operating officer for MGRMC.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
In an e-mail to Gila Valley Central, Danny Smith, vice president and chief Marketing and Community Relations officer for MGRMC, said the hospital seeking a certificate of necessity to operate an ambulance service is because of AMR’s actions.
“AMR performance is poor and City and County leadership in Graham County has expressed this in many ways when AMR has modified their CON to increase their call times,” Smith wrote. “At MGRMC, we feel we must act at our own expense. We have not sought to enter the ambulance service but at this point we feel the responsibility to do so.
“MGRMC absolutely has the expertise, resources and a 53 year track record to operate an ambulance service in Graham County.”
To obtain a certificate of necessity, applicants must show support from the community. Both Pima and Thatcher have written letters of support in the hospital’s effort to get DHS approval to start an ambulance service. Safford has been approached to also support MGRMC’s effort, and the City Council will be asked to act on the request at the second meeting in June.
