Community EMS to serve Shelby-area residents

SHELBY – Shelby-area residents will see no difference in billing or quality of medical service after the city and surrounding townships switched EMS providers Tuesday at midnight.

Community EMS, a growing medical transport service with headquarters in Southfield, Michighan, will take over for Mansfield Ambulance as the primary response agency for residents in Shelby, Jackson Township and Sharon Township.

City and township officials recently awarded Community EMS the ambulance service contract, which begins Tuesday and lasts for one year with the option to renew.

“Rather than calling the current provider, (dispatchers) will be calling us,” said Tom Edminson, Community EMS director of operations. “In reality, there should be absolutely no difference other than it’s going to be a different ambulance crew showing up at your doorstep.”

Community EMS ambulance drivers and responders familiarized themselves with the area to prepare for the switch. Edminson said crews will learn the streets, then later take a test to familiarize themselves with the quickest route to get from place to place.

Edminson said Community EMS contracts with OhioHealth MedCentral and has won bids for transport throughout the area, including in Ashland and Mansfield.

“We’re a growing entity in that market and we do hope to bring new units to the area as the need arises,” he said.

Ambulance billing policies remain the same. Whenever a private ambulance company such as Community EMS transports a resident to the hospital, the company sends a bill to a resident’s heath care insurance provider.

Uninsured residents would receive bills as normal.

The Shelby Fire Department will continue to send its ambulance and personnel to medical calls and will use its ambulance for secondary transport.

cerokwu@gannett.com

419-521-7220

Twitter: @ChikeErokwu