Chasing Ambulances...Revisited

The City of Bolivar’s partnership with West Tennessee Healthcare for ambulance service over the last 18 months has brought the issue of who should provide county services front and center, at least it has for Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic.

The Bolivar City Council briefly discussed the issue at the May 8 meeting of the council.

“What’s going to have to happen is one of two things,” said McTizic. “The county is going to have to pick up their slack or we’re going to have to.”

Ambulance service has always been a county responsibility, but in 2021, McTizic recognized a shortage in ambulances for the city and made the decision to partner with West Tennessee Healthcare.

“We did what we did because of the lack of county services,” McTizic reminded the council.

According to McTizic, West Tennessee Healthcare has 16 employees working in the city and pays their workers more than the county EMS workforce, which he estimated was eleven.

“The county’s EMS service for whatever reason is just not compatible enough for what we need,” McTizic told the council.

West Tennessee Healthcare is waiting for numbers so they can put together a proposal to both the city and the county.

“Once the city comes back with a proposal on how much it’s going to be, and we decide not to do that, I think by law, the county has to take over then,” said Councilman Larry McKinnie at the meeting.

McTizic said the city adding ambulances turned out better than originally thought.

“What started out as a perceived threat to the county system is now something they have come to expect and count on,” said McTizic.

McTizic added his motivation for bringing in ambulances hasn’t changed.

“At the end of the day, I can’t put a dollar amount on a life,” said McTizic. “That’s why we (the city) are here.”

So for now, the city is waiting, says McTizic.

“Once the county makes a decision, then that’s going to determine what happens on our end,” he said.

In the meeting, McTizic said the report for the month of April had 237 total responses, with 118 being emergency and 119 non-emergency calls. There were 57 hospital transfers, 50 of which went to Jackson General and seven went to Memphis.

McTizic said working with West Tennessee Healthcare makes sense to him.

“We should want to work with them when they provide us a hospital,” he added. “We need to be partners with them in every way we can. West Tennessee Healthcare can take on the problem. But the county needs to admit we have a problem.”

As of May 9, the agenda for the Hardeman County Commission meeting on May 16 does not have EMS listed.