The Dr. John Warner Hospital is seeking to turn over it's ambulance services.

The Dr. John Warner Hospital is considered a critical access hospital. CEO of the DJWH Earl Sheehy explains the hospital operates the ambulances on behalf of the city. He says nearly every time they take the ambulance out for a call, the city-owned hospital is losing money.

[audio:djwhambulanceservice1.mp3]A Word From Sheehy[/audio]

Sheehy explains for Medicare to reimburse the hospital, there cannot be another ambulance service within 35 miles. Sheehy says, not matter how they try to draw the map, it simply does not work. So the hospital is now seeking another ambulance service to come in so the hospital is not the provider of the service.

There are no shortage of options for the hospital to have run the ambulance services. Sheehy explains there are several area ambulance services that could be potential providers, however, he says right now the goal is to just stir up interest from those potential providers.

[audio:djwhambulanceservice2.mp3]A Word From Sheehy[/audio]

The DJWH has yet to receive a formal proposal from anyone. Sheehy stresses the things are still a work in progress for the hospital, but they do have some preliminary interest.

[audio:djwhambulanceservice3.mp3]A Word From Sheehy[/audio]

Sheehy explains the hospital will probably not house the ambulance service in their garage, because he says again, it costs the hospital money to have them there. The hospital is considering the ambulance service as a cost cutting measure to save them some money.