For Immediate Release – August 22, 2023
Clark County Ambulance and Marshall Fire Protection District Ambulance Announce
Merger
MARSHALL, IL – Clark County Ambulance and Marshall Fire Protection District Ambulance in Illinois have finalized an agreement to complete a merger of ambulance services within Clark County.
Recently, the Marshall Fire Protection District Ambulance found itself having difficulty managing the cost of funding an ambulance service coupled with revenues becoming stagnant as payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial insurance have not increased. By merging the two agencies, cost control can be achieved, and the service can be expanded to better serve the residents and visitors of Clark County. Over the last 12 months, representatives from the County Board of Supervisors and Marshall have been working together to determine the best option to support ambulance coverage and service in a sustainable manner for all areas of the county.
The merger, effective November 1, 2023, creates a unified 911 ambulance system to serve all of Clark County. Clark County Ambulance currently provides ambulance coverage from three station locations: Casey, Martinsville and West Union. Marshall provides service from one station in the City of Marshall. With the merger in November, the County will now provide service to every resident and visitor of Clark County.
“It’s been a struggle for Marshall Ambulance over the past few years and we are excited to have the County willing to help to continue ambulance coverage in the future to Marshall,” Marshall Fire Protection District President Mike Murphy said. “It has been a challenge at times for us with limited staffing and resources and now having one service in the County will ensure that these issues no longer exist.”
Board of Supervisors Chairman Rex Goble said, “I am grateful that we could work together with Marshall Ambulance to ensure that everyone in Clark County will receive an ambulance quickly. We are excited to see what the future holds for Clark County Ambulance as we know the changes, we are making will help in getting an ambulance to you more quickly.” He said, “The only changes Aug. 22, 2023, residents of Marshall will see are the ambulances will be relabeled and the employees will have uniforms with the Clark County Ambulance logo on them.”
Clark County EMS Coordinator Jason Wimbley said, “Having been part of the ambulance service here in Clark County for most of my life, I am happy that the County and Marshall were able to negotiate this merger. I look forward to seeing the next steps and how we can all work together to make sure we get ambulances to everyone quickly, with the highest trained people on them.”
In early 2022, The County Board of Supervisors hired Fitch & Associates (FITCH), a well-known emergency services consulting and management firm, to conduct a Countywide assessment of the ambulance service as well as evaluate the feasibility of the merger. With FITCH’s recommendations, the County Board of Supervisors and the Board of Directors of Marshall Ambulance worked collaboratively with FITCH’s guidance to complete this merger. FITCH was able to present options that will decrease overhead and expenses, increase revenue, and create other economies of scale to ensure a long-term sustainable ambulance system.
In addition to merging Marshall Ambulance into the Clark County Ambulance Service, the Supervisors are simultaneously taking the next step to ensure adequate ambulance service to the entire County. As the merger is occurring, Clark County Ambulance will be transitioning to at least two fully staffed ambulances around the clock. The crews will be housed at both the Martinsville station and the leased Marshall station If an ambulance is dispatched by Clark County 911 from either of these stations, residents will receive emergency medical services more quickly. This is an improvement over the current model where staff must respond from their homes. It is projected that this change will improve response times throughout the county. The remaining two stations in the County, Casey and West Union, will continue to be able to be staffed by on-call or volunteer personnel.
As the merger progresses, the County intends to hold town hall meetings so the residents of Clark County can see first-hand all the positive changes that are occurring with the ambulance service.
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