Aberdeen ambulance service to specialize in non-urgent calls

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - A new ambulance service in Aberdeen plans to specialize in non-emergency calls.

Midwest Medical offers inter-facility transfers for Aberdeen and the surrounding area, not a 911 service, the Aberdeen News (https://bit.ly/2eMJQcv) reported. Business development director Sean DeLancey said the company had a few transfers in its first two weeks.

DeLancey said Midwest Medical could respond to a catastrophe, natural disaster or accident if multiple services are needed.

According to DeLancey emergency responders would be allowed to stay local because the Midwest Medical would take on the responsibility of facility-to-facility transfers that require out-of-town travel.

Brown County Emergency Management director Scott Meints said having the service available in the event of a mass casualty incident should be helpful.

“For that, having more tools in the tool bag is a plus,” he said.

But not everybody thinks the new business is necessary. Aberdeen Ambulance Service owner Dan Mielke said he understands the benefits of competition, but that he doesn’t think the city has enough of a market to sustain three ambulance services.

The ambulance service has two ambulances thus far and within the next two months the service intends to have wheelchair vans. And another ambulance will arrive later this month, said Rob Senger, regional manager for Midwest Medical.

In the future Midwest Medical will offer community paramedicine, a service in which staff would visit former hospital patients in their homes in order to bring down the number of ambulance trips.

“A lot of these patients just need that general guidance to stay out of the ER,” Senger said.

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Information from: Aberdeen American News, https://www.aberdeennews.com