Bolivar Mayor Issues Statement on West TN Healthcare Terminating EMS Service

Statement from Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic regarding West Tennessee Health EMS terminating their contract with Bolivar:

In 2021, the City of Bolivar made the difficult decision to seek an alternative source for the provision of emergency medical service to serve the residents of Bolivar due to the lack of EMS service in the county. At one time in Hardeman County, the ambulance service ran 4-to-5 ambulance units throughout the county. Over time, the number of ambulance units was reduced to 2-3 units. The county also ceased to provide EMS service for appointments, routine transports, and non-emergent hospital transfers. After handling many complaints from residents regarding lack of service, wait times, and turn-around times from Bolivar General to other hospitals, we sought alternatives and ultimately chose to contract with West Tennessee Health Care for EMS service within the Bolivar city limits.

I am so very thankful to West Tennessee Health Care (WTHC) Medical Center EMS for the provision of emergency medical service to our residents. Over the course of the last 18 months, Medical Center EMS has responded to over 4,453 emergency calls and has completed over 3,683 transports. They have been extremely helpful to work with and have done everything that we have asked them to do. They have provided exceptional service to our residents at no charge to the city or Hardeman County during this time, and we have had no complaints made to either myself or council members. The current situation should, in no way, reflect negatively upon West Tennessee Health Care, its employees, or their service to our city.
In the first quarter of this year, however, Medical Center EMS notified me that a subsidy would be required in order to continue providing EMS services to Bolivar residents. I immediately notified county leadership of the negotiations with Medical Center EMS and of the potential dilemma that the county would face should an agreement not be reached. West Tennessee Health Care also met with county officials and provided a proposal for the operation of emergency medical services for the entire county.

It was apparent during the June meeting of the county commission, however, that some commissioners were unaware of the gravity of the situation. During that meeting, I thoroughly and publicly explained the predicament that the county would face upon the conclusion of West Tennessee Health Care’s contract. The county currently staffs two- to-three ambulance units for the entire county while Medical Center EMS currently staffs two ambulance units just for the City of Bolivar.

During the city council meeting on July 10, 2023, the request from West Tennessee Healthcare to subsidize the city’s ambulance service failed for lack of a motion. During the meeting, I stated that after many sleepless nights over this issue, I could not, in good faith, recommend the payment of a subsidy as it was unfair to double-tax our residents for emergency medical services. The provision of emergency medical services is the responsibility of the county according to state law, and Bolivar is located in Hardeman County.

I received notification from West Tennessee Health Care on July 11, 2023, that its services to the residents of Bolivar will cease at midnight on July 31, 2023. At that time, emergency medical service to the residents of Bolivar will revert to the Hardeman County Ambulance Service.

I have every confidence in the staff at the Hardeman County Ambulance Service. The staff are knowledgeable and provide great care for our county. However, I am not confident in the county’s management of EMS services. I am not confident that the county has adequately staffed the ambulance service nor am I confident that they are prepared to take on the additional call volume that will be added when West Tennessee Health Care’s contract ends on July 31, 2023.

The management of the ambulance service has been a long-standing issue that the county leadership has failed to address. The management of emergency medical services should not be a political issue but is a serious matter that has life-and-death consequences. The true issue at hand is that oversight of the ambulance service is left to local politicians who do not recognize the urgency of this situation.

In closing, we will continue to work with county officials to emphasize the importance of a fully-funded ambulance service – an ambulance service that is fully staffed and has the required number of ambulance units to meet the needs of all Hardeman County residents.

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