I recently opened a medical office on Cumberland Falls Highway and had an emergency situation last week which required transporting the patient via ambulance to BRMC. My staff called 911, Whitley Co ambulance was unavailable, Knox Co had no unit available, so Laurel Co was called. It took 30 minutes to get an ambulance to my office. Had I know this, I could have transported the patient myself since I'm only 1/2 mile from BRMC. My concern is there is no Whitley Co ambulance bay in the city limits. The closest is at the next exit south of Corbin which is about 12 miles or more. This could be life threatening for the patient having breathing difficulty or chest pain among other emergencies. I would like for someone to address the reason why we don't have a local WC ambulance available in the city limits and what it would take to get one established. Also, we need to look into a transportation system within the city limits that could take patients back and forth to the doctor's offices/xrays/labs etc because our ambulances are transporting these non-emergent cases which further decreases our access to them for emergencies. This has been a problem for many years and I would love for someone to address this issue. Thank you
Angie Singley, Family Nurse Practitioner Allergy, Asthma, and Sinus Center 1317 Cumberland Falls HWY, Suite A Corbin, KY 4070l
Ms. Singley, thanks for informing the viewers of this website about these problems you are encountering. Let us know if you get any suggestions. This is something we should all be interest in improving.
THE WHITLEY COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICE IS BASED OFF EXIT 15 IN WBURG.THIS IS THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY AND IS THE BEST PLACE TO SERVICE THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE FOR WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH. I AGREE IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET SERVICE BUT I CAN TELL YOU I GET TO SEE THESE FOLKS WORK EVERY WEEKEND AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB RESPONDING AND ATTENDING TO THE CALLS THEY WORK.JUST TO LET YOU KNOW IT TAKES A EMERGENCY UNIT ABOUT 35-40 MIN. TO RESPOND TO A CALL FROM LAUREL CO LINE TO THE BELL CO LINE IN GOOD WEATHER.I AGREE WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE BUT WITH OUR MONEY PORBLEMS IN WHITLEY CO WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL WE HAVE WHAT WEVE GOT. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED IF THE CITY COULD SERVE JUST THE CITY LIMITS WITH THE FIRE DEPT STAFF,MOST ARE TRAINED EMT AND WE HAVE THE BUILDING SPACE TO HOUSE A BASE.OF COURSE THIS SERVICE WOULD BE A FEE SERVICE AND COULD HAVE PROBLEMS WITH COLLECTIONS,FOR NON EMERGENCY RUNS THIS NEEDS TO BE A PRIVATE CARRIER BUT I THINK WITH SOME RESEARCH IT WOULD WORK.THIS COULD BE ANTHOR REASON FOR SOMEONE TO LIVE WITHIN THE CITY AND COULD BE A ASSET TO OUR TOWN.
I agree that our EMTs and paramedics do a great job. They have a hard job and I understand it is hard to cover such a large area with so few ambulances. My concern was not with the workers themselves but that fact that we have so few ambulances to respond. I know it costs money to operate these services. I like the idea of operating an ambulance service out of the fire department since most are emt's. I definitely think this is something the city should consider for the future. Thanks for your response.
Several years ago, wasn't it discussed and looked into regarding our city fire department starting an ambulance service, possibly going farther with paramedics? It's time to relook this issue.
It would require more people, and an equipment investment as well.
And, it would be city limits only. Not out into the county. If you chose to go into the county, you would have to set limits, and that would be difficult.
As I remember, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the firemen themselves opposed this measure, because at that time, all of them were not EMT's. I don't know if they are now or not.
Knox county has an ambulance tax added to the property tax bill, whitley county does not, I believe.
Next, would whitley county, or corbin city, residents support such a tax.
Ambulances and staff do not operate on thin air, they are very expensive. Whitley county tries to operate from their billing, and that doesn't work well either. They can't refuse service, so, if they get beat, they're beat.
Based on what I've read about the corbin fire department lately, they would have to add at least 15 or 20 new staff to run even a basic city fire department ambulance program. It's not the additions I worry about, it's how we'll pay for it as far as the initial start up.
The best way to look at this, is for a group to visit several small towns that have this service, and see how they started and run their operation.
The reason I ask, Knox ambulance service had a contract with the city of corbin for ambulance service. That said, I don't know if they still do at this time. Also, if the contract was only for the knox county side of corbin.
The city manager, Bill Cannon, will be the one to ask this question. He is the city manager, and he is the one that "manages the city", so, he should know if we still have a contract with Knox, and if it pretains to the whitley side of corbin city limits.
I haven't heard this issue brought up for some time, so, like I said, give Bill Ed a call.
If you get the "pass the buck treatment, let us know here on the board.
