Until the start of this year, ambulance services in the city were provided by St. Francis without cost.
At the end of 2023, the hospital informed the city it would no longer provide ambulance services due to its own financial difficulties.
The city issued two Requests for Proposal to find a new provider of EMS services. The only bidder was St. Francis in the amount of $3.5 million.
John Rago, Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Mike Purzycki, says they have approached City Council with a budget amendment for up to $3.5 million from the budget reserve.
“If Council approves it, and we sign the agreement with St. Francis, they will continue to provide EMS services to 2024. And then St. Francis will bill the individuals that it transports to the hospital, their insurance, to provide some funding coverage of these transports,” he explained.
The city and the hospital will jointly audit the billing process.
Purzycki said in a statement earlier this week that a review of the financial condition of the hospital’s EMS program forecasts that the city would more than likely have to subsidize a large portion of the program
Rago says Wilmington residents should not notice any difference in service in 2024.
“The end goal here is for ambulance service to be in place for emergency transports when needed for our Wilmington residents, business owners, visitors, and so on,” he said.
This solution will only be in place until 2025 as the city works to come up with a long-term plan.
City Council could vote on the budget amendment as early as January 18.
