On Monday, evening, November 15, the Scott County Quorum Court met in regular session. One of the items discussed, the contract for county EMS services.
Scott County Judge James Forbes stated that approximately four to six months ago, Mercy Hospital indicated that they would not be renewing their contract with Southwest EMS. Although the county did not have a contract with Southwest EMS, they did provide services within the county.
“Southwest EMS’ contract will end on December 31, 2021,” stated Forbes. “We recognized that we needed an ambulance service in the county, so we advertised for bids. We had three companies submit proposals.”
Providers who submitted proposals included Southwest EMS, Liberty EMS, and Got to Go Medical Services. Forbes stated that the Quorum Court had, over the course of several meetings, developed a list of requirements for potential providers. Those requirements included 24-7 service with advanced life support, 12 hours with basic life support, and another 12-hour on-call.
In a vote of 8-1, the Quorum Court awarded Liberty EMS a one-year contract. “This will be in effect on January 1, 2021,” added Forbes. “I will be meeting with them and Mercy hospital this week to discuss the contract. After one year, we will look and see if we wish to renew that contract.”
Perryville, AR-based Liberty EMS stated, “Our Mission at Liberty EMS Service is to provide the highest quality prehospital and inter-hospital medical transportation for our patients with the highest standards of patient care, safety, and customer service. We are a service that values your ability to choose us. Our motto is ‘Your Liberty to choose is our Mission to serve’. You could summon another ambulance service, but you chose Liberty EMS. For that we are humbled. In today’s fast-paced health care industry, quality and caring seem to be missing from many ambulance transportation companies. We, at Liberty EMS Service, strive to place quality, care and compassion back into medical transportation.”
