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Hancock County Ambulance Service Not Improving

Hancock County's Ambulance Service has not shown improvement in the last six months.
Blessing Hospital's Medical Director, Dr. Kelly Cox, oversees the service along with those in three other counties.

He says, “We're actually not moving forward. We're actually progressing backwards. And that's a very large concern on my mind that the system needs to take ownership of these issues and address them.

Cox has eight specific areas of concern. He says the district has made progress in two of them. It has remained at the save level of accomplishment in another. He says the district has regressed in five other areas.

His biggest concerns are that ambulances are checked to make sure they have the supplies and equipment they need, paperwork regarding the use of medications and the required continuing education for crew members.

While meeting with ambulance crews in June, Cox became aware of the problems of scheduling. He says it's a problem nationwide making sure that ambulance crews get enough rest between shifts. It's not unique to the Hancock County system.

The county has about three weeks to respond to Cox's concerns by creating a plan to address them.

Cox says, despite the problems, patients should not worry about the care they are receiving.

He says, “I believe the providers that are delivering the actual care, just because of sheer commitment to EMS, are doing an outstanding job.”