For years, emergency medical services has had a single provider in Lubbock. Now, Covenant Health System wants a role. Covenant's Regional Board gave the go-ahead to research EMS options.
"More ambulances on the streets means faster access to emergency care, lower response times. You'll have an additional hospital that is providing resources," Covenant's Regional Director for Communications and Marketing Ainsley Nelson said.
Covenant Health is moving forward in exploring options to expand its EMS services.
"What our board unanimously decided was to move forward with considering what options may be out there not only for Lubbock but also for Covenant," Nelson said.
The idea is still very preliminary.
"We don't have a final dollar on that because we're not sure what level would be involved, I know that it's something our board unanimously decided to consider and again do some further study and see if it's an option that's good for Lubbock," Nelson said.
City Council created a subcommittee to review the provision. The committee members have 45 days to provide recommendations and will meet for the first time next week.
"It's been going on since 1984, it's something you really can't rush in a 45-day time period. There needs to be study, there needs the protocols that are adhered to that are industry standards and it's something that the public and the City Council need to look at very closely."
Whether Covenant would work alongside UMC EMS remains to be determined.
"The way the systems usually work is a dual hospital system, how that would be defined is something that would be left up to the city and the parties that are interested in providing the service."
Staff at Covenant said they'd like to see a permanent oversight committee specifically designed to monitor the city's emergency medical services.
"There would be an oversight committee that would hold the service providers accountable for certain measures and protocols that are industry standards, we should expect nothing less," Nelson said. "For us to all have more ambulances on the streets to provide emergency care is something that's a benefit to all of us"
