WILMINGTON, DE — Mayor Mike Purzycki recently shed light on an impending crisis facing Wilmington — the potential loss of emergency ambulance services that have long been provided by St. Francis Hospital at no cost to the City. The hospital, grappling with severe financial difficulties, informed the City in late 2023 that it would be unable to continue providing these vital services in 2024.
Historically, St. Francis has been able to offer this service at no cost to the City by billing individuals who were transported to the hospital through their health insurance. However, the hospital explained that this billing process is no longer covering the true cost of the service, leading to its decision to discontinue.
In response to this development, Mayor Purzycki stated that the City Administration and St. Francis have explored alternative funding options to ensure the continuation of ambulance services for City residents and businesses for at least another year. Among the considered alternatives was the possibility of the City’s Fire Department adding an EMS transport unit, an option that remains a possibility for the future.
The City also issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify another ambulance service that could take over from St. Francis. However, the only bidder turned out to be St. Francis itself, proposing a sum of $3.5 million.
Given these circumstances, Mayor Purzycki believes the most feasible solution is for the City to allocate up to $3.5 million to subsidize the already-established St. Francis EMS system. The Mayor’s Office is now requesting the Wilmington City Council to approve a $3.5 million budget amendment, which will be funded from the City’s budget reserve.
Under a proposed one-year agreement, should the budget amendment be approved, St. Francis would continue to aggressively bill individuals who are transported to minimize the need for the City subsidy. The City and the hospital will jointly audit this billing process. However, Mayor Purzycki acknowledged that the financial condition of the hospital’s EMS program would likely necessitate that the City subsidize a significant portion of the program.
The Mayor emphasized that the City could not simply stand by as EMS services came to an end, highlighting the critical role these services play in ensuring the health and safety of Wilmington’s residents. The City Council could vote on the proposed budget amendment as early as January 18.
This potential crisis underscores the critical intersection of healthcare and municipal governance, demonstrating how financial difficulties at one institution can have far-reaching implications for a community. As Wilmington grapples with this challenge, the city’s actions could set a precedent for other municipalities facing similar situations.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.