Ballad Health to provide grant for new ambulance to support Carter County Emergency Medical Services

Grant follows discussions between Carter County Mayor, Ballad Health

Ballad Health Southern Region President Lisa Carter and Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby announced today that Ballad Health will provide a grant to fund a new ambulance that will serve the citizens of Carter County.

The ambulance will provide additional capacity for Carter County Emergency Medical Services and will be available for transfer of patients who need higher levels of care than can be provided in a community hospital. Carter, a native of Carter County, also announced that the new ambulance will be based at Sycamore Shoals Hospital, providing ease of access for patients and EMS staff.

“Mayor Woodby reached out to me on behalf of her EMS providers and the citizens of Carter County to work collaboratively on a solution for ensuring patients receive timely care,” Carter said. “Adding an additional ambulance to their fleet will assist the county in achieving that goal.

“Our commitment to Sycamore Shoals Hospital, its emergency and acute care services and the people it serves has never been stronger. We are proud to partner with Mayor Woodby and the leadership of Carter County EMS to help enhance our mutual commitment to the people we all serve.”

“In my 30 years of service in Carter County, I’ve always seen that the passion and commitment to collaboration always leads to a positive result,” said Dwayne Taylor, chief executive officer of Sycamore Shoals Hospital. “This is an example of a public-private partnership that will serve the community and help achieve the goal of providing the best care to our neighbors.

“As they always have, our 24/7 emergency department services and inpatient medical-surgical department will continue to provide high-quality care for our patients. This ambulance will be on-site and ready to transport those patients requiring critical care hospital admission without depleting any other EMS assets so they will be fully available to serve the community.”

A grant from Ballad Health will secure the purchase of the ambulance. Stationing the ambulance at Sycamore Shoals will help alleviate the strain on transportation from rural areas of the county, ensuring patients from every pocket of the region have full access to acute care services.

Under normal circumstances, the process to fund and secure an emergency services vehicle can take more than a year – but Ballad Health’s financial contribution will expedite that process to ensure the new ambulance is staffed and ready for duty as soon as possible.

“This new ambulance is further proof of the commitment to stewarding resources in a way that lowers costs and improves access to the highest levels of specialized care despite an extremely difficult national environment,” Mayor Woodby said. “I’m thankful to Ballad Health leadership for listening to our needs and making an investment that will help save lives.”

“I want to personally thank everyone involved for putting this on the front burner to make this possible,” said Tennessee State Sen. Rusty Crowe. “A fully-equipped, fully-staffed ambulance is a very tall order, and securing one in such a short amount of time is a testament to everyone’s commitment to the betterment of the region.

“After an in-depth study by the Tennessee Department of Health, I know this ambulance will greatly help with transport availability in Carter County. After consulting with Ballad Health and the Tennessee Department of Health, I feel this investment is aligned with the objectives of both organizations.”