Allegheny County Council unanimously voted Tuesday to advance a grant program to help struggling emergency medical providers pay for equipment repairs and upgrades.
The proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Suzanne Filiaggi, would allow the 32 members of the County EMS Council to apply for grants of about $30,000 for emergency equipment repairs or purchases.
The Allegheny County EMS Council, which was established over 40 years ago, represents 60 different EMS providers across the county and advocates for legislative and financial reforms.
Douglas DeForrest, executive director of Mt. Lebanon’s Medical Rescue Team South Authority, said new funding streams need to be developed in order for smaller agencies to continue operating.
“The unfortunate long-term demise is going to be that without change, most smaller EMS stations won’t stay afloat for very long,” DeForrest said. He said each EMS call costs an ambulance service more than they’ll recover in reimbursements.
Michael Nemec, chief of the Robinson Emergency Medical Services, said his station is in need of IV poles, stretchers and EKG monitors. Nemec said his team currently has to manually ventilate patients due to a lack of portable ventilators and administer intravenous medications without an IV pump.
The urgency is motivating county council to develop a grant program for members of the EMS Council. In December, Council allocated $1 million for EMS operational support using funds from Pennsylvania’s share of a $1 billion nationwide settlement with pharmaceutical distributors.
Christopher Dell, chief of McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Service, said that while the $1 million allocation from the settlement will not be enough to equip EMS providers with major purchases, “at least it’s something to help.”
“More often than not, many EMS agencies don’t receive many federal grants,” Dell said. “So we’re glad that Allegheny County recognizes the need, and we’re anxious to see it come to fruition.”
The average cardiac monitor cost a few thousand dollars in 2016, but now costs more than $50,000, according to Benjamin Shopland, chief of EMS for Foxwall Emergency Medical Services, who said the machines are used on nearly every call.
“Capital equipment costs have risen substantially in recent years, so any funding towards vehicles, communications equipment, medical equipment, or patient movement equipment would go a long way and be broadly applicable to different agencies,” Shopland said.
Most EMS providers lack a consistent revenue stream and regain their losses through reimbursements tied to each call, Executive Director and Chief of Shaler Hampton EMS Eric Schmidt said. Reimbursements from private and federal health insurance, he said, have failed to keep up with the rising cost of equipment.
Schmidt said that on average, private and federal health insurance leaves emergency service providers with an annual deficit of around $870,000, as most insurance providers reimburse less than the average cost per call.
“There is a real deficit for those stations that are not able to qualify for the state grants that do exist,” Schmidt said.
DeForrest said he hopes the county council will consider a matching grant program. Such a program implemented in Pike County in 2022 doubles a municipality’s annual EMS contribution up to $2 million.
The long-term sustainability concerns were shared by Brian Herskovitz, chief of EMS for the Valley Ambulance Authority, which serves areas around Moon and Crescent townships.
“Without meaningful, long-term funding reform, agencies will continue to struggle to maintain service levels and in some cases be forced to reduce service or close entirely,” Herskovitz said. “Right now, many EMS agencies are essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul just to stay operational. That is not sustainable, and it puts our communities at risk.”
The Budget and Finance Committee will consider the grant proposal at its May 6 meeting, after which it will go before the full County Council for a final vote
