A St. Joseph’s Ambulance Service vehicle is shown at the scene of an accident in March 2024 on Rosemar Road in Vienna. The company announced Monday it will cease operations at the end of the month. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — St. Joseph’s Ambulance cease operations at the end of the month.

In an announcement made Monday, St. Joseph’s Ambulance President Dwane Weekley cited Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements not keeping pace with the company’s costs for providing service as the driving force in the decision. Weekley said a recent survey and study by the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services showed the Medicare reimbursement is an estimated 50% below the cost to provide ground ambulance services.

“With Medicare rates serving as the baseline for Medicaid as well as private insurance, this information confirmed what principals at SJAS have believed to be the case for the past few years, and sustaining operations in a safe and proper manner is not possible at this time,” Weekley said in the release. “This decision was not easy and without significant planning and deliberation, unfortunately SJAS will join the list of the nearly two dozen private EMS providers in (West Virginia) who could not continue operations in what has become a difficult market to operate.”

The ambulance service was spun off from St. Joseph’s Hospital in 2003. Weekley and Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce have been the co-owners since.

Joyce said the company has kept Wood County commissioners apprised of the situation, noting counties are statutorily responsible for providing ambulance service if none is available.

“I believe they understand their obligation and they’ll take the necessary steps” to ensure public safety and well-being, he said.

Weekley said their “primary goal was to ensure the County Commission had ample time to ensure Wood County residents have proper EMS coverage” which is why they ended up settling for the March 31 closing as opposed to an immediate closure.

Commissioners recently appointed an Ambulance Authority Board to oversee emergency medical services in the county. The group held its first meeting Thursday.

If the county would have to bring in ambulance services, the advisory board would make recommendations to contract with a private company or do whatever needed to be done to provide that service, officials said.

Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said the authority will have to be called together for a meeting to address what is happening.

He also wants to check with Camden Clark Ambulance Service to see what ideas they might have.

“This is coming down the pike very quickly,” he said. “I don’t know right now how we are going to handle that.”

Couch is planning to contact the leadership at WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center and others to see what can be done.

“We are really going to work towards a solution,” he said. “Those who call 911 are going to expect a response in a positive manner.”

A Camden Clark spokesman said Monday that they are “working with the county officials to determine the facts and best course of action to best support serving our community.”

St. Joseph’s Ambulance Service employs 83 full- and part-time staff, Weekley said.

“We have had the opportunity to work with many dedicated EMS personnel over the past 22 years, and we will work closely with them to ensure they are afforded appropriate support and remuneration during this transition period,” he said.

The company operates a fleet of 20 vehicles and will be divesting all assets, Weekley said.

St. Joseph’s Ambulance Service as a for-profit company isn’t eligible and does not receive grants from the state or federal government.

“SJAS didn’t receive CARES Act funding, federal grants for COVID response or any other funds that are generally reserved for the nonprofit ambulance providers,” Weekley said.

The company also faced problems in getting qualified employees, he said.

Other challenges included finding qualified personnel, who require state licensure, clean driving records and the ability to pass a Medicare background check, the release said.

Wood County 911 Director Mike Shook said they were finding out about the closure of St. Joseph’s Ambulance at the same time as the public. He did not have any figures immediately available of the number of ambulance calls the center is fielding over a certain amount, the number of calls they’ve gotten where an ambulance wasn’t available or how the loss of St. Joseph’s Ambulance will impact that.

“We are getting it just like everyone else,” Shook said. “We haven’t really had any time to make any plans or make any predictions like that.”

A call to Assistant Wood County 911 Director Dale McEwuen who serves on the ambulance authority board was not immediately returned.

The company’s primary service area is Wood County, but Weekley said they provide mutual aid in all surrounding counties, including in Ohio.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com and Evan Bevins at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.