The Lebanon Fire District announced it is making changes to its ambulance services due to “ongoing challenges.”
The adjustments, they stated, are essential to ensure the continued delivery of 911 emergency medical services to the community.
LFD currently deploys two ambulance staffing models: Dual-Role and Single-Role. A Dual-Role provider is trained both as a firefighter and EMT/Paramedic, while a Single-Role provider is trained solely as an EMT/Paramedic. The district staffs two Dual-Role ambulances 24 hours a day. The Single-Role ambulance is staffed for 10 hours a day, primarily assisting with patient transfers from Lebanon Community Hospital to other hospitals.
In a press release, LFD reported that in recent years the district has faced several difficulties, including inflation, rising operational costs, funding limitations and staffing shortages. The reduction in service is a direct response to difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel for the Single-Role ambulance units.
As such, LFD will adjust its ambulance services. The two Single-Role ambulances, previously staffed full-time, will now be reduced to a single unit operating on a half-time schedule. This adjustment reflects a decrease from eight full-time equivalent employees to two over recent years.
Effective Aug. 15, the remaining Single-Role medic ambulance will operate on a two-on, two-off, four-day-a-week rotating schedule from 12-10 p.m. This unit will primarily handle non-emergency patient transfers, including those to the greater Portland metropolitan area during scheduled shifts. The EMS industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage, exacerbated by declining enrollment in paramedic programs and increased competition for qualified candidates, LFD stated.
The financial sustainability of EMS services has also been impacted by the payer mix, with 47% of revenue coming from Medicare and 32% from Medicaid. On average, the district receives only 35% of billed amounts for EMS services, including interfacility transfers. This funding model is unsustainable, a challenge faced by ambulance service providers not only in Oregon but across the nation.
To address these difficulties, the district implemented changes to the interfacility transfer policy. As of Oct. 1, 2023, non-emergent transfers have been suspended between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., although emergency transfers during these hours continue based on established criteria. The focus has shifted to hospital destinations along the Interstate-5 corridor, with one ambulance retained for pre-hospital 911 EMS emergency services within the jurisdiction.
These challenges are impacting fire agencies and EMS providers throughout the state and nationwide, LFD stated. Many organizations are grappling with similar financial and operational constraints, underscoring the widespread nature of these issues.
LFD said it remains committed to delivering high-quality 911 emergency services to the community and is actively seeking collaborative solutions with local healthcare providers, including Lebanon Community Hospital. The priority remains for continued delivery of essential emergency services while adapting to the evolving landscape of healthcare and emergency medical services.
To learn more about the challenges facing EMS service delivery in Oregon and here in Lebanon, visit https://bit.ly/3Z1ZbM6 to read “The Strain of Healthcare on EMS in Oregon,” a white paper commissioned by LFD in collaboration with Western University of Health Sciences. It provides a comprehensive review of the state of EMS in Oregon. Or read Lebanon Local’s summary of the paper at lebanonlocalnews.com/fire-district-to-request-levy/.