Otsego County and Bassett Healthcare Network have entered a long-term contract for medical transport across the local region.
According to a Bassett news release, Otsego County Emergency Medical Services has long assisted Bassett Healthcare Network with inter-facility transfers, which can be necessary if a patient needs specialized or advanced care options that are not offered at the healthcare facility where they were first admitted. The contract between Otsego County and Bassett Healthcare Network formalizes that partnership.
“We are thankful to have found a wonderful community partner in Otsego County EMS to transport and care for our patients reliably and efficiently. Ensuring Bassett patients can seamlessly be sent from one network hospital to another is a crucial component of our operations, so this partnership is deeply impactful for our patients and practitioners,” said Staci Thompson, president and CEO of Bassett. “We are grateful to the Otsego County Board of Representatives for the hard work and consideration they contributed to this effort, particularly representatives on the Public Safety and Legal Affairs committees.”
Through the contract, all inter-facility transport costs are paid by Bassett and reimbursed through patient billing. Otsego County does not accrue any costs to taxpayers, the release stated.
“The launching of this public-private partnership between Bassett Healthcare Network and Otsego County is a ‘win-win’ for both organizations. The biggest winner here, though, are the patients, our constituents, and visitors who are being professionally transferred to the Bassett facility that best meets their respective needs,” said Edwin Frazier Jr., Otsego County Board of Representatives chairperson. “I’d like to thank Staci Thompson and her terrific team for their efforts in bringing this program to fruition. I’d also like to thank our county staff: the Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support healthcare providers that man these rigs. Without them, none of this would be possible.”
District 10 Rep. Dan Wilbur, chairman of the county Public Safety and Legal Affairs Committee who led the establishment of the Otsego County EMS system said, “This new partnership for interfacility transfers will reduce the time volunteer squads and county EMS need to spend waiting at emergency rooms and allows them to get back to their communities.”
Otsego County EMS was established in 2021 to provide support to more than a dozen volunteer EMS companies operating throughout the region.
“Through this partnership, Otsego County EMS has increased county staffing in an effort to support the transport needs of the Bassett Healthcare Network, which in turn benefits all patients and all agencies,” said Robert O’Brien, director of Otsego County EMS. “The Otsego County Board of Representatives has been nothing short of supportive in our desire to grow the agency in an effort to better support our communities and the Bassett Healthcare Network. I would be remiss if I did not mention the hard work of our EMS employees and the good work they do every day for our patients and community.”
The contract between Bassett and Otsego County for inter-facility transport is currently set to run through Oct. 1, 2027, according to the release.