Ambulance providers worry over hospital closures

WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Steward Health’s announcement Wednesday that it plans to close Trumbull Regional Medical Center is behind growing concern about emergency care.

A spokesperson for Steward stresses that the hospital is still taking admissions, but with the company beginning the process of closing the facility, ambulance services are worried.

“We had three hospitals at one time and going down to one is going to be hard,” said Tom Lambert, COO of Lane Lifetrans.

Private ambulance companies and area fire departments are bracing for what’s to come should Trumbull Regional Medical Center end up closing.

“It’s going to be a bigger burden on the EMS system and the hospital system,” Lambert said.

Ambulance crews say they’re already experiencing long wait times at area hospitals and know losing an emergency room will only make it worse.

“We were at critical levels to begin with for those resources. Now, we’re losing a whole other hospital,” said Cortland Fire Chief David Rea.

Rea says EMS crews will have to bring patients to hospitals outside the county more often, increasing travel times by 15 minutes to up to an hour.

“Our guys are going to have to go further out to other facilities on a more regular basis, so they’re going to be out of service to the public than needs them,” Rea said.

Lambert said it will eventually impact response times.

Steward is hopeful it’ll find an alternative solution to keep both Trumbull Regional Medical Center and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital open. Warren Mayor Doug Franklin laid out a plan Thursday to have a local nonprofit take over Trumbull Regional.

“I hope that Trumbull is able to pull out, maybe find something to keep the hospital open. It’s going to be a loss to the community,” Lambert said.

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