Medstar Faces Economy Head On

Ambulance company continues focus on patients and safety Macomb Daily; Date: 2009, May 30; Section: News, Page 14-A

From company release:

As the slowing economy continues to impact health care providers across the region and the state, Macomb County’s non-profit ambulance service feels the sting as much as doctors and hospitals.  Although the impact of the economy directly affects Medstar’s revenue, the company is finding new ways to continue and improve its services through innovation and constant monitoring of key performance indicators such as response time, safety data, and patient satisfaction.

“Our commitment is to raising the standards of emergency medical care and transportation in the communities and facilities that we serve.  There is no doubt that the economy has made us change the way we run the company, but our focus remains delivering the best care available to every patient,” said Medstar CEO Kolby Miller. “As municipalities begin to realize the true costs of providing their own ambulance service, Medstar continues to improve the care and service that we provide in the communities that contract with us.”

While there are other ambulance companies offering “free” service to cities and townships in attempts to gain new business, those services often are often of lower clinical quality, or quickly prove unreliable in emergency responses. Susan Burkhardt, Medstar’s Director of Customer Service believes that while free may seem good to elected officials, ambulance service relationships must be built on key quality measures, rather than giveaway contracts with no commitments.

“Our involvement in the communities extends beyond providing the best EMS response,” Burkhardt said. “We have developed the Card of Life program to assist with senior citizens medical records and prescriptions, are very involved with the schools in our service area, and work closely with elected officials to make sure that community events always receive extra EMS coverage when needed.”

Medstar is the only ambulance company in Macomb and Wayne counties to achieve national accreditation, the only company to use on-board fleet safety monitors in all of its ambulances, and the only company to participate in a nationally benchmarked patient satisfaction survey.  Medstar was the first ambulance provider in the region to switch to the Michigan Public Safety Communications radio system, and the first to equip its ambulances with high-tech heart monitors that transmit patient heart rhythms to the hospital, saving valuable time in heart attack situations. 

Being the best comes at a high price, according to Miller. “We know that our commitment to quality makes our company more expensive to run than the other ambulance companies, and that strengthens our commitment to finding ways to expand our non-patient services, improve our revenue processes, and insure that services are provided in the most efficient manner possible.”  He said the company has recently undergone difficult restructuring and is examining all of its operating costs in order to make sure that the quality services continue to be provided.

“We believe in adopting the highest standards in anything we do as an organization.  Whether it’s clinical quality, response time performance, fleet safety, or personnel training, our commitment is to provide our patients, communities, and facilities with a level of service that they simply cannot find anywhere else,” Miller said. 

“We also know that this commitment to quality allows us to provide service to cities and townships that is often far above what they could afford with their own ambulance service.  Most municipalities have realized that having their own ambulance is a strain on their budgets, and by being able to offer high quality, reliable service, we provide an option to communities that want to reduce expenses while insuring quality of care and safety.

Chesterfield Township Supervisor Mike Lovelock, recently transported by Medstar after an allergic reaction, agrees with Miller.  “When you see their ambulances on the road, they’re always the newest and cleanest, and their personnel are always sharp. The real difference comes when you’re loaded into one of them.”  Lovelock said that he was quickly treated and reassured by the Medstar personnel during his event, and felt strongly that he was in good hands.  “Knowing what I knew already, and then having them work on me, I was absolutely sure I was getting the best care available. It really is an impressive organization”  

Miller believes that the investment in quality and safety is a key element to the company’s success.  “From our Board of Directors to our newest employee, everyone knows that our decision is to be the best, and if we have to work harder and be more innovative than the rest during difficult economic times…we will.” 

“Our entire organization is committed to providing clinical care and compassion that is unmatched, and we know that it takes more effort than others put in,” Burkhardt said. “But when I see a Medstar ambulance pulling into someone’s driveway, responding to an accident scene, or arriving at a hospital, I know that our hard work is about to pay off for someone at a time when they need us most.”