July 16, 2021
On Tuesday, July 13, Barnwell County Commission approved a new contract with Medshore Ambulance to provide 9-1-1 service to the community for an additional three years following a competitive bid process. The company has been the county’s 9-1-1 ambulance partner since 2014.
“Medshore Ambulance has been a great partner over the past seven years, assisting the county through great challenges in our health care and EMS system, including the hospital closure,” said Barnwell County Administrator Tim Bennett. “Medshore brings valuable EMS system expertise and ideas to the table. Their leadership team has always collaborated with the county and our first responders to meet the challenges of operating a rural EMS system head on and continually improve service to our citizens. We look forward to the future with Medshore Ambulance.”
Medshore has provided emergency 9-1-1 service to Barnwell County since 2014 with approximately 25 employees staffing four advanced life support ambulances around the clock in the county. The new contract will continue that same level of ambulance coverage with EMS stations in Hilda, Williston, Blackville and Barnwell. The contract also includes in an additional quick response vehicle that is staffed Monday through Friday by a paramedic supervisor to provide first response during periods of high call volume.
Operations Manager Phil Clarke will continue to lead the local operation and has more than 45 years of experience in the Low Country.
“Since 2014, Medshore Ambulance has been dedicated to providing excellent emergency response to Barnwell County,” said Medshore Ambulance Vice President of Operations Jason Cooke. “Together, we have created an excellent EMS system, and we are honored that the Commission has trusted us to continue that service.”
In 2019, Medshore Ambulance’s Barnwell-Bamberg County EMS system won top honors at the South Carolina Emergency Care Symposium, accepting the Large System of the Year award for outstanding professionalism and service to its communities and citizens. The award was given in part due to Medshore’s key role as a member of the 2019 Barnwell County Emergency Services Committee, formed in support of shared EMS community concerns following the closure of the county’s only hospital. The process led to a roadmap of solutions” to improve emergency services in Barnwell County.
The Medshore Ambulance Barnwell team is a part of the community and gives back through educational community events; safety training, including free CPR and stop the bleed training for teachers, students and community organizations; sponsorships, donations and event standby coverage. In August, the company will graduate its first free, sponsored EMT-Basic class in the Low Country in collaboration with Denmark Technical College. The company provided the paid training opportunity to 12 local students who will soon begin their EMS career serving Barnwell County.
Medshore Ambulance Service is the largest privately owned ambulance service in South Carolina and has provided medical transport services to the Palmetto State for more than 40 years. Headquartered in Anderson, South Carolina, Medshore provides is the emergency 9-1-1 provide to Anderson, Barnwell and Bamberg counties. Medshore is the only ambulance service provider in South Carolina to achieve accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS), the industry’s national gold standard of operational excellence. Medshore is a member of the Priority Ambulance national family of companies.