By Staff
Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital does support local ambulance service, Coloma Emergency Medical Services.
There was a simple misunderstanding; Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital does support Coloma Emergency Medical Services (CEMS).
That was the unanimous conclusion of community participants who attended a meeting Friday, Oct. 31, at Borgess- Lee Memorial Hospital.
"We wanted to talk about the reported concerns of our support for CEMS," said Joy Strand, administrator, Borgess- Lee Memorial Hospital.
"When we found out that this issue was raised in a quarterly Cass-Van Buren Emergency Services Authority (CVBESA) meeting held last week at Dowagiac City Hall and shared in the Oct. 28 edition of the Dowagiac Daily News, we wanted to get together quickly to identify and address those issues.
"This meeting was necessary to share perspectives, Strand said. "Our records show that Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital has used CEMS for 88 percent of its ground ambulance transports in the past seven months. Clearly this demonstrates our support and partnership with CVBESA."
It was a good meeting and there is a simple solution for avoiding future misunderstandings, according to Frank Butts, Wayne Township supervisor.
"A Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital representative needs to be a member of the Cass-Van Buren Emergency Services Authority," Butts said. "Better communication is the answer to any potential problem."
"We agree," said Strand, "and gladly accept the invitation to serve on the CVBESA board. We all need to work together to provide the best health care possible to area residents."