ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — Ballad Health announced Thursday it will provide funds for a new ambulance in Carter County.
The grant will fund an additional ambulance for Carter County EMS that will be available to transfer patients who need higher levels of care than can be provided at a community hospital.
The ambulance will be stationed at Sycamore Shoals Hospital in Elizabethton to help reduce the strain on transportation from rural parts of the county, Ballad said.
The grant was the result of discussions between Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby and the health system, according to Ballad.
“Mayor Woodby reached out to me on behalf of her EMS providers and the citizens of Carter County to work collaboratively on a solution for ensuring patients receive timely care,” Ballad Health Southern Region President Lisa Carter said in a release. “Adding an additional ambulance to their fleet will assist the county in achieving that goal.”
Last month, Ballad announced it would close the intensive care unit at Sycamore Shoals and consolidate it with the ICU at Johnson City Medical Center.
