‘Essential’ is the word Deb Funk-Valois, uses to describe the Cobleskill Rescue Squad.
That’s because with no other transport available, the rescue squad steps up when hospital patients must be taken to another hospital.
“They don’t have to do it, but they do it because they want to,” said Dr. Funk-Valois, an emergency physician at the hospital and also on the hospital’s Board of Trustees.
Transports are necessary because patients need a higher level of care, or less often, there aren’t enough beds at Cobleskill.
The hospital’s Emergency Department calls AMR, a private service, first, Dr. Funk-Valois said, but AMR covers a broad area and crews are often out on another call.
“They’re busy, and when we call, there’s a delay sometimes or they have to come from Oneonta,” Dr. Funk-Valois said.
“Two hours, four hours, eight hours. . .”
The Emergency Department also calls GAVAC in Amsterdam or one of the Mohawk Ambulance Service stations, but only rarely.
The Schoharie County Emergency Medical Service doesn’t do inter-departmental transfers, Dr. Funk-Valois said.
That’s where the Cobleskill Rescue Squad comes in.
“They have on countless occasions gathered a crew at all hours of day and night and come to our hospital to offer transport services to people in our community,” Dr. Funk-Valois wrote in an email.
Rescue Squad Captain Mike Lent said his volunteers have been providing the service for a long time, though it’s been more frequent the past two years.
“We’re in the village. The hospital’s in the village. We want to help,” said Mr. Lent.
“Patients can’t sit hours and hours waiting for an ambulance.”
Other local volunteer squads have occasionally done transfers, he added, and although the county service doesn’t do transfers, a county medic will ride with the Cobleskill crew on serious cases.
There’s some question about leaving the Cobleskill community without service while an ambulance transports to a distant hospital.
“But do you hold an ambulance for someone who might need it or use it for someone who does need it?” Dr. Funk-Valois asked.
And in Cobleskill’s case, leaving the community without an ambulance isn’t always a problem. The Cobleskill squad has two ambulances.
“If we’re able to staff both rigs, it’s not an issue,” Mr. Lent said.
As for transport costs, the rescue squad bills the patient for mileage, so fuel, wear and tear are covered.
An overriding problem is staffing. A lack of personnel is an issue at the hospital and in volunteer and private ambulance services, Dr. Funk-Valois said.
“More people are needed in health care, volunteer and paid,” she said. “If people are looking for a career, there’s one here.”