Sherburne Mayor Bill Acee addresses attendees at the unveiling of a new ambulancei for Sherburne EMS in 2021. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

SHERBURNE – The Sherburne Village Board says it’s nearing impossible to maintain their round-the-clock ambulance service, citing a number of local, state and federal barriers that are proving detrimental to rural EMS.

“Rural EMS is in a bad place, whether it’s here in Chenango County or across the country,” said Sherburne Mayor Bill Acee. “We really have to get creative to solve the problem and work together.”

Rural EMS has faced a host of factors over the last decade that have threatened ambulance services in places like Sherburne. Many municipal EMS providers grapple with staffing shortages as they compete for qualified candidates with neighboring municipalities and private EMS providers. What’s more, EMS isn’t recognized as an essential service, making it harder for public EMS services to get state and federal funding to stay afloat.

There’s also the payment system in which ambulance services are paid through reimbursements that insurance companies issue to patients – a flawed system that’s hurt rural EMS for years, said Acee. EMS providers and insurance companies are currently sparring over a bill passed by the state legislature that would require insurance companies to directly pay EMS providers when they transport a patient with coverage outside their network.