Seneca County EMS faces financial challenges: What can be done?

Seneca County’s emergency medical service providers, primarily North Seneca Ambulance in Waterloo and South Seneca Ambulance in Ovid, face economic difficulties, echoing a broader national trend of financial sustainability challenges in the ambulance sector.

To address this, the county has enlisted the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) to study the local EMS system and provide recommendations, with results anticipated by year-end.

Both ambulance companies, each with over 50 years of service, have transitioned from volunteer-based operations to a mix of paid and unpaid staff to ensure round-the-clock availability.

Financial challenges stem largely from shifts in the “payer mix,” or the balance between patients with public versus private health insurance.

CEOs of both organizations, Russell Goodman of North Seneca Ambulance and Nathan Miller of South Seneca Ambulance, highlighted these funding challenges and emphasized efforts to streamline operations, boost staffing, and seek supplemental funding.