Lewis County debate intensifies over hospital-run ambulance plan after public comment and CGR study
June 03, 2026 | Lewis County, New York
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A public comment and a new county study set off a debate at the Lewis County Board of Legislators over whether the county hospital should operate an ambulance service.
Scott Doyle, supervisor for the Town of Denmark, told the board his mother “spent 63 hours in the county’s ER” and said the hospital “needs to do better with patient care before it adds initial responsibilities of ambulance service.” Doyle said his experience, and his work on EMS committees, led him to oppose the consultant-driven proposal and to instead favor creating an EMS coordinator to act as a go-between for the hospital and local EMS providers.
Legislator Josh Levicker reported that Paul Bishop of CGR presented a countywide EMS study to the General Services Committee that found workforce shortages, declining volunteer participation, rising costs and the recent closure of the Harrisville Rescue Squad. The study’s recommendations included exploring supplemental ambulance-service options, expanding EMT training and recruitment, creating a county EMS coordinator position and identifying sustainable funding sources.
Jerry Ker, CEO of Lewis County Health System, who addressed the board as part of the Hospital Board of Managers report, said the hospital is uneasy about the consultant proposal as presented. “I am not in support of the proposal the consultants have come forward with,” Ker said, while suggesting an alternative focus on improved governance and leadership for Lewis County Search and Rescue and stronger cooperative arrangements between the hospital and EMS providers.
Ker also highlighted recent hospital metrics to frame the discussion: he reported April operating results showed a $42,264 gain versus a budgeted loss, and he described the system’s economic footprint in the county (he cited $212 million in economic activity, 900 jobs and $16 million in tax revenue). He said those community roles factor into decisions about how the hospital engages with transport services.
Board members pressed for more detail rather than immediate policy changes. Several legislators and Mr. Doyle urged prioritizing patient-care improvements, clearer governance for search-and-rescue and a county-level EMS coordinator role before any expansion of hospital responsibilities was approved.
No formal motion to change EMS governance or to authorize the hospital to run an ambulance service was made at this meeting. The CGR study and the public comments are expected to inform committee follow-ups and budget discussions.
Scott Doyle, supervisor for the Town of Denmark, told the board his mother “spent 63 hours in the county’s ER” and said the hospital “needs to do better with patient care before it adds initial responsibilities of ambulance service.” Doyle said his experience, and his work on EMS committees, led him to oppose the consultant-driven proposal and to instead favor creating an EMS coordinator to act as a go-between for the hospital and local EMS providers.
Legislator Josh Levicker reported that Paul Bishop of CGR presented a countywide EMS study to the General Services Committee that found workforce shortages, declining volunteer participation, rising costs and the recent closure of the Harrisville Rescue Squad. The study’s recommendations included exploring supplemental ambulance-service options, expanding EMT training and recruitment, creating a county EMS coordinator position and identifying sustainable funding sources.
Jerry Ker, CEO of Lewis County Health System, who addressed the board as part of the Hospital Board of Managers report, said the hospital is uneasy about the consultant proposal as presented. “I am not in support of the proposal the consultants have come forward with,” Ker said, while suggesting an alternative focus on improved governance and leadership for Lewis County Search and Rescue and stronger cooperative arrangements between the hospital and EMS providers.
Ker also highlighted recent hospital metrics to frame the discussion: he reported April operating results showed a $42,264 gain versus a budgeted loss, and he described the system’s economic footprint in the county (he cited $212 million in economic activity, 900 jobs and $16 million in tax revenue). He said those community roles factor into decisions about how the hospital engages with transport services.
Board members pressed for more detail rather than immediate policy changes. Several legislators and Mr. Doyle urged prioritizing patient-care improvements, clearer governance for search-and-rescue and a county-level EMS coordinator role before any expansion of hospital responsibilities was approved.
No formal motion to change EMS governance or to authorize the hospital to run an ambulance service was made at this meeting. The CGR study and the public comments are expected to inform committee follow-ups and budget discussions.
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