CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – Extra ambulances and medics are rolling out in Mecklenburg County to keep up with the demand and the continued stresses on staff related to the pandemic.
The extra staff and ambulances started responding to calls Tuesday morning.
Mecklenburg County got five ambulances and ten staff members from the federal government. They asked for three times that number, but they’ve already put the teams to work.
They’re running non-emergency transport calls, clearing hospitals faster, and getting people home or to other residential care facilities once they leave the hospitals.
The extra assistance will help MEDIC, which has seen more than a 17% jump in transport volume since January when we had the last spike in COVID cases.
Staff at MEDIC are working mandatory overtime since July, and they’re currently short 28 care providers at Mecklenburg County EMS.
“We have been able to maintain response times, we don’t want to get behind the eight ball and cause stress to our patients and our system,” said Jon Studnek, Deputy Director of Mecklenburg County EMS.
The ambulances are here at least through October 9, but the idea is to show the need for them in Mecklenburg County so that hopefully the federal government will keep them in the county for a while longer.
