MARKED TREE, Ark. — When you call 9-1-1, you expect help will come quick, but for some rural communities, the wait is far too long. In an emergency, one minute can be a game changer.
“It’s a world of difference," said Blake Fox, Riverside Ambulance director. "It’s life or death.”
Part of the issue in this wait is the lack of ambulance services in those areas. According to the Transportation Cooperative Research Program, a lack of transportation can cause:
- Missed appointments
- Get in the way of ongoing treatment for the chronically ill
- Increased potential of poorer health outcomes
- Higher costs of healthcare overall.
In Poinsett County, Arkansas, Riverside Ambulance is the lifeline to hospitals.
“We don’t have a local hospital…we don’t have local after-hour urgent care," Fox said. "We have nothing. The only access we have to medical care is EMS."
The Riverside Ambulance in Marked Tree was opened by Fox's father back in 1994. Thirty years later, Fox is carrying on the family legacy, but it remains in jeopardy. Fox tells ABC24 that ambulance operations are getting more costly due to inflation, and with a majority of funding coming from insurance reimbursement, the margin between the two is razor thin.
“It’s gotten to the point where reimbursement is not enough for operational costs," said Fox.
“We need the ambulance here," said Charles Malone who lives in Marked Tree. "Time is time. I think it’s crucial to have it here.”
The race is now on to find a solution to keep Riverside running. One member of the Marked Tree community launched a GoFundMe to help cover some of the funds. At the same time, Fox and his team have tried to work with local and state government to see if there is any money to keep the service alive, but the ambulance director tells ABC24 this is going to be a community effort.
“The best way to help is just to be on the phone, let them know how important it is, and how important it is to you,” Fox said.