ELKINS – Vandalia Health has responded to Monday’s announcement that the Randolph County Emergency Squad will stop making hospital-to-hospital transports from Davis Medical Center as of Friday morning.

The following is the contents of a Vandalia Health Davis Medical Center press release sent to The Inter-Mountain at noon Tuesday:

“Vandalia Health’s Davis Medical Center remains committed to the health and safety of every patient in our community — including those in need of higher-level care for services not available locally, such as critical care, addiction medicine and behavioral health.

“On Friday, Aug. 8, we were informed by Randolph County EMS (RCEMS) that they will no longer provide next-level patient transport from our hospitals to other facilities as of Friday, Aug. 15, at 7 a.m. Despite our request to extend this deadline, RCEMS was steadfast in its decision.

“We have been actively working since December 2024 to improve transfer times for patients requiring higher-level care. While air transport is sometimes used, it is not always possible due to inclement weather, so reliable ground transport is essential.

“As part of our search for solutions, we issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to several organizations — including RCEMS — to ensure timely, inclusive transport for all patients. In their response, RCEMS chose to limit next-level transfers by excluding patients with addiction or behavioral health needs, as well as those requiring transport beyond 100 miles.

“We cannot exclude any patient. Davis Medical Center is committed to providing transfer services for all who need them, regardless of diagnosis or distance.

“To ensure there is no gap in service, we have partnered with HealthTeam Critical Care Transport to provide 24/7 coverage beginning Friday at 7 a.m. This service is inclusive of all patients — including those with behavioral health, addiction medicine, and long-distance transfer needs. HealthTeam serves hospitals and health systems across West Virginia, including Vandalia Health, WVU Medicine, and Marshall Health Network.

“Our hospital transfers approximately 900 patients each year to higher-level facilities, and our goal is to make sure no patient is ever left behind when they need advanced care. We are grateful for HealthTeam’s rapid response in helping us resolve this urgent matter, and for their commitment to serving our community’s needs.

“We appreciate the work RCEMS does for 911 emergency calls and value their service to our community. While we regret that a partnership on next-level transport could not be maintained, we are confident that the emergency response and transport needs of our patients will be fully met moving forward.

“Patient care remains our top priority. Thank you for your trust in Vandalia Health – Davis Medical Center.”