October 13, 1995

REGIONAL AMBULANCE SERVICES AWARDED STATE GRANTS

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Two rural ambulance services each have been awarded $50,000 to improve services to medically underserved rural regions of Illinois, Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, today announced.

The Jersey-Calhoun Regional Ambulance Service and Johnson-Pope Regional Ambulance Service were awarded the grants as part of the Illinois Rural Health Act, passed in 1989 by the Illinois General Assembly.

"The funds will help respond to a need in parts of our state that lack access to health care," said Dr. Lumpkin.

To receive the grant, the ambulance service must cover two or more contiguous counties that --

• have a population of 20,000 or fewer;
• are part of a designated health care shortage area; and
• have a regional ambulance system board with at least three members from each county.

Other criteria considered by Department staff in selecting the grant awardees included the applicants' proposed use of the funds, as well as their current operational budgets and projections for becoming self-sufficient. Four regional ambulance services applied for this year's grants.

Both services plan to use the funds to upgrade ambulances, purchase equipment and provide training to emergency medical technicians.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments