Carthage, Texas (June 23, 2023) — UT Health East Texas EMS will expand services to cover Panola County starting June 28.
The Panola County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the contract Tuesday, meaning UT Health EMS will now provide ground ambulance and helicopter service to six East Texas counties covering more than 4,600 square miles.
“With more than 50 ambulances, three active helicopters and one helicopter in reserve that are strategically located across the region, our emergency teams are equipped to provide rapid access to care across East Texas,” said UT Health East Texas EMS CEO John Smith. “We are thrilled to extend our reach to Panola County and honored to start serving the residents of Panola County with the high quality care we are known for throughout East Texas.”
Three state-of-the art ground ambulances will be dedicated to Panola County, and the EMS office located at 1724 Ballpark Road will receive an upgrade.
UT EMS will honor the previous EMS provider’s memberships until they expire, at which time those residents will be able to sign up with a UT Health EMS membership at the discounted renewal price. Current city of Carthage residents who have been paying their EMS membership as part of their city water bill will need to go to the UT Health EMS membership website and sign up to continue coverage. That website address is https://uthealtheasttexas.com/ems.
UT Health EMS is the only ground transport service in the region accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). In addition, UT Health East Texas AIR 1 is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). These accreditations mean UT Health EMS and AIR 1 has met or exceeded industry standards for quality, patient care and safety. Also, the UT Health East Texas EMS Dispatch Center is one of only nine centers in Texas to be recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.