'Too Many Deaths Too Often': Rep. Terri Sewell Seeks to Safeguard Rural Ambulance Services
Representative Terri Sewell has proposed the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act after facing significant healthcare issues in rural areas of Central Alabama over several years. In 2022, the closure of the Pickens County Medical Center left around 20,000 inhabitants of the area with no local access to healthcare facilities. As a result, these individuals now must journey up to 45 minutes each way for urgent medical attention at nearby hospitals located either in Tuscaloosa or across into Mississippi. Subscribe to our Newsletters For most of that period, there has only been one ambulance serving the whole county, which is the bare legal requirement. Although the Pickens County Ambulance Service possesses additional ambulances, the challenge lies in funding their operation and staffing. Emergency medical services come with high costs, and frequently, individuals living in remote regions bear the brunt of this issue," Sewell stated. "Too many f...