Berwick Area Ambulance Association, Geisinger merger approved
Under the new agreement, Berwick Area Ambulance will continue its current mission and services, including 911 services. Additionally, Berwick Area Ambulance will continue its annual membership subscription program, which is due to renew on August 1, 2018. The memberships help reduce the out-of-pocket expenses patients pay for ambulance services.
Operations in Berwick and the areas served by BAAA’s satellite station will continue unchanged, and the team will continue its active relationships and linkages with regional hospitals, nursing homes, EMS, police, fire and all others involved in the healthcare and protection of the community. Geisinger will provide medical direction.
Geisinger is currently recruiting a battalion chief/assistant manager of field operations and two Advanced Life Support (ALS) Supervisors for the Berwick region. BAAA employs 64 people, all eligible employees will be offered employment in their existing roles as Geisinger employees.
“We are planning to invest in several facility upgrades and continually improve our service long into the future,” said Chuck Humphrey, EMT, member of the BAAA Board. “In fact, we’re already working more closely together and have made significant improvements in our interdepartmental communications.”
Currently, the association operates eight ambulances, three wheelchair vans, one utility vehicle and one special event trailer. Services offered include emergency medical services, non-emergency medical services, Advanced Life Support (ALS), Basic Life Support (BLS), routine medical transportation and EMS billing services.
“We’re excited about the future of Berwick Area Ambulance,” said Paul Christophel, executive director of Holy Spirit EMS. “We’re planning to help this outstanding group of first responders provide even better care to the people of the greater Berwick region.”
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
