WXOW: Federal funds help Gundersen Health System Ambulance reach more rural communities
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LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) - Federal funding will soon help Gundersen Health System Ambulance reach more rural communities.
Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) helped secure $600,000 to help Gundersen purchase ambulances and other emergency equipment.
Officials said while many rural communities have local ambulance services, it is often difficult to move patients from a small hospital to larger hospitals in La Crosse.
The Director of Gundersen's Ambulance Services, Tom Tornstrom, said that is something these funds will assist in.
"Prior to us moving into the rural areas, it wasn't uncommon for a hospital to wait 12 or 14 hours for an advanced life support ambulance," Tornstrom explained. "So, since we have expanded, which is part of this program, and continue to do so. Those waits have gone down to an hour or two."
Tornstrom said he is hopeful they will have a new ambulance ready to serve patients in one year.