Arizona cuts ties with Kane County ambulance services leaving large part of Northern Arizona without coverage

FREDONIA, Arizona (ABC4) — After 40 years of serving northern Arizona communities, Kane County Hospital has been asked to end all ambulance services in the sunshine state — that includes parts of the Grand Canyon.

Since 1989, Kane County Hospital has assumed responsibility for ambulance operations for a large area in northern Arizona that includes Fredonia, Jacobs Lake, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Now, the state of Arizona is asking Kane County Hospital to stop all transports within its borders.

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class="wp-block-heading">‘Alleged illegal transports’ in Arizona

According to Kane County Hospital CEO, Kurt Loveless, the hospital received a Notice of Investigation after the complaint was filed. He says it was related to “alleged illegal transport of patients” from Banner Page Hospital. The notice also said ambulance operations without a Certificate of Need (CON) is illegal in the State of Arizona.

Loveless, says his team has repeatedly applied for documentation since 2022, but have repeatedly been denied the necessary certificate. Jeff Mosdell, board chair with Kane County Hospital, says all of the hospital’s EMTs are licensed and certified to operate in Arizona.

“A complaint was filed by Page Fire Department after our ambulance transported a patient from Banner Page Hospital,” Loveless told ABC4. “We have been [responding] for 40 years.”

Citizens respond

Nearly 100 residents of Fredonia gathered at the city’s offices in an emergency town hall meeting Thursday afternoon to discuss the risks they may face since the change. City leadership presided over the meeting.

During the town hall, several residents voiced their concerns about the removal of coverage.

“It’s all because of an interpretation of a law,” Mosdell, said during the town hall Thursday.

“This is one of those times when we understand what it means to be a community,” said Paiute Tribe Chair Roland Maldonado during the meeting. “It’s not just us, but all those communities that will be affected.”

Other options for ambulance operations

Kane County Hospital said in a statement that Page Fire Department has a strict rule to not travel outside of the city of Page, leaving the only other ambulance service to be an all-volunteer department in Colorado City.

ABC4 reached out to Page Fire Department for a comment but has not received a response.

“No one has been willing to cover this particular part of Arizona, yet we have been denied the CON and now are being investigated for helping Arizona with ambulance transports,” Kane County Hospital’s statement reads.

Loveless told ABC4 that one Arizona Department of Health Services official, Noreen Adlin, has since threatened civil action if the hospital continues to transport patients. “We asked if she realized the impact this would have on the citizens of Fredonia… she said, ‘I’m aware.'”

ABC4 also reached out directly to Adlin but has yet to receive a response.

Exploring a resolution

The hospital says it will continue to pursue receiving permission to operate in Arizona. “As soon as we are allowed to operate in the State of Arizona, we will resume our ambulance services to our Friends and Neighbors to the South.”

Mosdell says the hospital’s resolution going forward is to receive communication with the state about what needs to be done to allow their ambulances to once again enter Arizona.

ABC4 has also reached out to Arizona Department of Health Services and is waiting to hear back.

Joseph DeGolyer contributed to this reporting.