Luke Ranker
The Times-Tribune
SCRANTON, Pa. — An arm of Community Health Systems plans to purchase a Scranton-based ambulance service, pending approval by two state entities.
On Tuesday, Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services announced plans to acquire Community Life Support Systems. The combined ambulance service will employ more than 200 people and provide service to more than 1 million people in Northeast Pennsylvania. All 75 employees at Community Life Support will keep their jobs, said the company’s CEO, Timothy Rowland, and Commonwealth Health officials.
Commonwealth Health is a division of for-profit Community Health Systems, the owner of a network of hospitals in Northeast Pennsylvania. This the second ambulance purchase Commonwealth Health has made in just over a year. In July 2013, the hospital purchased Lackawanna Ambulance Inc., which included Wayne Ambulance.
“This merger will give us the manpower we need to provide better service to the area,” Mr. Rowland said.
The acquisition requires approval from the state attorney general’s office and the state Department of Health, Mr. Rowland said, so no purchase price is available yet.
Commonwealth Health intends to acquire all 10 of Community Life Support’s licensed ambulances and use its headquarters on Oakwood Drive in Scranton as a substation and training area.
Community Life Support has provided service to Lackawanna County since 1996 and has been the sole full-time EMS provider for Wayne County since 2004. The company will continue to operate educational programs for area EMS services and CPR classes, and other outreach for the public, Mr. Rowland said.
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©2014 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.)