The board of directors of Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, Inc. (HEMSI) has approved an agreement for the non-profit ambulance service to join the Huntsville Hospital Health System. The merger is effective January 1, 2024, according to a joint announcement from both entities.

Jeff Samz, CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System, said, “Our new relationship with HEMSI will help improve emergency medical transportation throughout north Alabama, especially in rural areas.”

“By working together with our ambulance services in Limestone, Morgan, Marshall, Jackson, Colbert and Franklin Counties, we can make a difference in reducing ambulance response times for patients.”

“The challenge in delivering ambulance services is increasing, and it’s critical that we improve coordination and communication among all of our EMS systems. With HEMSI joining our other Health System services, we can standardize vehicles and equipment and build a better system for all of our patients,” said Samz.

David Blair, President of HEMSI’s board of directors, said, “We are excited at the opportunities ahead of us working as part of Huntsville Hospital Health System. We believe that we will be able to not only provide the current vital EMS to our community, but with this merger, we will have the opportunity to expand our EMS services to our community.”

Blair and Samz stated that ambulance patients would continue to choose the hospital for their emergency care.