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Not sure why this comment is being downvoted. I just searched my local city and noticed that our (for profit) ambulance service received a loan: > DIAZ MEMORI

by cj 6y ago

Not sure why this comment is being downvoted. I just searched my local city and noticed that our (for profit) ambulance service received a loan: > DIAZ MEMORIAL AMBULANCE SERVICE INC I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. And also don't think their profits suffered.

eli 6y ago
With all elective surgeries cancelled? I dunno but I’d be careful making assumptions.
- troebr 6y ago
  I agree with not making assumptions. However I don't think you'd take an ambulance for an elective surgery since it's not an emergency.
  - reaperducer 6y ago
    Ambulances aren't only used for emergencies. They're used to transport people who can't otherwise get around, or who need medical equipment with them, or who are recovering from surgery, or to move patients from hospital to hospital, and a hundred other uses. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that emergencies are a small portion of what ambulances are used for, but I don't have access to that data.
derision 6y ago
There's been a number of articles floating around about people avoiding hospitals / emergency rooms for non-COVID related reasons because of concerns about COVID, and that people were suffering (and sometimes dying) at home rather than going to the hospital like they normally would. I'm sure a good portion of those include times when an ambulance would have been called
alasdair_ 6y ago
>I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. I'm friends with an ER nurse and she was saying that the ER was almost completely empty during the first few weeks of COVID-19 because everyone was staying home out of fear.
marcinzm 6y ago
>I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. Covid hasn't been prevalent enough to increase ER visits in most of the country (until now) and other people have been avoiding going to the ER unless on deaths door. Not to mention the lack of driving has probably plummeted car accident rates. I remember reading that organ donors are in short supply.
FireBeyond 6y ago
You'd absolutely be wrong. Most ambulance services saw a massive downtick. People who would otherwise have gone to the ER, even if not strictly necessary, were hesitating, "do I really need to go, perhaps not". And then on the other side, you had people who really _should_ go not wanting to, due to fear. Both ambulance services in my county were shutting down ambulances and furloughing employees heavily. -- a paramedic
reaperducer 6y ago
Not sure why this comment is being downvoted Probably because there's no way he could possibly know what "business as usual" was for any company where he wasn't employed. He has no idea what each company's financial situation is and is merely spouting cynicism. I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. Is this something you monitor? Is there even a way to do that with a private ambulance company? Considering the number of medical providers, doctors' offices, and hospitals that had business plummet to catastrophic levels, I think you're imagining things. I work in healthcare, and just off the top of my head can think of several medical clinics and pharmacies that shut down because of pandemic-induced financial difficulties.
throwaway0xb 6y ago
Visits (business) were down significantly for ERs. People just weren't coming in with the silly stuff they did pre-covid. Now you might say that's a good thing overall but that doesn't pay the bills...
digitaltrees 6y ago
Actually they did go down. Lots of evidence that people were not going to the hospital out of fear of Covid exposure But let’s assume your premise; it’s likely their costs went up dramatically between Personal protective equipment, hazard pay, quarantine procedures for exposed employees etc. Ambulance services are capital intensive (ie large Debt payments) and low margin. A 20% drop in revenue would bankrupt the company.
icedchai 6y ago
Business activity and profits don't matter here. You don't have to prove you actually need the money to receive a loan.

by cj 6y ago

eli 6y ago

With all elective surgeries cancelled? I dunno but I’d be careful making assumptions.

troebr 6y ago
I agree with not making assumptions. However I don't think you'd take an ambulance for an elective surgery since it's not an emergency.
- reaperducer 6y ago
  Ambulances aren't only used for emergencies. They're used to transport people who can't otherwise get around, or who need medical equipment with them, or who are recovering from surgery, or to move patients from hospital to hospital, and a hundred other uses. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that emergencies are a small portion of what ambulances are used for, but I don't have access to that data.

derision 6y ago

There's been a number of articles floating around about people avoiding hospitals / emergency rooms for non-COVID related reasons because of concerns about COVID, and that people were suffering (and sometimes dying) at home rather than going to the hospital like they normally would. I'm sure a good portion of those include times when an ambulance would have been called

alasdair_ 6y ago

>I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. I'm friends with an ER nurse and she was saying that the ER was almost completely empty during the first few weeks of COVID-19 because everyone was staying home out of fear.

marcinzm 6y ago

>I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. Covid hasn't been prevalent enough to increase ER visits in most of the country (until now) and other people have been avoiding going to the ER unless on deaths door. Not to mention the lack of driving has probably plummeted car accident rates. I remember reading that organ donors are in short supply.

FireBeyond 6y ago

You'd absolutely be wrong. Most ambulance services saw a massive downtick. People who would otherwise have gone to the ER, even if not strictly necessary, were hesitating, "do I really need to go, perhaps not". And then on the other side, you had people who really _should_ go not wanting to, due to fear. Both ambulance services in my county were shutting down ambulances and furloughing employees heavily. -- a paramedic

reaperducer 6y ago

Not sure why this comment is being downvoted Probably because there's no way he could possibly know what "business as usual" was for any company where he wasn't employed. He has no idea what each company's financial situation is and is merely spouting cynicism. I definitely don't think they saw the number of ambulance rides go down. Is this something you monitor? Is there even a way to do that with a private ambulance company? Considering the number of medical providers, doctors' offices, and hospitals that had business plummet to catastrophic levels, I think you're imagining things. I work in healthcare, and just off the top of my head can think of several medical clinics and pharmacies that shut down because of pandemic-induced financial difficulties.

throwaway0xb 6y ago

Visits (business) were down significantly for ERs. People just weren't coming in with the silly stuff they did pre-covid. Now you might say that's a good thing overall but that doesn't pay the bills...

digitaltrees 6y ago

Actually they did go down. Lots of evidence that people were not going to the hospital out of fear of Covid exposure But let’s assume your premise; it’s likely their costs went up dramatically between Personal protective equipment, hazard pay, quarantine procedures for exposed employees etc. Ambulance services are capital intensive (ie large Debt payments) and low margin. A 20% drop in revenue would bankrupt the company.

icedchai 6y ago

Business activity and profits don't matter here. You don't have to prove you actually need the money to receive a loan.