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Ambulance service ponders changes after losing contract
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The loss of a contract worth $300,000 a year for non-emergency transport of Doctors Hospital of Manteca patients isn’t expected to adversely impact the venerable Manteca District Ambulance service.

The non-profit ambulance district is considered financially stable although they are taking steps to reorganize in light of losing the contract they have had for close to 30 years.

“We use due diligence in trying to maximize our contracts,” said Doctors Hospital Chief Executive officer Mark Lisa said.  “They were given every opportunity to work with us on a contract that was favorable to both parties.  We just could not reach a contract.”

Manteca District Ambulance operational officer Bill Caldera issued a brief release Tuesday that the ambulance service “is working on a plan of reorganization. When this plan has been completed announcements will be made.”

The ambulance service initially lost its non-emergency transport contract with Kaiser when it took over St. Dominic’s Hospital in the early part of the last decade. Kaiser had a standing contract with the American Medical Response (AMR) firm. Kaiser, in cooperation with AMR, restored some of Manteca Ambulance’s business that it enjoyed through St. Dominic’s easing the local based organization’s transition into handing less non-emergency calls.

The 60-year-old Manteca Ambulance District was born out of a need for emergency medical response service in 1951 when citizens joined the volunteer organization with memberships of $3 per family.  It has grown into a $6 million non-profit paramedic operation today with 100 employees between Manteca and Tuolumne County.

Manteca Ambulance has its headquarters and a second station in Manteca as well as a station in Lathrop.