TransCare To Provide Advanced Life Support In Hillsborough County

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — By a unanimous vote of the Hillsborough County Commission, TransCare Medical Transportation Services was approved for Advanced Life Support Certification of Public Convenience and Necessity, allowing it to provide advanced life support services in Hillsborough County.

The certification allows TransCare to operate three advanced life support ambulances in Hillsborough County.

Previously, there were only two private for-profit ambulance services providing advanced life support inter-facility transports for the fourth-largest county by population in the state.

By receiving the ALS COPCN, TransCare, which is operated by the nonprofit Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, will now be able to assist the community’s hospitals and freestanding emergency facilities to alleviate transfer delays currently experienced and to transport those patients in need of advanced cardiac monitoring, airway management and medication administration during transfer.

With the growing population of our community, the need for medical transportation services within Hillsborough County has increased significantly. This certification allows TransCare to provide advanced life support ground inter-facility transfers and medical stand-by services.

In addition to the new ALS services, TransCare will continue to operate and provide the same basic life support and behavioral health transport services to residents of the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County as it has for more than 25 years. There is no change to the county’s 911 emergency services, which will continue to be operated by Hillsborough County, Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City fire rescue services.

“Being approved to provide Advanced Life Support services in Hillsborough County has been a goal of the Crisis Center and TransCare for many years," said Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. "To ensure that no one in our community faces crisis alone includes meeting the increased medical needs of those throughout the county. This ALS certification allows us to better fulfill our mission while supporting other medical providers in the area and connecting to Crisis Center services as needed."

TransCare was originally established in 1982 to provide Baker Act transports for Hillsborough County. In other counties, these transports are often performed in the back of a police car.

After several years of providing this service, a Basic Life Support (COPCN) was granted to TransCare in 1994 to help provide back-up services for the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Currently, TransCare provides 911 emergency and mental health ambulance services, medical van transportation and community paramedicine.

TransCare is currently hiring for 50 positions including paramedics, emergency medical technicians and behavioral health technicians. Career opportunities are listed on the “Careers” page of the Crisis Center website.