Mercy Flight approved by state to take over COVA’s certificate of need for central Orleans, and Hamlin

Press Release, Mercy Flight EMS

Photo by Tom Rivers: Mercy Flight EMS has been operating COVA ambulance based out of Albion and Hamlin since mid-November.

ALBION – A process that began nearly six months ago to the day has culminated in a successful expansion of territory for Mercy Flight EMS.

As of Friday, March 31, upon approval by the NYS Department of Health, Central Orleans Volunteer Ambulance’s (COVA’s) Certificate of Need was officially transferred to Mercy Flight EMS. This allows the nonprofit to operate ground ambulance service in all of Orleans County and the Town of Hamlin, in addition to its existing territories of Genesee and Niagara Counties, and the Town of Concord and Village of Springville in Erie County.

“Until last Friday we’ve been operating in Orleans County and the Town of Hamlin under an agreement with COVA that allowed us to hire all of their former employees and staff their ambulances,” said Scott Wooton, Mercy Flight’s Executive Vice President. “Now, we can continue to provide high-quality, nonprofit EMS services in these particular municipalities in our own right.”

Operationally it is a “cosmetic change” as Mercy Flight looks to add its branding to the COVA ambulances and outfit the former COVA employees in Mercy Flight EMS uniforms, Wooton said. “But as an organization, it validates what we aim to do and the manner in which we try to do it,’” he said. “We believe that patient-focused, compassionate, nonprofit ambulance service can thrive, even in rural communities where limited access to healthcare can be a major risk factor for residents.”

Mercy Flight’s agreement with COVA was effective at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13. Mercy Flight will provide ground ambulance service under COVA’s NYS Department of Health “Certificate of Need,” said Scott P. Wooton, executive vice president and treasurer for COVA.

Mercy Flight President Margaret Ferrentino adds, “We’d like to thank the Big Lakes and Monroe-Livingston Regional EMS Councils as well as the NYS DOH Bureau of EMS for their work and diligence during the application process. Just as importantly, we’d like to recognize COVA for over 40 years of dedicated service to their community and their efforts to ensure that the residents of Central Orleans County experienced no lapse in ambulance coverage. We are really proud to have been able to hire COVA’s dedicated employees and pick up the torch that they’d been carrying for over four decades.”

Editor’s Note: Mercy Flight EMS started officially operating COVA on Nov. 15, 2022. That includes the operations in Orleans County based in Albion and in Hamlin, Monroe County. COVA has about 16-20 employees working out of the COVA base in Albion, and about 15 out of Hamlin.

Six towns in central and eastern Orleans have a contract with Monroe Ambulance to provide ambulance services in Orleans during 2023 for $181,200. Monroe will start on April 16 with two dedicated ambulances to eastern/central Orleans County.