(Credit: Upper Bucks Regional EMS)
St. Luke’s University Health Network has signed a letter of intent to acquire Upper Bucks Regional Emergency Medical Services in September, ensuring continued 24/7 EMS coverage for areas including Bedminster, Bridgeton, Durham, Haycock, Nockamixon, Richland, Springfield, and Tinicum townships and Riegelsville Borough.
The deal, announced July 1 at a Haycock Township supervisors meeting, follows months of financial struggles for UBREMS — including a temporary suspension of overnight service at its Revere station and dependence on a $250,000 state grant to maintain operations, according to the Bucks County Herald.
Under the agreement, St. Luke’s Emergency and Transport Services division — already active in Quakertown Borough — will place three ambulances throughout Upper Bucks at no extra cost to local municipalities, per the report.
The expanded coverage model is designed to match or exceed current service levels and alleviate concerns over UBREMS’s future stability. Township officials, including Haycock Supervisor Linda Levinski and Tinicum Supervisor Eleanor Breslin, expressed optimism about the arrangement, although Durham Township emphasized the need for transparent financial terms before fully committing, according to the article.
The acquisition aims to close the funding gaps UBREMS faced after losing major donations and inconsistent municipal contributions.
As St. Luke’s prepares to finalize the transition, all nine served municipalities must weigh in before the plan can proceed, per the Herald.
Read the full story at Bucks County Herald.
