BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Health won't provide emergency medical service to parts of western Benton County after exercising a 180-day termination clause in two contracts, according to a county news release.
Northwest Health made the decision in order to refocus resources on its hospital services and other points of care across the community, said Christina Bull, Northwest Health spokeswoman.
Northwest Health has notified Benton County it will terminate the emergency medical services agreement, effective Jan. 30, 2023, Bull said.
"Northwest Health EMS will continue to provide emergency response and transport services until then to ensure adequate time for the county to identify a new EMS provider," Bull said.
The move by Northwest Health will impact two contracts, according to the release.
The first is a three-year contract to provide emergency medical service in parts of western Benton County and the cities of Decatur and Gentry that was signed in November 2018 and renewed for a subsequent three-year term in November 2021, according to the release.
Benton County will pay $292,705 this year for that contract.
The second is a three-year contract to provide service to parts of western Benton County and the cities of Cave Springs, Centerton and Highfill that was signed in September 2020, according to the release.
Benton County will pay $72,300 this year for that contract.
The impacted cities also pay yearly for the service.
Decatur Mayor Bob Tharp said the move from Northwest Health "was out of the blue and totally unexpected."
"I am really disappointed," he said. "Northwest provided excellent service to Decatur and Benton County."
Centerton Mayor Bill Edwards also said he was disappointed by the decision. Northwest Health houses two ambulances at the city fire station, he said.
"Things were going good," he said. "We had no issues with them. They always stayed busy in Centerton."
Benton County officials, in conjunction with the mayors of the impacted cities, have started to look for a replacement service provider for the affected areas and are confident there will be no interruption in ambulance service to any of the approximately 50,000 people served under the contracts, according to the release.
In the interim 180-day time frame, the contract requires Northwest Health to continue to provide the same high level of service that it now provides, according to the release.
"We're disappointed that they have chosen to prematurely exercise the termination clause to exit the contracts," County Judge Barry Moehring said.
Tharp is confident the county and cities will come up with a new emergency services provider.
Before the contract with Northwest Health, Bentonville, Siloam Springs, Gravette and sometimes Bella Vista provided service in the impacted area and Rogers worked the Beaver Lake area, Moehring said. But as cities started to grow, the county had to look at alternatives, Moehring said.
Cities still provide mutual aid when needed, he said.
Benton County also has a contract with Mercy EMS for three years through 2023. The contract covers the southeast area of Benton County. The annual cost of the contract is $575,000, according to an update given last month to the Benton County Quorum Court Finance Committee.