Drawings of the name, graphics and colors for MaineHealth EMS ambulances are shown at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Wilton Select Board. Stephen Smith, director of NorthStar EMS ambulance service, said the personnel and service his staff provides will remain the same. The new name goes into effect in October. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal
WILTON — Stephen Smith, director of NorthStar Emergency Medical Services based in Farmington, told the Select Board on Tuesday that the service will have a new name and appearance on its ambulances in October.
The service’s new name will be MaineHealth EMS.
The lettering, colors and graphics will be different for the 11 vehicles, Smith said, and there will no longer be special health-themed messages on them. However, the 75 emergency medical technicians and paramedics will be the same, he said. The changes are expected to be completed in October.
Stephen Smith, director of NorthStar EMS ambulance service, speaks Tuesday night to the Wilton Select Board about the new name and look of its ambulances coming in October. The service will be named MaineHealth EMS and be under MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal
NorthStar is part of MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, and has provided emergency medical services since 2005. It covers 1.7 million acres from key bases in Livermore, Farmington, Phillips, Rangeley and Carrabassett Valley. It handles around 7,500 calls annually across 29 towns, according to an Aug. 16 news release.
MaineHealth has applied for a new emergency medical service license, Smith said.
It plans to keep the different financial accounts separately in three cost centers for different service areas.
Smith also gave the board a brief overview of the creation of the MaineHealth Inter-Facility Transport to address shortages in transport services in some service coverage areas.
These shortages resulted in transport delays and, at times, led to extended stay and emergency department overcrowding, negatively affecting patient experience, according to the Aug. 16 news release.
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