Transport Policy
The District’s policy allows patients who experience an acute medical condition or injury to be transported to several area hospitals depending on the patient’s medical needs: Mercy Hospital St. Louis, St. Luke’s Hospital, Missouri Baptist Hospital and Barnes West Hospital. In cases where the patient’s medical needs cannot be met by the above mentioned facilities, medical direction will be contacted and the most appropriate destination will be Physician driven for which the ambulance crew will be required to follow if they are to transport.
Pediatric cases may require transport to a facility other than one of the four mentioned above to receive the most appropriate level of care. If any question exists about which facility is most appropriate, medical direction will be contacted and the decision will be physician driven.
Patients suffering from life threatening conditions including (but not limited to) heart attack, stroke, respiratory distress, or cardiac arrest require acute specialized treatment in a timely manner. In order to achieve the highest rate of survival, these critical patients will be transported to their choice of previously mentioned hospitals, provided that they are medically stable to survive any extended transport time involved and the hospital of their choice meets the need of their current medical condition.
In the event of a Mass Casualty Incident, a natural disaster, or any other inclement weather that could prove hazardous to the patient, all transport decisions will be policy or protocol driven in accordance with State and/or local regulations.
As of June 2017, the Monarch FPD Board of Directors updated the billing process for all patients. Patients transported by Monarch FPD ambulances will be asked for medical insurance information and insurance companies of citizens of Monarch FPD will be billed. For information questions on our billing process be please see the Billing Policy under this same tab.