Primary Care to add services to Jasper

Courtesy photo PRIMARY CARE MEDICAL TRANSPORT will add its services to Jasper and Newton counties starting this Saturday, June 23.

Answering the call for a need for more ambulances in the area, Primary Care Medical Transport will locate its office in Jasper and Kirbyville starting Saturday, June 23.

"There is a definite need for another ambulance service here in Jasper so I am bringing my units here to serve the people," said James Crabtree, operations manager for Primary Care. "Almost on a daily basis, there are 9-1-1 calls in this area that are going unanswered by ambulances.

"They have the same problem in Newton County," Crabtree said. "I did some research and made the decision to come here and open up shop."

Crabtree has been in Jasper County for some time now and has worked with Priority One and Gold Star in Jasper.

Until Friday, June 22, Primary Care has been serving the 9-1-1 contract for the Vidor area.

"When that contract ended, we chose not to renew it," Crabtree said.

He said the reason to pull out of Vidor was due to a $650,000 loss in nonpayments of services.

"It was an 80 percent no pay rate and we can't survive with that," Crabtree said.

He said that the three units will be stationed in the county to start. The units in Jasper will be located at 316 W. Gibson.

"As our call volume increases, I will add more units to it," Crabtree said.

Primary Care is a subsidiary of Priority Care out of California. which started business 11 year ago.

"We are very excited about being in Jasper," Crabtree said. "We will bring quality service to Jasper and Newton counties. There is more than enough call volume in this area for three ambulance services.

"And that is nothing against the other services in Jasper County right now, but the call volume in here for three services," Crabtree said.