History

LifeCare Ambulance's history begins in 1983 with the formation of a not-for-profit ambulance service to provide care to the City of Battle Creek. Known then as Cereal City EMS, the name was changed to LifeCare Ambulance Service following a consolidation with Bedford Rescue Squad in 1988. The new company was one of the first Advanced Life Support providers in Southwest Michigan, offering ALS in Calhoun County in 1987. In 1990, LifeCare began an operational partnership with Gull Lake Area Ambulance, bringing ALS to the rural Kalamazoo area and establishing partnerships with paramedics and the Gull Lake volunteers.

In 1994, LifeCare began serving all of Branch County including the areas of Coldwater, Bronson and Quincy. LifeCare was the first agency to provide Advanced Life Support in Branch County.

In 1996, LifeCare entered into an operating agreement with Mendon Ambulance Service in St. Joseph County. Established for several decades, the family owned Mendon Ambulance chose LifeCare as a partner in introducing ALS into the communities of Mendon, Colon, Centerville, and the surrounding townships.

Also in 1996, LifeCare became an owner provider of Mobile Health Resources, LLC. MHR is a statewide ambulance network established to improve operating efficiency of member company's and to secure statewide medical transportation contracts.

In 1998 LifeCare Ambulance was the 60th Ambulance Service Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). LifeCare was the third ambulance service in the history of CAAS Accreditation to receive a perfect score.

In late 1998 LifeCare opened a not-for-profit corporation named HealthCare Call Center. HealthCare provides telephone triage nursing services using HBOC McKesson Call Center Group Software. The call center contracts with physicians, managed care organizations and insurance providers for telephone triage services. HealthCare Call Center is working on the unique integration between Emergency Medical Dispatch Centers and Nurse Telephone Triage Centers.