Northwell Health Pilot Could Boost Northern Dutchess EMS Coverage

Towns look to partner with state's largest health network to improve emergency response times.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 5:55am

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In an effort to address a shortage of emergency medical services in Northern Dutchess County, local officials are in talks with Northwell Health, New York's largest integrated health network, about a potential pilot program to provide advanced life support ambulances to supplement the basic life support services currently offered by individual towns.

Why it matters

Rural towns in Northern Dutchess, including Milan and Pine Plains, have struggled to meet national benchmarks for emergency response times, even with a county-funded supplemental ambulance service. A partnership with Northwell Health could help fill this gap by providing advanced life support capabilities to the region.

The details

Under the proposed pilot, each town would still be responsible for a basic life support (BLS) ambulance, but Northwell Health would supply advanced life support (ALS) vehicles staffed by paramedics. BLS ambulances provide essential noninvasive care, while ALS units can handle critical emergencies with more advanced procedures. Northwell Health has signaled openness to the public-private partnership, which county officials believe could provide much-needed competition to the current supplemental provider, Empress EMS.

  • In December 2025, County Legislator Chris Drago first met with representatives from Northwell Health Center for EMS.
  • In January 2026, Drago arranged a roundtable with Northwell Health and Dutchess County officials.
  • On March 5, 2026, Dutchess County Commissioner of Emergency Response William Beale discussed the potential partnership with Northwell at a public meeting.
  • On March 19, 2026, Northern Dutchess town officials and EMS leaders will hold an information-gathering session with Northwell representatives at Milan Town Hall.

The players

Chris Drago

A Dutchess County Legislator representing the 19th district.

William Beale

The Commissioner of the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response.

Northwell Health Center for Emergency Services

The state's largest nonprofit ambulance service, which is a division of Northwell Health, New York's largest integrated health network.

Jonathan Washko

The assistant vice president of Northwell Health Center for Emergency Services, who is leading discussions with Dutchess County.

Bill Jeffway

The Town Supervisor of Milan, New York.

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What they’re saying

“A system-wide solution is needed, not an independent solution, so every town doesn't have to pay $1 million for EMS. Municipalities don't each need their own ambulance.”

— Jonathan Washko, Assistant Vice President, Northwell Health Center for Emergency Services

“My priority here as Northwell Health [grows] is, do they have any available EMS assets? Can we create a system where Northwell's [ambulances] can be on-shifted into our existing dispatch system? It may take some time, as their current focus is interfacility transport [from hospital to hospital].”

— William Beale, Commissioner, Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response

“We believe there may be potential in looking at this as a shared services opportunity.”

— Bill Jeffway, Town Supervisor, Milan

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This potential partnership between Northwell Health and Dutchess County highlights the challenges rural communities face in providing adequate emergency medical services, and the need for innovative solutions that leverage the resources of larger healthcare systems to supplement local capabilities.