Baptist Oktibbeha County Selects New EMS Provider for the County
STARKVILLE, Miss., Aug. 20, 2026– Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County has selected Priority Ambulance to provide emergency medical services for the county.
I am excited to announce that we will be contracting with Priority Ambulance for Oktibbeha County’s EMS services. After a thorough evaluation of multiple proposals, discussions with local stakeholders and consideration of the needs of the county, we believe Priority Ambulance is the best option for our community. Priority has the infrastructure, staffing, experience and track record to ensure lifesaving responses and better outcomes for medical emergencies in Oktibbeha County.
Priority will operate on a fee for service basis and will provide the ambulances, branded Baptist Ambulance, for the county. The new contract will go into effect on Dec. 1.
We are honored that Baptist Memorial Health Care has selected Baptist Ambulance to serve Oktibbeha County. This represents the continuation of a trusted partnership that has successfully served communities across the Mid-South for nearly a decade. Our commitment is simple: provide compassionate, high-quality emergency medical care, invest in the local community and work alongside our health care and public safety partners to build an EMS system that residents can rely on every day.
Local crews and leadership will be dedicated to Oktibbeha County and will be supported by the clinical, operational, fleet and surge resources of the broader Priority Ambulance national network. The organization will work collaboratively with Baptist Memorial, Oktibbeha County, local first responders, emergency management, law enforcement and other community stakeholders to support both 911 emergency response and interfacility transportation operations across a multistate service area.
Under the Baptist Ambulance brand, the company serves more than 50,000 patients annually through a team of more than 450 EMS professionals and a fleet of more than 80 ambulances and support vehicles, and can provide additional ambulances, personnel, leadership support and specialized capabilities during high-demand periods, major incidents or disasters. Over the past decade, Baptist Memorial’s partnership with Priority has expanded to serve multiple counties across Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.
MedStat Emergency Medical Services will continue to provide emergency medical and transport services for the county until the new agreement goes into effect.
We are extremely grateful for MedStat EMS and its team’s dedication to Oktibbeha County during the past three years. We will work together to ensure a seamless transition to Priority.
Baptist Memorial Health Care acquired Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County (formerly OCH Regional Medical Center) on Oct. 1, 2025. The 96-bed hospital offers 21 medical specialties to families in a seven-county area surrounding Starkville, Mississippi. More than 13 clinics and medical practices are associated with the hospital, from family medicine to medical specialties that include breast health, cardiology, orthopedics, sleep medicine, surgery, pain management, wound care and more. For more information, visit och.org or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OCHRegionalMedicalCenter/.
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