OKTIBBEHA COUNTY – The county will continue to be served by two separate ambulance providers after Baptist Memorial Hospital-Oktibbeha County selected Priority Ambulance to provide EMS in rural areas as Starkville looks to be sticking with Pafford EMS within the city limits.
Baptist announced its decision in a Thursday press release, putting an end date on the county’s contract with Medstat EMS, which will continue to provide service for the county until the new agreement goes into effect Dec. 1.
“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,” Mac Flynt, CEO and administrator, said in a press release. “Priority has the infrastructure, staffing, experience and track record to ensure lifesaving responses and better outcomes for medical emergencies in Oktibbeha County.”
Prior to selling OCH Regional Medical Center to Baptist Memorial Health Care, Oktibbeha County contracted MedStat to serve the county and Mississippi State University. When the MedStat contract expired in the midst of the October 2025 sale, the county entered another one-year agreement with the provider. Meanwhile, Starkville has contracted Pafford to serve the city since 2019.
Baptist requested proposals from each of the three providers – MedStat, Pafford and Priority Ambulance – earlier this year to determine which to contract. Kim Alexander, director of public relations and internal communications for Baptist, confirmed response times were a consideration in the decision, alongside “a number of factors.”
Dwayne Tullos, regional president for Priority Ambulance, said the contract is a continuation of a trusted partnership with Baptist that has served communities well in other areas throughout Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas.

			
			
				
				Dwayne Tullos
				
		

Priority will operate on a fee for service basis and will provide the ambulances, branded Baptist Ambulance, for the county, the press release said.
Under the Baptist Ambulance brand, Priority has a team of more than 350 EMS professionals and a fleet of more than 80 ambulances and support vehicles. The company can also provide additional resources, support and specialized capabilities during major incidents, the press release said.
“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,” Tullos said in the press release.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said she respects Baptist’s decision to go with Priority, and she does not expect it to impact the city’s choice to contract Pafford to service Starkville calls.

			
			
				
				Lynn Spruill
				
		

“Pafford continues to be our choice,” she said. “I think they have a very broad reach in the Starkville and outlying areas that they can keep us well serviced even if their calls take them away from us.”
While she acknowledged E-911 personnel believe a unified EMS service may make emergency response “smoother and easier,” Spruill said the city has not had any problems with Pafford.
Consideration of whether to renew Pafford’s contract is set to be added to the board of aldermen’s next meeting agenda, she said.
“I think Pafford has done a very good job,” Spruill said. “They’ve stayed in contact with us on issues, and they continue to be a good provider. We’ve had no complaints about them, and I see no reason to change what we’re doing now.”
			
						
			McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.			
			
      
      
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