Empress Ambulance Service Acquires Empire State Ambulance

YONKERS, NY—Empress Ambulance Service, a leading provider of emergency and non-emergency ambulance services in New York, announced June 16, 2021, that it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Empire State Ambulance Corp d/b/a EMStar, headquartered in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

EMStar provides a full suite of BLS and ALS ambulance services. With bases in Dutchess, Westchester and Putnam Counties, as well as service in Rockland, Orange, and Ulster counties, EMStar is a leading provider of 9-1-1 and interfacility transports to the Mid-Hudson Valley region. 

Empress, a PatientCare EMS Solutions company, provides emergency and nonemergency ambulance services to municipalities and hospital systems across New York’s Westchester County and significant ambulance services in the Bronx and Manhattan boroughs. Empress operates an MIH unit for patients who do not need to be transported to the hospital, offering services such as post-discharge followup care, vaccination and testing stations, in-home vaccines, and treat-in-place services. 

“This acquisition will strengthen our already solid footprint in Greater New York,” said Mike Minerva, president of Empress. “As our healthcare partners continue to expand in these counties, we want to be the solution that can grow with them. This acquisition will allow us to do that.”

“We will be able to provide additional resources and technological advancements to support the valued and professional employees at EMStar as they continue to deliver the high-quality service and patient care we expect at Empress,” added Jim O’Connor, vice president of corporate development of Empress added. “The combination of Empress’ experienced ambulance industry operators and capital resources with EMStar’s essential presence in the communities will provide the foundation to expand critical ambulance services and mobile healthcare programs throughout the service area.”

“The acquisition of EMStar is another step in our continued efforts toward our strategic growth objective of expansion in the Tri-State area,” said Herman Schwarz, CEO of PatientCare. “We know the market and are thrilled to be in a position to provide further support to our current customers in the area as well as grow our customer base through this asset transaction.”