With Corinna’s existing agreement for ambulance services with Sebasticook Valley Hospital of Pittsfield expiring Aug. 31, town officials have been meeting for several months with Mayo officials to discuss pre-hospital service needs. Mayo already operates Corinna Family Practice, the only physician’s office in the community.

Mayo’s arrangement with Corinna will be similar to agreements forged in 2003 between the Dover-Foxcroft hospital and two other Penobscot County towns. Mayo in that year took over operation of municipal ambulance services in both Dexter and Corinth.

Brian Mullis, Mayo EMS director and a native of Corinna, said the agreement should provide a higher level of emergency medical coverage for Corinna, in a more cost-effective manner.

Under the agreement, Mayo will keep the existing Corinna ambulance in town and maintain current staffing levels, augmented by coverage from Mayo’s ambulance base in Dexter, as needed. The service will remain known as Corinna Ambulance, and Mayo will make every effort to bring on all of Corinna’s qualified ambulance personnel as Mayo employees.

Mayo also intends to upgrade to a paramedic-level of EMS coverage in Corinna during weekdays.

Mullis stressed that although Mayo will assume management of the Corinna service, local residents will retain the right to be transported to the hospital of their choice.

Mayo EMS provides primary ambulance coverage to 21 towns covering over 740 square miles in Piscataquis, Penobscot and Somerset counties. The service logged over 2,600 ambulance runs in 2004.