Gold Cross, Waupaca Area Ambulance to merge

MENASHA - An ambulance company serving the Waupaca area plans to merge with a company serving the Appleton area.

Gold Cross Ambulance and Waupaca Area Ambulance say they have signed a letter of intent to merge their services this spring. After the merger, Gold Cross will operate ambulance service in the Waupaca area. The cities of Waupaca and Weyauwega, as well as surrounding communities, are affected.

Gold Cross currently provides service to more than 240,000 people in 950 square miles of portions of Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet counties. It responded to more than 15,000 calls in 2012, leaders say. It is jointly owned by ThedaCare and Affinity Health Systems. ThedaCare also owns Riverside Medical Center and New London Family Medical Center, the two hospitals most frequently accessed by Waupaca Area Ambulance.

Regional 911 dispatch services are already coordinated through Gold Cross, so those services are not expected to change.