From this point on, Gold Cross Ambulance will now be known as Mayo Clinic Ambulance.

Effective Monday, the ambulance service has changed its moniker to clarify for patients and communities that the Mayo Clinic Health Systems provides with its ambulance services. Vehicles, uniforms and building signage will be updated with the change and will roll out first in Rochester, and then in other areas that were serviced by Gold Cross in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“It will take us several months to update our entire fleet of ambulances. We have 70 ambulances serving communities across parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, so we’ll take a phased approach to transitioning the fleet,” explains John Wald, M.D., a member of the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service board of directors. “For a while, people may see both Gold Cross and Mayo Clinic ambulances in their communities – but it’s always the same Mayo Clinic paramedics and EMTs caring for them.”

Mayo Clinic Ambulance serves more than 120 Midwest communities, including Rochester, Albert Lea, Austin, St. Cloud, Duluth/Superior, Little Falls and others across a 16,000-square-mile service area.

Gold Cross Ambulance has been a part of Mayo Clinic since 1994.

The ground ambulance service is one of five service lines that previously operated under the umbrella name “Mayo Clinic Medical Transport.” This name was also changed to “Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service,” which includes five integrated services:

•Ground ambulance (formerly Gold Cross, with 15 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin)

•Air ambulance (Mayo One helicopter and airplane)

•Emergency communications (Emergency Communications Center)

•Education and training (for Mayo Clinic paramedics, EMTs and other staff, as well as community first responders)

•Community paramedicine (physician-ordered homecare)