Tri-state Regional Ambulance Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391962965
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
La Crosse, WI, USA
Phone
6086378884
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Ambulance, Emergency Medical Transport Services

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,810,952
Expenses
$6,257,066
Assets
$5,648,597
Liabilities
$8,422,218

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL MCKEE (BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PRESIDENT)
  • MIKEL POELLINGER (BOARD OF DIRECTORS, VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SCOTT RATHGABER MD (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • SCOTT RATHGABER MD (CEO): $1,397,550 total reported compensation
  • JOHN CEELEN (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $782,368 total reported compensation
  • BRYAN ERDMANN (BOD, TREASURER, SECRETARY, COO): $519,860 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Tri-state regional ambulance, inc. Provides high quality, low cost medical transportation services to and from medical appointments and home after a hospital discharge. In addition, tri-state regional ambulance provides pre-hospital emergency care and interfacility advance life support transportation.

What it reported doing in 2024

Tri-state regional ambulance provides primary emergency 911 response as well as emergency and non-emergency interfacility transport and intercept services. Tri-state regional ambulance, inc in 2024, completed our second year of offering the paramedic trainee program, this program contracted with the local technical college to provide full-time paramedic education to 4 of four emts. These emts were hired into these roles with their main function to be full-time students and complete their education. The program was very successful, but costly. Tri-state regional ambulance has completed the caas reaccreditation, high staff 12-month retention rates in the low 90%s. In 2025, had 3,490 transports, 17 standbys, 510 non-transports, and 4,000 total calls. Tsra remained accredited by caas, and had an acquisition of sparta ambulance.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 94% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 52
  • Sustainability: 22
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7.7%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.49; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.4M · 10 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 31 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.