GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — AMR, the medical transportation segment of Envision Healthcare Holdings, Inc., is acquiring Rural/Metro Corporation. The acquisition, to close in the fourth quarter of 2015, enhances Envision’s mobile integrated healthcare delivery capability.
“As healthcare services models shift toward a more coordinated approach, the role of medical transportation clinicians takes on greater strategic significance,” said William A. Sanger, Envision chairman, president and CEO. “With our advanced mobile delivery model, the practice of paramedics and EMTs is being expanded beyond the traditional role of providing pre-hospital stabilization and transport to healthcare facilities.”
During the past several years, AMR has achieved significant growth and operating efficiencies through process improvement, effective use of technology and optimizing resource utilization while simultaneously improving clinical outcomes for patients and developing new platforms for health systems.
“As a former Rural/Metro paramedic and market manager, I am acutely aware of the dedication, passion and clinical expertise that its nearly 7,500 caregivers and support personnel provide to their communities. AMR looks forward to having them on our team and combining the innovative practices of both organizations, delivering stability and growth opportunities,” said Ted Van Horne, AMR president and CEO. “This acquisition will broaden our ability to partner with fire departments and local government leadership to build increasingly better community health models. It also gives us the ability to offer specialty fire capabilities within our industrial health and safety business lines.”
“We have spent the past several years fine-tuning our operations and enhancing the services we provide to our patients and community partners,” Scott Bartos, CEO of Rural/Metro said. “Envision’s mobile integrated healthcare strategy will allow us to provide even greater value to those constituents while creating new opportunities for our team members. Combining with AMR will enable us to be active contributors to solutions that are shaping the future of healthcare.”
Rural/Metro is expected to generate annualized 2015 revenue of approximately $600 million. The pending acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.