By Bill Carey
EMS1
KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — American Medical Response reported that subcontracting a service for transporting deceased individuals has improved ambulance response times.
This service, which takes bodies to the Knox County Medical Examiner, was previously handled by AMR and is used when an ambulance is not needed, WBIR reported.
“It keeps ambulances available for other, more urgent, patients,” AMR Regional Director Joshua Spencer said. “We’ve seen an overall improvement from the 60% to 70% range, up to the mid-80% range.”
Spencer explained that subcontracting non-emergency calls to a specialist allows ambulances more time for emergency and 911 responses. AMR noted that the subcontractor handles about 120 body pickups monthly, with a new contract mandating a response time of 45 minutes.
AMR leaders met with Knox County Commissioners to present the year’s first quarterly update, aimed at improving ambulance system accountability. They reported that AMR is hiring additional field staff, with over 200 individuals now serving as EMTs or paramedics.