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Contact: Tracy
Thomas
AMR Vice President of Operations
214-353-7610 ext 111
Brent Magers
President – Walls Regional Hospital
(817) 556-4293
AMR to Serve Johnson County, TX, During
Contract Negotiations
DALLAS, TX, February
25, 2003 - American Medical Response (AMR) and Walls
Regional Hospital in Cleburne, Texas, have reached an agreement
for AMR to continue to provide 911 emergency and non-emergency
medical transportation in Johnson County, Texas, during ongoing
provider negotiations. AMR is currently in talks about the
financial viability of the ambulance service with hospital
and local government officials.
“Walls Regional Hospital requested an
extension of the contract with AMR so that there would be
more time to find a solution to address the ambulance needs
of the citizens of Johnson County,” said Brent Magers,
President of Walls Regional Hospital.
“Our contract with Johnson County requires
Walls Regional to see that ambulance service is provided,”
said Magers. “This extension will help, but given the
complexities and potential impact on so many different people
and governmental entities, there is no time to waste in coming
up with a solution to this challenge.”
"AMR is proud to be one of the providers
of ambulance service in Johnson County since 1991 and we want
to continue to serve the community," said Tracy Thomas,
Vice President of Operations, North Texas and Oklahoma, AMR.
"But we simply cannot afford to operate at a loss on
a continuing basis. If we cannot meet an agreement for adequate
compensation for our services, AMR will be forced to exit
the market."
AMR has given the county and Walls Regional
Hospital its notice of intent to exit the market on Oct. 1,
2003, if an agreement cannot be reached regarding ongoing
funding. The company also has committed to helping make a
smooth transition to another provider, if its needs cannot
be met, in order to assure continued excellence in emergency
ambulance service for the community.
American Medical Response, Inc.
(www.amr-inc.com), the nation’s largest provider
of medical transportation, is locally operated in 34 states.
More than 18,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs and other professionals
transport over four million patients each year in emergency,
critical and non-emergency situations. AMR, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Laidlaw, Inc., is headquartered in Greenwood
Village, CO.
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