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Contact: Lauren
Sides
(303) 495-1210
lsides@amr-corp.com
Doug Moore
(719) 597-1277 ext. 138
doug_moore@amr-ems.com
NEW AMBULANCE WILL TRANSPORT PATIENTS
WEIGHING UP TO 1,000 LBS.
Denver, CO, June 11,
2003 — In an effort to further improve service
to Denver and its citizens, American Medical Response (AMR)
has developed a new Bariatric Unit to better meet the transportation
needs of patients weighing over 600 lbs. AMR has specially
designed this unit for the transportation of patients weighing
up to 1,000 lbs.
The standard equipment in the ambulance industry
is pressed to accommodate these larger and heavier patients.
This has been a potential safety hazard for patients and the
crews who transport them. AMR developed this new system to
significantly decrease the risk, and increase the comfort
and dignity of these patients.
The new Bariatric Unit will provide additional
room for the patient and crew in the back of the ambulance.
The unit will carry a flat cot that is wider than a standard
ambulance gurney and can hold up to 1,000 lbs. This cot will
provide greater comfort for the patient and safer lifting
for the crew.
AMR has designed specially engineered aluminum
ramps to use when loading or unloading the patient. These
ramps will allow for a smoother and more comfortable lift
for the patient. The ramps will also prevent the crews from
needing to manually lift the patient, which could potentially
risk unnecessary injuries. The unit has a specially designed
winch system and built-in brake systems to help the crews
load and unload the patient. This will reduce the strain on
the crews and act as a safety to prevent the gurney from getting
out of control.
The Bariatric Unit also serves the special
needs of other patients, most notably, dialysis patients.
After dialysis treatments, patients are often too weak and
sore to be transferred to ordinary wheelchairs for their trip
home in standard ambulances or personal vehicles. The Bariatric
Unit accommodates special dialysis chairs, allowing the patient
to be transported home after treatment, potentially saving
tens of thousands of dollars monthly per patient with the
alternative -- hospital stays.
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
nationwide 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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