# AMR, American MEDIOCORE Response



## ScoopandSwoop (May 13, 2012)

I'm about to memorialize (not celebrate) my 5 year anniversary as an EMT-P at American MEDIOCRE Response, AKA: American Medical Response.

Here are mY OPINIONS and observations:

I can say that I've learned more about bad management practices than I have about good ones at AMR over the past five years. There have been a few really super paramedics who have taught me how to take care of patients, and how to try to stay foused on helping patients, despite the negaive influences in AMR's cancerous work environment.

If AMR cared about their patients, they'd care about their employees, and if you walk in to any number of AMR bases in New England and observe the filthy, deplaurable living and working conditions that AMR expects its employees to work in (e.g. Waltham, Natick), you'll quickly discover why so many AMR employees have low self esteem and don't give a rats *** about doing a good job (keep an eye on Nightly News for video footage of the crew quarters in AMR bases). It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, if you're interested, stand outside the ED at Newton Wellesley Hospital or Framingham Union Hospial and take a look at how the AMR employees are dressed as compared to other private ambulance services. Then, look at the inside and outside of the AMR trucks. Quickly, you'll discover why an AMR employee who may make the effort to come to work with a good attititude, succumbs to AMR's cancer within moments of punching in.

There's nothing like sitting at work and drawing lines through a list of customers that AMR USED to have. That list is almost as long as the list of EXCUSES that the AMR bosses give you for why we don't have those contracts any more. What has really happened is that AMR did not live up to the promises that they made to hospitals and other health care faciltities, AMR gives bogus ETA's to the facilities when they call AMR, and than AMR shows up with personnel who are disheveled, and who come out of vehicles with 250,000 or 300,000 miles on them that are filthy dirty and poorly maintained. (my favorite AMR creature will show up in an E.D. wearing dark black sunglasses, chewing bubble gum, polo shirt hanging out of his pants, and wearing brown sneakers). Not to mention the fact that the equipment on your truck may still say Brewster or some other company that AMR purchased ten or more years ago on it. Forget about having a Lifepak with noninvasive BP monitoring, that's good for patients, and not an expense that AMR can justify accross the board.

Have you seen AMR's new marketing campaign about "AMR Medicine?' Some pencil-head's in Colorado have coined the term AMR Medicine. I'd like to ask them how many times they've spent a week or two riding on AMR trucks in the Boston area to observe what they call AMR Medicine. The AMR bosses in Colorado have a vision that clearly can not be operationalized under the existing American Mediocore Response structure.

Than there lies American Medicore Responses P/B staffing. I wonder who the AMR General Manager would want to treat a loved one, a Paramedic and a Basic or a Paramedic and a Paramedic. Remember, it's the Massachusetts Ambulance Association that lobbied to change the staffing of Paramedic ambulances in Massachusetts from P/P to P/B.

When it comes to medical quality, take a seat in AMR/NCTI's paramedic class. You'll quickly see what AMR/NCTI are producing......WalMart Greeters that may be able to start an IV or intubate. There's a Medical Director somewhere at AMR, anyone seen him or her? I think his or her primary job is to sign off on your FIT Test.

In five years, I just can believe how American Mediocore Response has deteriorated. Its a dam shame. I hope AMR makes a turn around in New England. Enough of AMR's bad medicine and losing contracts.


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## DesertMedic66 (May 13, 2012)

Doesn't sound too good in your area. In my area AMR is nothing at all like your post describes. The only thing that is true of my area is that some of the rigs do have 350,000 miles.

We have a couple of shifts that are P/P. Actually the Paramedic is doing all the treatments while the EMT is just a gurney monkey to the most part. Why pay a paramedic to be a gurney monkey when you could save money and use an EMT?


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## Medic Tim (May 13, 2012)

If you have been there for 5 years why did you ask what union represented amr workers in mass in 2010?

What you describe seems pretty par for the course with IFT companies across the US. If you don't like it move on. What is complaining here going to do about it.


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## Tigger (May 13, 2012)

ScoopandSwoop said:


> I'm about to memorialize (not celebrate) my 5 year anniversary as an EMT-P at American MEDIOCRE Response, AKA: American Medical Response.
> 
> Here are mY OPINIONS and observations:
> 
> ...



If I might just add that AMR is not the only ambulance company that operates like this, such is often the case when the company's goal is to make money. That's not saying that such behavior is appropriate by any means.

Also I was not aware that the Brewster myth was actually true, please tell me that Boston area AMR crews are not operating ambulances from 1997 (or earlier).


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## Aidey (May 14, 2012)

So it is AMR's fault that none of the employees appear to have any sense of personal responsibility? Some employers are better than others, but some responsibility lies with the individual employees. All too often people use the quality of their employer as an excuse for their own bad behavior. 

I think almost every one of my employers has had durable equipment like KEDs or backboards that have been recycled from another company. When some overeager guy goes wild with a permanent marker it can be hard to hide later. That doesn't mean the equipment isn't perfectly serviceable. 

And for the record, I wear sunglasses at work. I wear sunglasses inside at work. I wear prescription glasses and it is almost impossible to swap between my normal glasses and the sunglasses while treating patients. 

Why have you been working there when you are a PA-C?


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## KnightVision (May 14, 2012)

B, A or P - that's ur partner, not a gurney monkey. And if treated as such on shift, is that really the person you want to "have your back"??


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## Gurney Jockey (May 14, 2012)

I'm seconding what Firefite said. That sounds like a division that isn't ran very well. Each division can sometimes be its own company. For example AMR Rancho and AMR Irwindale. Or for a better idea, AMR Rancho and AMR Bozeman.
And again, it is the complete opposite of my division. Our trucks rarely go above 150,000 miles, and are always being replaced due to county rules/mandates/other fancy sounding legal term :wacko: But you are describing all of the dinky IFT companies here in LA. 

And NCTI is a school. You get out of it what you put in. You have to make an effort to learn. PTI is a paramedic program out here which is notorious for producing the "wonderful" and "clever" firemedics that I run with. Why? Because they don't really make an effort. Yet I have met a few guys who went there and know what they're doing. The guys that I know who went to NCTI are just as good as the medics who went to other programs like Mt. Sac or Crafton. 

And regarding the pay, a good friend of mine worked in New Haven for a couple of years. Now I don't know if the division you're describing and his made around the same, but he took a 40% pay cut when he returned to LA. 

I think the best advice I got was this "Every company sucks. You just have to pick the one that sucks the least".


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## ScoopandSwoop (May 14, 2012)

Medic Tim said:


> If you have been there for 5 years why did you ask what union represented amr workers in mass in 2010?
> 
> What you describe seems pretty par for the course with IFT companies across the US. If you don't like it move on. What is complaining here going to do about it.



Transferred from outside of the area, and received two different reports of which Union represented AMR EMT's.


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## usalsfyre (May 14, 2012)

"That's a bold move Cotton, let's see how it works out for him".

I sincerely hope you haven't made yourself fired/unemployable. If I saw this type of rant attributed to you and you then showed up at my shop for an interview I'd have serious reservations.


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## Sasha (May 14, 2012)

I certainly admire your passion, but EMS is a small world, I think your post may have been in poor taste and hope you're not shooting yourself in the foot.


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## marshmallow22 (May 14, 2012)

The quicker you realize that AMR is a PRIIVATE company and is in the business to make a profit, then the better off you'll be.  In fact, a lot of upper management/CEO's of big corporation ambulance services aren't even medically trained, and don't understand the difference between an EMT or a Paramedic.  To them, you're a making money ambulance driver!  Why should they provide you with nice stations, pay, or equipment?  That just cuts into the profits, their bonuses, and the shareholders stock price.  If you've never seen the movie "Mother, Jugs, and Speed" then see it.  Private ambulance has and will ALWAYS be the same, just like that movie. And that was over 30 years ago.  You have 2 choices:

1) Quit 
    OR
2) Own your own company, and run it how you see fit.


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## Tigger (May 14, 2012)

Aidey said:


> I think almost every one of my employers has had durable equipment like KEDs or backboards that have been recycled from another company. When some overeager guy goes wild with a permanent marker it can be hard to hide later. That doesn't mean the equipment isn't perfectly serviceable.



I agree with you here, but in this case AMR took a company over and then repainted only the outside of the boxes, leaving the other company's graphics on the inside. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but considering that the takeover happened in 1997, those trucks have to be falling apart by now.


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## RocketMedic (May 14, 2012)

That could be an issue.


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