Areas where AMR failed

[Amberlamps916]

Hello everyone. I'd like to get some insight from you guys that have been in areas or know of areas where AMR tried and failed to operate successfully.

I'm curious regarding the operational aspects of private EMS and I'd like to get your opinions on why they didn't succeed in said areas. With the possibility of the company being sold, I feel that they might pull out of more areas in the future that don't fit into their "strategic plan".

I know they failed in Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, and Orange County California but have never been able to fully understand why.

 

[VentMonkey]

When I first got hired on at AMR in 2002 they had nearly the entire LA County EOA. All unincorporated calls were theirs with the exception of a few cities covered by Westmed (McCormick), Emergency, and Schaefer.

In the 5 years that I was a tech there what I saw was a corporate giant with a huge footprint. Granted I had little to no understanding of management, let alone EMS management of a huge EOA contract as such.

They also had the Kaiser contract. This meant that on top of being obligated to meet their contractual agreements with the FD's, they had obligations to Kaiser as well; it ultimately proved to be impossible to juggle, just ask any current LA County EMT how that contract works now.

The general taste left in many people's mouth upon the demise of the divisions lost was they were basically "too big for their britches". It appeared they just got greedy, they literally couldn't juggle both a large 911 contract, and large Kaiser contract.

Many of the cities they lost to CARE are now served with a 24 hour car, or two, plus rotating 12's. We were literally being sent to cover other divisions when their levels dropped, and vice versa. I hung on until the very end because of the flexibility with paramedic school, and the fact that in the end it was the easiest money to make during school (my medic school buddy and I would work a night shift and sleep most, if not all of the night while maybe getting a transfer or two).

Again, this is merely my spin, I'm not a behind the scenes AMR person, so all I can offer is my opinion. I think initially sure, things were fine, but ultimately you just can't have it all. At least that was my takeaway til this day.

 

[RocketMedic]

They're still around and active in Houston, but they have three major disadvantages: exceedingly poor leadership, lack of respect and recruitment for employees, and intense local and regional competition. Here, AMR has the primary Memorial Hermann contract, but they have a terrible reputation for mediocrity that they reinforce with apathy. If I needed a job, I would work for them, but I would rather work a lot of other places.

 

[VentMonkey]

I really don't know what their "strategic plan" is. Short of talking directly with your regional reps, I doubt any of us can do more than just speculate as to why, or what it is each division does, or doesn't do.

In my experience with the company each division had its own challenges, some bigger than others, some relics of the company that existed prior to being absorbed by AMR.

I can understand, and respect field employees being concerned with how this would affect their specific operations; we were when rumors began to surface about the EOA's being lost in Los Angeles.

As far as operational aspects of private EMS as whole, well again, that's all individual perspectives. I will say I don't see it getting any easier for any private company to remain relevant with healthcare's continuous shape shifting. When you're driven by the dollar in a not so lucrative industry it makes for quite the trickle pickle regardless of the name of your service.

 

[EpiEMS]

Unfortunately, it's hard to get good info about AMR. There's some useful-ish info in Envision Health's http://investor.evhc.net/sites/emsc...t/additional/EVHC_Presentation_March_2017.pdf.

It's a tough business to make consistent revenue in, and - let's be real - the costs are high. Margins aren't thick by any means.

If AMR is let go of by Envision, it could play out any number of ways...


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[DrParasite]

They left NJ with their tail between their legs more than 10 years ago

 

[CentralCalEMT]

They left Tulare County about 6 months ago. They told the media it was low reimbursement rates and that does make sense given the economy in the county. They did not have an EOA here and had to share the 911 contract with other providers although they did have an exclusive contract with the largest hospital in the county. In the end it wasn't enough. They gave their employees the option of taking pay cuts and the union voted it down and AMR left.

 

[Bullets]

Any idea why they left NJ? I didnt even know who they are when i started in NJ