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AMR tells Knox County Commission ambulance service metrics have improved; officials cite zero penalties in 2025
Summary
American Medical Response reported contract compliance across Knox County response zones, clinical scores above 90% since January 2025, full 911 ambulance staffing for the first time since 2001, and zero penalties or fines in calendar year 2025, prompting praise from commissioners.
American Medical Response (AMR) told the Knox County Commission on March 23 that ambulance staffing and clinical performance have improved significantly since a contract change two years ago.
Jerry Harish, AMR director of operations, said the company reached contract compliance for the first response zone in April 2024, achieved compliance for the other zones by mid-2024 (with brief exceptions), and has posted clinical scores above 90% since January 2025. "For the first time since 2001, your 911 ambulance services [are] at full staff," Harish told commissioners.
Chief Greg Miller, speaking for the local AMR team, said the provider saw no penalties or fines for all of 2025 and is pursuing Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) accreditation. "For the entire calendar year of 2025, we had zero penalties, zero fines, and we were compliant in every metric," Miller said.
Commissioners credited AMR and county leadership for the progress and said the county's earlier oversight and contract changes helped enable wage adjustments, improved call processing rules, use of quick response vehicles and nurse navigation for low-acuity calls that reduced unnecessary priority-one classifications.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about continuing improvement and community outreach; AMR leadership said they will continue reporting metrics and working with county staff to sustain and publicize improvements.
