How AMR has grown in Pueblo over the past 30 years

American Medical Response is celebrating 30 years of tending to Pueblo's emergency medical needs, AMR announced in a recent news release.

When AMR Operations Manager Michael Lening started with the company 13 years ago, the medical transport service agency was responding to 14,000-15,000 calls for service per year. Since then, calls for service have grown exponentially, up to more than 36,000 a year.

In response, the organization has had to grow its fleet.

"When AMR first came to town, we were running maybe four ambulances that took care of things for the entire city. Now we're running 23 ambulances that we have available, and it's not uncommon for us to have 10 or 11 out answering calls at any given time," Lening said.

There is also a "night and day difference" in the treatment provided to patients before the hospital, Lening said. "As technology advances, we've been able to keep up with those changes and keep modern technology coming through the doors as it becomes available. It's been a fun ride — it's been interesting to be able to be a part of it, to provide a service to the community for so many years and to continue to grow it and improve it, and work closely with all of our partners, first responders, it's been amazing."

Over the next 30 years, the company will continue to grow and evolve, Lening said. One change they are already seeing is a shift away from taking every patient to the hospital, he said, in favor of looking for "more appropriate medical care."

One example is the emergency triage, treatment, and transport (ET3) pilot program, which ended in September of last year after running for approximately two and a half years.

The program had a focus on virtual care with a physician online rather than taking a patient to the hospital when unnecessary. Under the program, anyone who was adamant about going to the hospital would be transported, and EMTs would follow patient care guidelines, but "there are sometimes other options," Lening said.

While that particular program has since ended, Lening said he expects similar programs to be instituted in the future.

As technology continues to advance, AMR will also be ready, Lening said.

"That's one of the advantages of being part of a larger company, Global Medical Response," he said. "The national program has big involvement in changes to emergency medical services. Being aware of what's coming, being involved in helping to shape it, and making sure you're budgeting appropriately to keep up with advances is key."

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formally known as Twitter, @jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain atsubscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: AMR celebrates 30 years in Pueblo