KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and American Medical Response have launched a program together that will route "less emergent" 911 calls to a Tennessee-licensed nurse who can assess the caller's symptoms and help decide the next step of care.
The program, Knox County Nurse Navigation, aims to reduce emergency room crowding, free up emergency response personnel for more life-threatening situations and improve overall patient outcomes — regardless of severity.
Care options through the Knox County Nurse Navigation program can range from a virtual consultation to receiving instructions on administering self-care and the arrangement of transportation to a local clinic, urgent care center or hospital.
"This is an innovative solution to a common problem that has produced positive results in other areas,” said Mayor Jacobs.
The program is being completely funded by AMR.
“We are proud of our long-term partnership with Knox County,” Southeast Regional Director of AMR Joshua Spencer said. “We hope that this program will go a long way toward ensuring people get the right type of care at the right time."
