Free urgent health service coming to Knox County

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - A new free service aimed at helping you navigate urgent health situations is coming to Knox County, and it’s free to you. American Medical Response is starting a nurse navigator program.

Under the new program, AMR will connect those in need with a licensed nurse when they call 911 in a non-emergency situation. The nurse will walk callers through the issue and guide them to the most appropriate care. That could mean staying home, going to a pharmacy or finding a clinic.

The program can even callers arrange a Lyft if they need a ride. The goal of the program is to help people find care while lowering demand at the emergency room.

AMR Operations Manager Daryl Warren spoke on the service, saying he hopes to help out local hospitals by mitigating demand. “Your hospital staff and ER departments are overcrowded, not enough beds,” he said. “So in an attempt to decrease wait times at hospitals and have more first responders on the streets to be able to provide that service to the community, nurse navigation came into play.”

The program is completely funded by AMR and won’t cost taxpayers any money.

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