AMR Lewis County Celebrates 40 Years of Service
5.12.2022
The operation in Centralia, Washington started May 1, 1982 in partnership with St. Helen Hospital and City Ambulance.
American Medical Response (AMR), America’s leading provider of medical transportation services, is preparing to celebrate a major milestone in Lewis County – 40 years of dedicated service to the community.
The operation, located in Centralia, began providing care on May 1, 1982, as a hospital-based program run in partnership with St. Helen Hospital and City Ambulance. In 1989, the program was purchased by Care Ambulance, which ultimately became AMR Lewis County.
The operation has changed names over the years, but the ideals have always remained the same – providing care to the world at a moment’s notice.
“Forty years ago, I helped establish a small paramedic program to advance emergency medical care for the community,” said Randy Strozyk, Senior Vice President of Executive Operations for Global Medical Response, AMR’s parent company. “Today, as we usher in our 40th year of operations, I can’t help but look forward to continuing in that legacy of service by continuing to provide superior patient care and great customer service, all while keeping our community safe.”
Riverside Fire Chief, Michael Kytta, was also involved in the establishment of the paramedic program in Lewis County. Kytta recalls the number of lives impacted by the establishment of Advanced Life Support care in the region. “We should not forget the many critical patients that the Lewis County paramedics cared for, sometimes for two hours or more, during hospital transfers from Centralia, Chehalis, and Morton to metropolitan facilities,” said Chief Kytta. “The first four paramedics in the program built a strong foundation with scant resources by today’s standards. As a lifetime resident of Lewis County with 46 years of FIRE/EMS service, I will always be grateful for the extraordinary leap in pre-hospital patient care offered by our ALS providers. I have seen the before and after of paramedic services, and I will always be thankful to those pioneers who allowed me to be a part of their team.”
Today, AMR Lewis County employs 40 full-time and part-time caregivers from Lewis County and the surrounding areas. In addition to providing high-quality 911 service, AMR caregivers give their time, talents and resources at special community events throughout the year.
The operation, located in Centralia, began providing care on May 1, 1982, as a hospital-based program run in partnership with St. Helen Hospital and City Ambulance. In 1989, the program was purchased by Care Ambulance, which ultimately became AMR Lewis County.
The operation has changed names over the years, but the ideals have always remained the same – providing care to the world at a moment’s notice.
“Forty years ago, I helped establish a small paramedic program to advance emergency medical care for the community,” said Randy Strozyk, Senior Vice President of Executive Operations for Global Medical Response, AMR’s parent company. “Today, as we usher in our 40th year of operations, I can’t help but look forward to continuing in that legacy of service by continuing to provide superior patient care and great customer service, all while keeping our community safe.”
Riverside Fire Chief, Michael Kytta, was also involved in the establishment of the paramedic program in Lewis County. Kytta recalls the number of lives impacted by the establishment of Advanced Life Support care in the region. “We should not forget the many critical patients that the Lewis County paramedics cared for, sometimes for two hours or more, during hospital transfers from Centralia, Chehalis, and Morton to metropolitan facilities,” said Chief Kytta. “The first four paramedics in the program built a strong foundation with scant resources by today’s standards. As a lifetime resident of Lewis County with 46 years of FIRE/EMS service, I will always be grateful for the extraordinary leap in pre-hospital patient care offered by our ALS providers. I have seen the before and after of paramedic services, and I will always be thankful to those pioneers who allowed me to be a part of their team.”
Today, AMR Lewis County employs 40 full-time and part-time caregivers from Lewis County and the surrounding areas. In addition to providing high-quality 911 service, AMR caregivers give their time, talents and resources at special community events throughout the year.
