Our Community Service of the year awardee this year is unique in that they provide services to a  retirement village in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. In 1976, the State of Missouri licensed this EMS department to provide ambulance service. It initially served only residents of a small village, but as demand grew, the service expanded into Lee’s Summit, Raytown and, later, Harrisonville to supplement their emergency medical services.

In 2022, this agency began providing 24/7 interfacility transportation through a dedicated behavioral health van for patients with mental health crisis.  This frees up crowded hospitals and allows medical emergencies to be handled more promptly.

During its first three months of operation, the behavioral health transportation service transported 250 individuals from area hospitals to treatment facilities.

As the community has grown, the demand for the services provided by this agency have also grown significantly and is projected to be on this trajectory for years to come.

In addition to the mental health transportation services, this agency has experienced a 65% increase in calls for assistance since 2019. In 2023, they are projecting 6,800 ambulance runs; Supports Lee’s Summit Fire Department, Saint Luke’s East Hospital, Lee’s Summit Medical Center, Cass County Regional Hospital, the city of Raytown and other municipalities with medical emergencies and non-emergent transportation.

It is our pleasure to honor the professional, courteous and technically very competent team at John Knox Village EMS with the 2023 Community Service of the year award.