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Author: AAA Staff

GAO | Roll Out of IDR Process for Out-of-Network Claims Has Been Challenging

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

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Private Health Insurance: Roll out of Independent Dispute Resolution Process for Out-Of-Network Claims Has Been Challenging

GAO-24-106335Published: Dec 12, 2023. Publicly Released: Dec 12, 2023.

Fast Facts

Individuals with private health insurance can receive “surprise bills” for the difference between what a provider charged and what their insurance paid.

A 2021 law prohibits surprise billing for some services, and directed the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to give providers and insurers a forum to resolve disputes about how much insurers should pay for out-of-network care.

But the rollout has been challenging. As of June 2023, over 490,000 disputes have been submitted, a much larger number than anticipated by the agencies.

And 61% of the disputes are unresolved as of June 2023.

A man holding papers while looking at a laptop.

Highlights

What GAO Found

The No Surprises Act directed the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Treasury to establish a federal independent dispute resolution process. The process, which was effective April 2022, is a voluntary forum for health care providers and health insurance issuers to resolve disputes about how much should be paid for out-of-network care. The payment determinations are made by certified dispute resolution entities, which serve as arbiters. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—an agency within HHS—administers the independent dispute resolution process.

The three departments reported that parties submitted nearly 490,000 disputes from April 2022 through June 2023. About 61 percent of these disputes remained unresolved as of June 2023. According to officials from the departments, a primary cause of the large number of unresolved disputes is the complexity of determining whether disputes are eligible for the process.

Number of Out-of-Network Disputes in the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Process by Calendar Quarter, April 15, 2022—June 30, 2023

The groups GAO interviewed described a challenging roll out of the independent dispute resolution process, including a higher-than-expected dispute volume. For example, the departments anticipated about 22,000 disputes in 2022, but received nearly 490,000 through June 2023. Four groups told GAO the departments did not account for the experience of states with similar processes when making the estimate. Disputing parties and certified entities also described the broader effects of those challenges, such as backlogs resulting in delays in payment determinations. The departments have taken some actions to address challenges, such as conducting pre-eligibility reviews on submitted disputes.

To address concerns from insurers and providers, CMS and Labor look into complaints; however, stakeholder groups expressed concern with what they describe as a lack of response to submitted complaints. The departments reported limited ability to increase enforcement efforts due to budget constraints. HHS has requested a budget increase for the process, and the departments are revisiting the administrative fee amount, which is intended to cover the costs of the process, and plan to issue updated program rules.

Why GAO Did This Study

About two thirds of individuals in the United States receive their health coverage through private health plans. Balance billing is when insured patients receive a bill from a health care provider for the difference between the amount charged and the payment received from the health insurance issuer. An unexpected balance bill is referred to as a “surprise bill” and may create a financial strain for patients. For individuals with private health insurance, the No Surprises Act prohibits providers from balance billing in certain circumstances and directed the three departments to establish the federal independent dispute resolution process.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, includes a provision for GAO to review the federal independent dispute resolution process. This report describes (1) the number and types of disputes submitted between April 2022 and June 2023, and the status of their resolution; (2) selected stakeholders’ experiences with the process, and agency actions to address challenges; and (3) how federal agencies oversee the process.

GAO reviewed published reports, relevant federal laws, regulations, and guidance; and interviewed officials from CMS and Labor. GAO also interviewed five selected health care providers or their representatives, which accounted for nearly half of all submitted disputes as of December 2022. In addition, GAO interviewed three issuers, three certified entities that arbitrate the disputes, and 10 stakeholder groups.

For more information, contact John E. Dicken at (202) 512-7114 or dickenj@gao.gov.

NHTSA Request for Information: Emergency Medical Services Education Agenda 2050

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

From Regulations.Gov

NHTSA published a request for information on October 13, 2023, seeking comments from all sources (public, private, government, academic, professional, public interest groups, and other interested parties) on the planned re-envisioning of the 2000 EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. Due to the limited comments received and some informal feedback indicating that the initial comment period was too short, NHTSA is announcing the reopening of the comment period for the RFI in order to solicit additional comments and request responses to specific questions provided in the document. The comment period for the RFI was originally scheduled to end on October 31, 2023. It will now be reopened and will end on March 31, 2024.

Dates

The comment period for the RFI published on October 13, 2023 at 88 FR 71081 is reopened and extended to March 31, 2024.

For Further Information Contact

Clary Mole, EMS Specialist, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation is available by phone at (202) 868–3275 or by email at Clary.Mole@dot.gov.

Addresses

Comments must be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, M–30, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

• Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366–9322 before coming.

Regardless of how you submit your comments, you must include the docket number identified in the heading of this document.

Note that all comments received, including any personal information provided, will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov. Please see the “Privacy Act” heading below.

You may call the Docket Management Facility at (202) 366–9322. For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov or the street address listed above. We will continue to file relevant information in the docket as it becomes available. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366–9322 before coming. We will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes available.

Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to inform its decision-making process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to http://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL–14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT’s complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 ( 65 FR 19477–78 ).

Supplementary Information

On October 13, 2023, NHTSA published a RFI to obtain public comments to inform EMS Education Agenda 2050, and request responses to specific questions provided in this document. For convenience purposes, NHTSA is republishing introductory information, background materials and questions from its RFI in this notice.

I. Introductory Information

In 2012, the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) convened a national roundtable meeting on EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. In a 2014 report on these proceedings, NEMSAC advised that stakeholders at the State and local level had just begun to experience the full impact of the evolution toward a national integrated system of education for EMS personnel. While stakeholders were reticent to move forward with a new education agenda, they did provide feedback about themes that should be considered in the future publication. From the feedback collected at the meeting, NEMSAC developed recommendations to be used in the eventual re-envision of the agenda for EMS. These recommendations are summarized below:

  • Educational content should retain the flexibility accorded by the National EMS Education standards, but programs should use nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines to drive local curriculum development.
  • The National EMS Information System data, evidence-based research, and practice analyses should be sourced in developing evidence-based guidelines and curriculum.

• Mobile Integrated Healthcare has received considerable attention from the EMS Community. This and other alternative community-based healthcare delivery models (of the future) should evoke an expanded foundational knowledge and critical thinking capabilities that will poise future EMS practitioners to be able to evolve with the changing healthcare system or rapidly adjust to emerging healthcare crises.

  • EMS educators should begin a career in academia with expertise in adult learning, educational theory, curriculum development, and competency evaluation but also possess experiential knowledge in evidence-based care.

In the 10 years since NEMSAC’s roundtable meeting, the national EMS education system continued to evolve—especially during the COVID–19 pandemic. In late 2021, the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) began sponsoring listening sessions to inform a consensus-driven, national report entitled, FICEMS: EMS and 911 COVID–19 Response White Paper. This publication cited challenges and solutions collected during stakeholder listening sessions for the EMS education system. Among the challenges, EMS education stakeholders cited scarcity (in some cases deficits) in resources for education, rigidity of curriculum delivery modalities, the increased employer demands on students, and inconsistent or delayed responses to the needs of the national EMS education system as major contributors that led to the breakdown in the EMS workforce pipeline.

Prior to the COVID–19 pandemic, NHTSA published EMS Agenda 2050: A People-centered Vision for the Future of EMS (Agenda 2050). This collaborative project set a vision for a people-centered EMS systems that serves every individual in every community across the Nation. Later this year, NHTSA and its partners will begin a new project to develop EMS Education Agenda 2050. This project will not replace but build upon the achievements of the 2000 EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach to lead a national conversation around the future vision for EMS Education and EMS as a profession.

II. Background

NHTSA, in partnership with Health Resources and Services Administration, published EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach ( Education Agenda ) in 2000. This document was founded on the broad national EMS education system concepts introduced in the EMS Agenda for the Future (1996). The Education Agenda described a consensus vision of an EMS education system with a high degree of structure, coordination, and interdependence. It proposed a less prescriptive system that offered educators flexibility in creating a student-centered learning environment and a process for accommodating future advancements in technology and medicine. The proposed system maximized efficiency, consistency in instructional quality, and entry level graduate competency by prescribing a high degree of structure, coordination, and interdependence. To achieve this vision, the education system of the future centered on five integrated primary components:

  • National EMS Core Content
  • National EMS Scope of Practice Model
  • National EMS Education Standards
  • National EMS Education Program Accreditation
  • National EMS Certification

After the Education Agenda was published, stakeholders began implementing their respective integrated system components. Almost 25 years later, the national EMS education system has successfully evolved into one that exemplifies both consistency and flexibility. System interdependencies have helped to avoid duplication of effort in curriculum and education program development, evaluating the minimum competencies of graduates, certification and licensing processes, and facilitation of practitioner reciprocity.

In 2020, the EMS education system interdependencies modernized by the Education Agenda were tested. Challenges presented by the COVID–19 pandemic forced a variety of adaptations. Traditional education programs reported a lag in students’ capabilities of achieving the programmatic competencies requirements for graduation. The lag was attributed to a variety of causes including a focus on pandemic response activities over training and education, employer demands on working students, and the rigidity of in-person, classroom-based education delivery models. After the majority of programs adjusted to the challenges, lags in graduation were cured, and students achieved programmatic competencies at rates similar to those pre-pandemic. The response to the pandemic did not impact education programs only. The impact to EMS agency daily operations was felt as well. During the COVID pandemic, agencies experienced increases in EMS activation and response rates which created additional stressors for student EMS practitioners already working in a high stress job environment but also enrolled in an EMS education program. These stressors were a major contributor to a migration of practitioners away from the EMS workforce. Agencies and organizational stakeholders asserted that it could be education program graduation requirements causing breakdown in the workforce pipeline; however, there were no observed decreases in graduation or certification testing rates. These observations prompt two questions: If graduation and certification testing rates have remained unchanged, why have agencies reported recruitment and retention issues? If graduates are not entering the EMS workforce, where are they finding jobs?

With agencies experiencing increased demand and a deficiency in qualified EMS practitioners to respond to it, service delivery models had to evolve. To bridge the gap in community-based care resources, community paramedicine and mobile integrated healthcare (CP–MIH) service delivery models increased in prevalence, and improvised training programs were used to close new job-specific competency gaps among existing EMS practitioners and individuals in training. Other themes brought to the forefront during the pandemic include addressing healthcare disparities; the use of EMS data as a tool for surveillance and nationwide quality of care improvements; and a greater value to having an EMS workforce that is not only equitable, inclusive, and accessible, but as diverse as the community it serves. These themes, evolving service delivery models, and the subsequent evolution of competencies needed by practitioners suggest that it is time for NHTSA to gather our partners to begin a new conversation about the future of EMS Education and EMS as a profession in the United States.

III. Questions Regarding EMS Education Agenda 2050

Responses to the following questions are requested to help plan the revision of the Education Agenda. Please be as specific as possible and as appropriate please provide references.

1. What are the most critical issues facing EMS education system that should be addressed in the revision of the EMS Education Agenda ? Please provide specific examples.

2. What progress has been made in implementing the EMS Education Agenda since 2000?

3. How have you used EMS Education Agenda ? Please provide specific examples.

4. As an EMS Stakeholder, how might a revised EMS Education Agenda be most useful to you?

5. What significant changes have occurred in the EMS education system at the national, Federal, State, and local levels since 2000?

6. What significant changes will impact the EMS education system in the next 25 years?

7. How might the revised EMS Education Agenda contribute to enhanced EMS for children?

8. How might the revised EMS Education Agenda support and/or promote data-driven and evidence-based improvements in EMS education systems and EMS practitioner practice?

9. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda enhance collaboration among EMS systems, health care providers and facilities, public safety answering points, public health, public safety, emergency management, insurers, and others?

10. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda be used to promote community sustainability and resilience?

11. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda contribute to improved coordination for disaster response, recovery, preparedness, and mitigation?

12. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda enhance the exchange of evidence-based practices between national, Federal (and military), State, and local levels?

13. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda support the seamless and unimpeded transfer of military EMS personnel to roles as civilian EMS providers?

14. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda support interstate credentialing of EMS personnel?

15. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda support improved patient outcomes in rural and frontier communities?

16. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda lead to improved EMS systems in tribal communities?

17. How could the revised EMS Education Agenda promote a culture of safety among EMS personnel, agencies, and organizations?

18. Are there additional EMS attributes that should be included in the revised EMS Education Agenda ? If so, please provide an explanation for why these additional EMS attributes should be included.

19. Are there EMS attributes in the 2000 EMS Education Agenda that should be eliminated from the revised edition? If so, please provide an explanation for why these EMS attributes should be eliminated.

20. What are your suggestions for the process that should be used in revising the EMS Education Agenda ?

21. What specific agencies/organizations/entities are essential to involve, in a revision of the EMS Education Agenda ?

22. Do you have any additional comments regarding the revision of the EMS Education Agenda ?

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 403(b)(1)(A)(iv); 49 CFR 1.95; 501.8)

Issued in Washington, DC.

Nanda Narayanan Srinivasan,
Associate Administrator, Research and Program Development.
[FR Doc. 2023–25551 Filed 11–17–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

Webinar | HHS Roadmap for Cybersecurity in Health Care

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Technology.

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IEA) will host a webinar on healthcare sector cybersecurity from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.  HHS IEA stated speakers will discuss “the Department’s roadmap for cybersecurity in health care and answer questions on how HHS can help protect patient safety, secure our hospitals, and improve cyber resiliency in health care.”

HHS IEA indicated the event will feature the following speakers:

  • HHS Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm; and
  • Speakers from the Administration of Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).

Registration for the event can be found at:  Webinar Registration.

National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) Public Meeting on November 30, 2023

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

The next public meeting of the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) will be held virtually on Thursday, November 30, 2023, from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. ET.  Advanced registration is required.  To register for the webinar and for additional meeting information, visit the NBSB public meeting page.  We encourage you to share this engagement opportunity broadly across your network.

The NBSB will discuss and vote on two set of recommendations related to COVID-19 pandemic lessons; Project NextGen vaccine and therapeutic products, priorities for future medical countermeasure attributes as requested by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; and disaster preparedness training.  Drafts of the recommendations for public review will be on the NBSB webpage as soon as they are available.

Anyone may submit questions or comments to the board members by email to (NBSB@hhs.gov) ahead of the meeting.  If time allows, the NBSB board members will address as many written comments as possible.  Requests to speak during the public meeting should be sent to (NBSB@hhs.gov) by 5:00pm ET on November 23, 2023.  Please provide the speaker’s full name, organization, and a full explanation of the intended topic.  Presentations that contain material with a commercial bias, advertising, marketing, or solicitations will not be allowed.  All meeting materials will be made publicly available on the NBSB public meeting page.  For additional information or questions about this event, please contact (NBSB@hhs.gov).

American Sign Language translation and Communication Access Real-Time Translation will be provided during the meeting.

NCSL Podcast | Emergency Medicine in Rural America

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Executive, Press.

Emergency Medicine in Rural America | OAS Episode 198

NOVEMBER 19TH, 2023 | 36:56 | E198

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EPISODE SUMMARY

Two experts in emergency medical services joined the podcast to discuss a variety of challenges to providing care in rural areas, including long waits for ambulances and a serious workforce shortage. They also talked about the role of legislatures in addressing EMS needs.

EPISODE NOTES

Emergency medical services face significant challenges in rural America. Just one is the time it takes to summon an ambulance. While most people living in urban and suburban areas expect an ambulance to show up within minutes of making a 911 call, the situation is very different for about 4.5 million Americans who live in ambulance deserts, according to a nation study conducted by Maine Rural Health Research Center and the Rural Health Research & Policy Centers. Those folks can expect to wait 25 minutes or more for emergency services to arrive.

We sat down with two experts on the subject — Dia Gainor, executive director of National Association of State EMS Officials, and Davis Patterson, director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center at University of Washington—to discuss that and other challenges to EMS in rural areas. Other issues they discussed included the severe workforce challenges in staffing rural EMS services, the role of legislatures in addressing rural EMS needs and the promise of community paramedicine in addressing both emergency and nonemergency care in rural areas.

RESOURCES

SHOW CONTRIBUTORS
Dia Gainor
Davis Patterson
Ed Smith

EMS.gov | Input Requested: EMS Education Agenda 2050

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

EMS News

Input Requested: EMS Education Agenda 2050

NHTSA plans community-lead revision of 1996 Education Agenda, tackling education to clinicians
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking public comment regarding the upcoming revision of the 2000 EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. This new effort will apply the concepts of the EMS Agenda 2050 to EMS Education and the profession’s standing in the U.S. The output of this community effort will be EMS Education Agenda 2050, setting the path for the development of “EMS clinicians of the future” as identified in the EMS Agenda 2050.

Responses from the EMS community to specific questions provided are essential to create a successful framework for this revision.

Provide Comments

NHTSA encourages insights from a diverse range of sources, including but not limited to the public, private sectors, government agencies, academia, and other stakeholders. The primary focus of this initiative is to gauge the progression of the integrated national education system for EMS personnel over the decades. Input from the EMS community is crucial to this endeavor.

Comments may be submitted here through March 31, 2024. For further information, contact Clary Mole, EMS Specialist at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at Clary.Mole@dot.gov.

Sign up to receive the latest news from the Office of EMS, including webinars, newsletters and industry updates.

Contact Us

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
nhtsa.ems@dot.gov

 

                       ems.gov

 nhtsa dot

CISA | Preventing Workplace Violence Infographic

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Human Resources.

Preventing Workplace Violence: Security Awareness Considerations Infographic

Publish Date
RELATED TOPICS:
PHYSICAL SECURITY, INSIDER THREAT MITIGATION, NON-CONFRONTATIONAL TECHNIQUES

The Preventing Workplace Violence: Security Awareness Considerations Infographic is a new CISA product designed for critical infrastructure leaders, human resources personnel, managers, and workers of any level. The infographic provides actionable recommendations and resources intended to prevent and mitigate workplace violence by cultivating a culture of awareness and support in the workplace.

For questions regarding this infographic, please email central@cisa.gov.

Resource Materials

Preventing Workplace Violence: Security Awareness Considerations Infographic(PDF, 1.09 MB )

Tags

Audience
Federal Government, Industry, Small and Medium Businesses, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Government, Executives
Topics
Physical Security, Insider Threat Mitigation, Non-Confrontational Techniques

Register Now: FICEMS Meeting on December 6

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

Federal Interagency Committee on EMS to
Hold Virtual Meeting on December 6

 Advanced public comment period open until Wednesday, November 29
The Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) was established by Congress in 2005 to ensure coordination among Federal agencies supporting local, regional, state, tribal, and territorial EMS and 911 systems. FICEMS provides a forum for Federal agencies and staff to collaborate to improve EMS delivery across the nation.

FICEMS will host a virtual meeting Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 1 pm ET.

Register Now

Updates will be provided by FICEMS agency representative members, NEMSAC and subgroups of the Technical Working Group, and NHTSA’s Office of EMS will share the status of projects, including:

  • National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS)
  • EMS Data Summit 2.0 & National EMS Information System (NEMSIS)
  • National 911 Program
  • First Responder Mental Health & Wellness

Guest Presentations include:

  • Longitudinal Inquiry of Fire & EMS (LIFE) Health Study with Ashish R. Panchal, MD, PhD, NREMT
  • System Assessment & Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program with Norm Kaufmann, Program Manager, DHS
  • Radiological/Nuclear Response & Recovery (RNRR) Program with Eliot Calhoun, Program Manager, DHS

Members of the public are invited to provide advanced public comment by emailing FICEMS@dot.gov with “FICEMS Feedback” in the subject line by Wednesday, November 29 at 12 pm ET. There will also be opportunities for the public to ask questions or submit comments through the webcast live chat feature.

NHTSA is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all program participants. Persons with disabilities in need of accommodation should send their request to Clary Mole by phone at (202) 868-3275 or by email to Clary.Mole@dot.gov no later than by Wednesday, November 29 at 12 pm ET. A sign language interpreter and closed captioning services can be provided through the Zoom meeting platform upon request.

Sign up to receive the latest news from the Office of EMS, including webinars, newsletters and industry updates.

Contact Us

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
nhtsa.ems@dot.gov

Crash Responder Safety Week, November 13–17, 2023

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

EMS News

Take Part in Crash Responder Safety Week, November 13–17, 2023
Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW) takes place November 13 –17, 2023. Emergency medical services (EMS) and other emergency responders provide care and support to those injured on our roadways due to a crash. These traffic incident responders put their lives at risk when clearing each of the nearly 7 million annual motor vehicle crashes or the broader range of incidents such as stalled vehicles or roadway debris. EMS provides clinical care at 1.5 million of those crashes according to National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) data.

This year’s focus is “Protect Those Who Protect You,” emphasizing the public’s role in keeping responders safe while responders improve the safety for all road users. This recognition effort will honor responders, provide an overview of activities taking place across the country and connect all responder stakeholders to kickoff this important week.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Traffic Incident Management (TIM) program, a traffic incident responder is struck and killed nearly every week, and many more traffic incident responders sustain life-altering injuries. When a traffic incident responder or a response vehicle is struck, the impacts are far reaching — putting a greater long-term strain on limited resources that service the broad community needs.

Your Role in Crash Responder Safety Week:

  • Encourage traffic incident responders in your community to take the free, 4-hour National Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Responder training available online through the National Highway Institute or in person through TIM Coordinators within each State. Nearly 700,000 responders have completed this training to date.
  • Make an extra effort this week to increase public education activities to inform drivers about your State’s Slow Down, Move Over law, which requires drivers to slow down, and, if possible, to move over when approaching incident response vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines, tow trucks, safety service patrols and municipal or utility vehicles.
  • Public safety and EMS agencies are encouraged to attend the webinar and customize these promotional materials for each day’s theme and share them widely to increase awareness and promote safety on the road.
Register for the Webinar

Sign up to receive the latest news from the Office of EMS, including webinars, newsletters and industry updates.

Contact Us

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
nhtsa.ems@dot.gov

National EMS Advisory Council Meeting November 15-16, 2023

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Uncategorized.

EMS News
The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) will host a hybrid meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, November 15-16, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 4:15 PM ET. Join us for national EMS program updates and meet the newest members of NEMSAC.

Don’t miss the latest research and innovations and be a part of the discussion during the public comment period. All members of the public are invited to attend the meeting virtually or in person.

Location: Hyatt Place (Georgetown)
2121 M St. NW, Washington, DC 20037
Public attendance available virtually.

The NEMSAC meeting agenda includes:

  • Updates from federal EMS partners, FICEMS and NEMSIS
  • Presentations on body cameras, geographic disparities in ambulance services and violence in paramedicine
  • Standing and ad hoc subcommittee advisory reports, including:
    • Adaptability and innovation
    • Equitable patient care
    • Preparedness and education
    • Professional safety
    • Sustainability and efficiency
    • Integration and technology
    • Ambulance crash data and statistics
Register Now

Registrants who wish to address the council during the public comment periods can submit comments in writing to NHTSA.NEMSAC@dot.gov by 11:59pm ET on November 8, 2023. Questions and comments for the Council may also be presented using the live chat feature.

NHTSA is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all program participants. Persons with disabilities in need of accommodation should send their request to Clary Mole by phone at (202) 868-3275 or by email to Clary.Mole@dot.gov no later than November 8, 2023. A sign language interpreter and closed captioning services can be provided through the WebEx virtual meeting platform upon request.

Welcome the Newest NEMSAC Members

The NEMSAC consists of 25 members of the EMS community who represent different aspects of the profession, appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation for two-year terms. Below are the latest appointments and the areas of the EMS community they represent.

Air Medical EMS – Evelyn Byers, MBA, BSN, RN
State Highway Safety – Bradley Estochen, MS, PTOE, PE, EMT
EMS Educators – Daniel Gerard, MS, RN, NRP
EMS Quality Improvement – Mike Taigman, MA
EMS Medical Director – Brandon Morshedi, MD, DPT, NREMT-P, FACEP, FAEMS
Emergency Management – Frank Quintero, DO, MBA, FACEP
Emergency Nurse – Tabitha Vaughn, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Emergency Physicians – Kendall McKenzie, MD
Fire-based EMS – Corey Christine Condren, MPA, PMDC
State EMS Director – Justin Romanello, MHS, NRP
Pediatric Emergency Physician – Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH
Private EMS – Michael Thomas, DrPH, MHA, FACPE, NREMT
PSAP Call-takers/Dispatcher (911) – Casey Quintard, BA, EMDQ, ENP
Volunteer EMS – Wade Miles, ABA, NRP

Read More

FICEMS DEIA Statement Now Available

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Regulatory.

Highlighting Key Commitments to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility
With this reinforced dedication, FICEMS can better achieve and enhance the EMS mission for all persons. FICEMS’ newly released Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) document serves not only as a declaration of FICEMS’ core values but also as a foundational roadmap for agencies looking to improve their emergency medical services.

The EMS Agenda 2050 outlines a socially equitable EMS system that ensures quality and accessible care for all, irrespective of any social determinants. Achieving this vision requires a collective and sustained effort. The DEIA statement from FICEMS marks a significant step in this direction, underlining the organization’s firm commitment to a diverse and inclusive EMS landscape.

Agencies are encouraged to review the new DEIA statement as a guiding resource for aligning their practices with these crucial principles.

Read the FICEMS DEIA Statement

For more information on the work FICEMS is doing to support federal collaboration in an effort to improve EMS across the nation, visit the FICEMS resources page on ems.gov.

Prehospital Guidelines Consortium | EMS Research Reading List Submissions

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Patient Care.

The Prehospital Guidelines Consortium is collaborating with the National Registry of EMTs to continually identify current scientific literature to incorporate into certification activities. We seek input from the EMS community on peer-reviewed scientific articles (e.g., research studies, systematic reviews, or narrative review articles) published in 2021-2023 that can assist in improving the knowledge of EMS professionals regarding the most current science in EMS medicine.

Relevance to clinical care or operations within EMS medicine is requisite, and preference will be given to peer-reviewed literature, including reports of landmark clinical trials, systematic reviews of the literature, and scientific review articles.

The Prehospital Guidelines Consortium is separately engaging in an ongoing systematic review of published prehospital evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) as a related component of this effort. EBG-related publications may also be submitted to supplement the systematic search already in progress.

Learn More and Submit

10/23 | US DOT Allies in Action Pedestrian Safety Month Webinar

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Webinars.

In honor of Pedestrian Safety Month throughout October, the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary will host a webinar to highlight USDOT and National Roadway Safety Strategy Allies in Action efforts and resources to forward pedestrian safety. 

We hope you can join us!

Event: U.S. Department of Transportation Allies in Action Pedestrian Safety Month Webinar

When: Monday, October 23, 2023, from 1-2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Via Zoom (see registration link below)

Audience: Open to the public

Registration Link: Register now

 

Additional information on 2023 Pedestrian Safety Month and upcoming events can be found here and on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

CoAEMSP Accepting Applications for Site Visitors

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Patient Care.

CoAEMSP is Adding to its Site Visitor Cadre!

Now Accepting Applications for Site Visitors

The CoAEMSP is increasing its site visitor cadre and is seeking Paramedic educators and physicians to become site visitors for the CoAEMSP.

The site visitor workshop will be on Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday, May 29-30, 2024, in Oklahoma City at the Omni Hotel, immediately preceding ACCREDITCON.

The site visitor workshop is for applicants who have been invited to be site visitors.

The deadline to apply is January 15, 2024.
Download Site Visitor Application
Visit our Website
Important Information

The application deadline is January 15, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Applicants will be notified in mid-February 2024.

Invitees to the workshop are responsible for travel expenses to and from Oklahoma City.

The CoAEMSP will cover 2 nights hotel at Omni Oklahoma City.

Site visitors will be expected to conduct a minimum of 4 site visits in a 24-month period

Invitees to the workshop will be eligible for 50% off the registration fee to ACCREDITCON.

Site Visitor Qualifications

All Site Visitors

  • Successful completion of the Site Visitor Workshop under the current CAAHEP Standards.
  • If with a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, the program must be in good standing.*

Paramedic Educator

  • Employed as an educator in a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, at least 30% employee to the program or if retired and not currently working in a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, has worked in EMS education within the past 5 years.
  • At least 2 years of full-time experience or 5 years of part-time experience as a Paramedic educator in a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program.
  • Knowledgeable about education issues, especially curriculum, exam development, program evaluation, and student evaluation.
  • Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
  • Qualify as a program director under the current CAAHEP Standards.

Physician

  • Actively involved in a Paramedic educational program.
  • Knowledgeable about education issues.
  • Qualify as a medical director under the current CAAHEP Standards.
  • If retired and not currently working in a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, has worked in EMS education within the past 5 years.

To maintain the status of an active CoAEMSP Site Visitor, all are required to:

  • Successfully complete any required Site Visitor Updates.
  • Have consistently acceptable quality assurance reports as determined by the CoAEMSP Board of Directors.
  • Attend any required CE sessions provided by the CoAEMSP (web-based, in-person, or other format) to ensure continuous compliance with CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines.
  • Participate in a minimum of 4 site visits in a 24-month period.
  • If retired and not currently working in a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, has worked in EMS education within the past 5 years.
  • If with a CAAHEP accredited Paramedic educational program, the program must be in good standing.

Note: All requirements are subject to the discretion of the CoAEMSP Board of Directors.

*Good standing is defined as a program holding active status as a CoAEMSP Letter of Review program (LoR) or active initial or continuing CAAHEP accreditation. A program director, medical director, or faculty from a suspended or revoked LoR program, or a program holding CAAHEP probationary accreditation for any reason in the past 3 years would not be in good standing.
CoAEMSP | Suite 111-312, 8301 Lakeview Parkway, Rowlett, TX 75088

NAEMSP | Rest in Peace E. Brooke Lerner, PhD, FAEMS

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in News.

NAEMSP is deeply saddened by the news that E. Brooke Lerner, PhD, FAEMS has passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Over the past two decades, Brooke has dedicated her career to the advancement of prehospital care, from spending time in the field as a paramedic to serving on the NAEMSP Board of Directors and joining her alma mater, the University of Buffalo, as a tenured professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

 

Said NAEMSP President José G Cabañas MD, MPH, FAEMS: “We pay tribute to the extraordinary legacy ‎of Dr. Brooke Lerner. Her service to our profession and NAEMSP was marked by honor and distinction, ‎including the mentorship of countless clinicians devoted to building effective prehospital systems of ‎care. Brooke’s transformative work played a pivotal role in advancing trauma and pediatric emergency ‎care, leaving behind a body of work that was instrumental in enhancing prehospital care standards. ‎May her enduring legacy serve as an inspiration to all of us, reminding us of the profound impact one ‎person’s selfless dedication can have in elevating the practice of EMS medicine.”‎

 

Throughout her career, Brooke focused on research in a subspecialty with a relatively small literature ‎base, authoring over 135 peer-reviewed publications and completing many federally funded grants to ‎conduct EMS research. Much of her research addressed acute injury care and field/disaster triage, and ‎she led the current national guideline for mass casualty triage.‎

 

Brooke also dedicated much of her time to pediatric emergency care, especially through the federally ‎funded Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), where she led the ‎organization’s only prehospital node and served on its Executive Committee.‎

 

Following her diagnosis, Brooke worked with NAEMSP and the GMR Foundation to establish the E. ‎Brooke Lerner Research Fund with the goal of supporting early career EMS researchers. “I’ve spent my ‎career on improving prehospital care, and I wanted to leave something behind to keep that legacy ‎moving forward,” Brooke said, speaking of the fund shortly after its creation.‎

 

In 2013, Brooke received NAEMSP’s Keith Neely Award, and ten years later, she was recognized with ‎the Ronald D. Stewart Award for her illustrious career in EMS. It would be impossible to recount all the ‎invaluable contributions to emergency medical services made by Brooke Lerner, and more impossible ‎still to describe the impact she made on each person she met. NAEMSP will remember Brooke with the ‎utmost admiration and is profoundly grateful for everything she has done to advance EMS.‎

NHTSA | Updated Ground Ambulance Crash Safety Materials Available

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Patient Care.

EMS News

Updated Ground Ambulance Crash Safety Materials Available

Comprehensive Analysis and Safety Recommendations for Ambulance Crashes
Ground ambulance crashes remain one of the leading causes of death on the job among EMS personnel. NHTSA Office of EMS and NEMSIS have released updated resources demonstrating the significant impact of proper restraint use for both patients and clinicians on the outcome of ambulance crashes.

These new materials, now available on ems.gov, provide an in-depth look at the latest data and recommendations to improve ground ambulance safety. Expanding on the initial 2011 study, this report examines NCSA crash data over a seven-year period and information gathered from investigations of fatal ambulance crashes.

Significantly, the data underscores a prevalent underutilization of proper restraint mechanisms in ambulance crash incidents. These findings offer observations that agencies can incorporate into training and protocol development. By leveraging these resources, organizations have the potential to establish more robust safety standards, directly benefiting both clinicians and patients.

New Resources Available:

Analysis of Ground Ambulance Crash Data from 2012-2018: Delivers updated data and trends in ground ambulance-involved crashes

Ground Ambulance Crashes Presentation: 2012-2018 Data: Provides a visual overview of recent data and key safety recommendations

Ground Ambulance Infographic: 2012-2018 Data: Offers a concise, graphical summary of safety statistics

 

View Safety Resources

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Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Patient Care, Regulatory.

Press Release from the Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition

PREHOSPITAL BLOOD TRANSFUSION INITIATIVE COALITION BEING FORMED

Contact:

Bill Skillman
bskillman@veli.co
781 315 7537

In cities, towns and rural communities across the US people are dying unnecessarily from severe bleeding arising from limited supply of blood products and lack of blood transfusions after injury or other causes of hemorrhagic shock. Bleeding to death from uncontrolled hemorrhage remains the leading cause of preventable deaths among victims of trauma with nearly half of these patients dying in the prehospital setting.  Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, blood products are not available on emergency medical response vehicles because of reimbursement limitations and local regulations which vary by state.

The Prehospital Blood Transfusion Initiative Coalition (PHBTIC) is being established to address these problems. “A growing number of ground and air medical EMS programs have successfully initiated blood programs in recent years, but more needs to be done to ensure patients in the U.S. who need prehospital transfusion are able to receive it, regardless of where they live” notes John Holcomb, MD, Professor of Surgery at University of Alabama at Birmingham, an internationally renowned trauma surgeon and expert on civilian and military hemorrhage control and resuscitation.  The Coalition, led by a steering committee, is building a multi-disciplinary, collaborative initiative to advance four pillars of focused activity to promote prehospital blood transfusion programs:

  • Establish reimbursement for blood products transfused in the prehospital setting.
  • EMS scope-of-practice allowing the initiation of prehospital blood products in states where it currently is not allowed.
  • Strategic preparedness for homeland defense and mass casualties.
  • Outreach and education, including regulatory, protocols, and best practices for programs based on experiences of agencies currently conducting programs.

“Our group represents a diverse community of prehospital and hospital-based medical professionals, as well as industry, blood collection, and government partners, whose focus is on improving outcomes of all patients suffering hemorrhagic shock in a data-driven fashion” say Eric Bank, LP, NRP, Assistant Chief of EMS HCESD 48 Fire-EMS and Randi Schaefer, DNP, RN, Clinical Consultant and Scientific Advisor.

The Steering Committee has already reached out to national stakeholder organizations in the EMS, trauma, blood and industry communities and are soliciting others with an interest in ensuring blood products are available in all emergency settings to join the Coalition. They will be scheduling an initial meeting of the Coalition in the coming weeks. Those interested are encouraged to contact Jon R Krohmer, MD at jrkrohmer@gmail.com

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