Region IV Director—3 Candidates
Region 4
KS, OK, TX, LA, AR, IA, MN, MO, SD, ND, NE
Daniel Gillespie
Regional President
Allegiance Mobile Health of Texas
Candidate Statement
As an active member of the AAA, I am proud to have previously served on the board as alternate director for region 4, and currently serve on the Non-Emergency Task Force. I believe strongly in the work that the AAA does on behalf of EMS in America. I will continue to personally support the collective efforts of our industry in both monetary, and time commitments. As we progress thru a new legislative cycle it is imperative that our message is heard loud and clear by our leaders in D.C. We must also stay focused on operational issues plaguing our industry such as paramedic shortages and limited access to educational systems in our rural areas that produce new medics and EMT’s. If chosen, I will continue to work diligently along side the AAA leadership to protect the fabric of our industry and to further the advancement of the EMS profession.
History of Career in EMS
EMT – Wayne Township Fire Department Indianapolis, IN
Director of Public Relations – Care Ambulance Service. Indianapolis, IN
EMS/Critical Care Transport Program Manager – St. Vincent Hospital. Indianapolis, IN.
Indiana Division General Manager – Rural/Metro Ambulance
Executive Director – Gateway Ambulance. St. Louis, MO.
Vice President of Operations – Allegiance Ambulance. Corpus Christi, TX.
Regional President – Allegiance Mobile Health. South/Central Texas
Top 3 Issues in Emergency Healthcare
1. Funding and Reimbursement.
2. Heavily regulated by multiple agencies with conflicting rules.
3. Staffing shortages and difficulty in recruiting due to pay limitations from the above mentioned issues.
Top 3 Priorities for AAA
1. We MUST become recognized as a provider with CMS to further our profession. We will continue to be limited in both scope and in reimbursement options as long as we are a supplier.
2. We must work to get reimbursed by CMS at a level that meets or exceeds our cost to operate.
3. We need to work closely with the current presidential administration to begin eliminating the efficiency crushing regulations and reform our payment structure.
Douglas Hooten
Chief Executive Officer
MedStar Mobile Healthcare
Candidate Statement
America’s healthcare system is dramatically changing. Healthcare finance reform has created a dramatically new environment for all types of providers, including ambulance providers. The leadership of the American Ambulance Association needs to prepare its members to navigate this new environment. MedStar Mobile Healthcare has successfully capitalized on this new environment and if re-elected, I will continue to assist the members of the Association thrive in this new environment.
Working with local and national officials, too often I hear their frustrations about the complexity of the financial models of industry. We must help our membership and industry enhance our financial acumen and economic agility to test new payment models. At MedStar, we have done exactly that – testing several new payment models, with more to be tested in the near future. We also hear from our external partners that the ambulance industry as very fragmented messages within the DC beltway and with large national payers. One of my goals will be to help bring external message clarity to the profession.
Our customer’s expectations are changing – most notably, the desire to carefully shift from volume-to-value based economic models. Our industry leadership is currently ill prepared to make this shift, primarily because we have not taught them how. Having worked diligently with numerous external partners on demonstrating, and getting paid based on the value we bring, as your Region IV representative, one of my goals will be to help facilitate educational opportunities based on value-based payment models to the AAA members.
History of Career in EMS
My EMS career began at the age of 18 working for my mother in her small ambulance service in south Texas as an EMT. Those humble beginnings led to a passion for the ambulance industry. In my early career, I worked as a Paramedic and Supervisor for the Montgomery County Hospital District in Central Texas. From there, my career took me through numerous senior management roles at Rural/Metro in Texas, Ohio, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. I then served as the Executive Director for the Kansas City, MO Public Utility Model (MAST) before accepting the position Senior Vice-President for Domestic Operations at AMR. I came home to MedStar in 2011 as their Chief Executive Officer.
Top 3 Issues in Emergency Healthcare
1. Transitioning from fee for service to outcome-based payment models.
2. The changing expectations of current customers and entrance of new customers for our services into the market.
3. Demonstrating “value” of our service delivery model, or changing the model to demonstrate value.
Top 3 Priorities for AAA
1. Making the temporary Medicare Add-Ons permanent.
2. Changing our payment focus away from simply Fee For Service payment to types of value-based payment model that pays us for the care we provide rather than the transport we supply.
3. Collaborating on unified key messages with other associations about the value the ambulance industry brings to our patients, our community and our payers.
David Tetrault
Administrator/ CEO
St. Francois County Ambulance District
Candidate Statement
As I run for the AAA Board of Directors Region 4 seat, I’m asking for your vote to continue our work bringing EMS forward. Let me be your voice on Capitol Hill as we continue to fight for both small, rural services as well as larger and urban providers. I will follow through, surface and address concerns within the region, and serve the needs of ambulance services across our nation to the very best of my ability.
I’ve served in EMS for more than 27 years, and have demonstrated my committed to EMS advocacy through attendance at hundreds of meetings and volunteering thousands of hours as a director and chair at both the state and national level.
As past president of the Missouri Emergency Medical Services Association and other positions I have been responsible for assisting and participating in planning, preparation, and execution of our annual meetings and workshops. I have also been instrumental in internal audits and the recommendation and implementation of financial procedures for MEMSA. I was a principal player in starting EMS day at the State Capital more than 10 years ago and am still actively involved in legislative activities and initiatives.
I am presently Chair of the AAA’s Membership Committee, in addition to Alternate Director for Region 4. I am also a proud past AAA Region 4 Director.
Given the opportunity, I will use all of my experience, skills, and abilities to drive results for YOUR ambulance service.
History of Career in EMS
BSB/M
Critical Care Paramedic University of Baltimore Maryland Provider
Experienced Provider, Instructor American Heart Association Instructor
ACLS Instructor, Regional Faculty American Heart Association
BCLS Instructor, Regional Faculty American Heart Association
PALS Instructor, Regional Faculty American Heart Association
ITLS Instructor, Affiliate Faculty-MO International Trauma Life Support
EPC Instructor National Association of EMT
AMLS, Instructor National association of EMT
PEPP ALS Course Coordinator American Academy of Pediatrics
Pediatric ITLS Instructor International Trauma Life Support
Advanced Stroke Life Support University of Miami Miller School Provider
Ambulance Strike TEAM/Task Force Leader
Top 3 Issues in Emergency Healthcare
1. Healthcare Reform, Medicare and Medicaid issues with understanding EMS
2. Making sure that EMS, stays in front and continues to be recognized in this country as part of the 3 first responders and held in the same light, strength and representation as Police and Fire.
3. Standardization across the country and less fragmentation among EMS providers
Top 3 Priorities for AAA
1. Education, training, focused work on reimbursement for Ambulance services throughout the country
2. Communications to its members and growing strength in numbers and voices across the country
3. Moving EMS forward and continuing to make our voices heard loud and clear, and that we are here to stay. Keeping up with all the healthcare changes and reforming EMS for the future.