In Memory of Bill McCarthy

Many of you have likely heard the devastating news of the passing of Mr. Bill McCarthy, CEO of Coastal Health Systems of Brevard, on December 20, 2021. Bill was a dedicated leader in EMS and a dear friend and colleague to many. He served as the CEO of Coastal Health for 20 years and will always be remembered for the amazing work he did on behalf of Coastal Health and EMS providers in Florida. The American Ambulance Association Board of Directors extends their sincere condolences to Bill’s family, friends, and colleagues. Please see the Memorial Service information below. 

Memorial Service for Bill McCarthy 

Saturday, January 15th from 2-4pm ET
Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home
5400 Village Drive
Rockledge, Fl. 32955

2021 AAA Board of Directors Election Results

The winners of the 2021 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. The term for each position will begin on January 1, 2022. In compliance with our updated association bylaws, the candidate who received the most votes in each region will serve a one-time three year term and the candidate with the second most votes will serve a two-year term. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association.

Region I

Director (3 year term)

Jim O’Connor
Vice President
Empress EMS
White Plains, NY


 

Director (2 year term)

Ron Quaranto
Executive Vice President of Operations
Cataldo Ambulance
Somerville, MA

 

Region II

 

Director (3 year term)

Terence Ramotar
Director of Government Affairs- Southeast Region
Global Medical Response
Tampa, FL

 


 

Director (2 year term)

Mike Thomas
Director of Safety & Government Relations
Jan-Care Ambulance
Beckley, WV

 

Region III

Director (3 year term)

Chris Anderson
Director of Operations
Bell Ambulance, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI

 

 


 

Director (2 year term)

Tom Schmiedeknecht
Director of Operations / President
Professional Med Team
Muskegon, MI

Region IV

 

Director (3 year term)

Angie McLain-Johnson
Chief Compliance and Revenue Officer
Pafford EMS
Edmond, OK

 

 


 

Director (2 year term)

Tom Fennell
Regulatory Officer
Mayo Clinic Ambulance
Rochester, MN

 

Region V

Director (3 year term)

Paul Main
President / General Manager
American Ambulance of Visalia
Visalia, CA

 


Director (2 year term)

Chris Archuleta
CEO
Superior Ambulance Service, Inc
Albuquerque, NM

 

Ethics Committee

Allyson Pharr
Acadian Ambulance

Scott Mickelsen
Bell Ambulance, Inc.

Due 9/13 | AAA Board Candidates, Ethics Committee, & Honorary Members

Nominations Due 9/13 for
Board Candidates, Ethics Committee, and Honorary Members

Board Nominations

In accordance with the Bylaws of the American Ambulance Association, it is time to call for members in good standing that wish to serve the association in one of the following positions:

  • Region I Director
    (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI & VT)
  • Region II Director
    (AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
  • Region III Director 
    (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, TN, WI)
  • Region IV Director
    (AR, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, OK, ND, NE, SD, TX)
  • Region V Director
    (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)
  • Ethics Committee Member 
    (Open to all regions)

Due to recent bylaws changes, this year’s election will result in ten new Region Directors, two in each region. The candidate with the most votes in each region will serve a one-time, three-year term and the candidate with the second most votes in each region will serve a one-time, two-year term.

AAA Regional Director Qualifications

Individuals who wish to be considered for an elected position as Regional Director must:

  • Be the designated representative of an Active Member of the AAA, in good standing;
  • Be ready to devote time and effort to matters which concern the Board of Directors and to actively participate in all Board activities;
  • Be prepared to assist other AAA members with concerns and problems which relate to the ambulance industry and the workings of the AAA; and,
  • Understand that these positions provide no compensation for time or reimbursement for expenses. All travel-related expenses, including transportation, lodging, and food are the responsibility of the individual and/or the sponsoring organization.
  • Be willing to comply with all governance policies of the association including, Conflict of Interest, Standards of Conduct, and Board Confidentiality, Public Comment and Lobbying Agreement (PDF).

Regional Director Nomination Process

Step 1: Nomination Form
Step 2: Candidate Questionnaire

Both forms must be completed by the September 13 deadline!

All those who wish to stand for election and believe they are qualified are requested to complete a Nomination Form as well as answer the Candidate Questionnaire, which describes both their qualifications and reasons for wanting to participate in the leadership of the AAA.

(Please note that the Nomination Form may be completed by any designated contact for an AAA Active member for him or herself, or on behalf of another designated contact at a fellow AAA active member service. The Candidate Questionnaire must be completed by the nominee.)

Candidates’ statements and pictures, as well as the position(s) for which they are running, will be listed on the AAA website.

2021 Election Timeline

8/19 | Nominations Open
9/13 | Nominations Close
9/21  | Approval of Candidates by AAA Board of Directors
10/6 | Voting Opens. Election will be paperless. Ballots will be delivered to AAA Active Member primary contacts via email.
10/21 | Voting Closes 11:59pm
11/1 | Election results announced at the AAA membership meeting at the Annual Conference.

About Honorary Membership

AAA accepts written nominations for worthy individuals who have significantly contributed to the accomplishments of the AAA and should therefore be recognized through the granting of Honorary Membership.
Nominate►

About the Ethics Committee

It is the mission of the Ethics Committee to define and distribute guidelines that promote self-imposed high ethical standards for providers of ambulance services. The committee is responsible for hearing complaints and making appropriate recommendations regarding violations of the AAA Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. Apply to join►

Nominate a Board Candidate

Nominate an Honorary Member

Join the Ethics Committee

Please contact hello@ambulance.org with any questions. 

EMS Week Featured Service Application

EMS Week will take place from May 16–22, 2021.  To celebrate the extraordinary contributions of ambulance services to the communities they serve, we will be featuring specific services throughout EMS week on AAA’s website and social media.

If you would like to apply to have your service featured, please complete and submit all fields below by May 14. Thank you for your service to your community!

 

 

 

EMS Week Featured Service Application

EMS Week will take place from May 16–22, 2021.  To celebrate the extraordinary contributions of ambulance services to the communities they serve, we will be featuring specific services throughout EMS week on AAA’s website and social media.

If you would like to apply to have your service featured, please complete and submit all fields below by May 12. Thank you for your service to your community!

 

 

 

Childcare Benefit: Kindercare Discount & Priority Placement

AAA understands that EMS staff often experience significant challenges securing quality, reliable childcare, and that these challenges have been exacerbated by school and daycare closures caused by COVID-19. We are here to help!

The American Ambulance Association is proud to share that we have partnered with Kindercare to offer EMS providers priority childcare placement as well as a 10% discount on tuition. Please share this information with your staff! Visit www.kindercare.com/aaa for full details.

Kindercare Locations

AAA member employee families receive priority placement at all 1600 Kindercare centers.

Childcare Services & Age Range

AAA member employees save 10% on full-time, part-time, and drop-in tuition for children ages six weeks to 12 years at any KinderCare Learning Center or Champions before- and after-school sites nationwide.

Existing  Kindercare Families

This offer is available to new families as well as those already enrolled in a participating center.

Tuition Discount Guide

  1. Search for a center or site that is near you (Search All Centers)
  2. Schedule a tour of the center or site online or by phone with the center information provided.
  3. When you enroll (or if you’re already enrolled), let your Center Director know you are a member of American Ambulance Association and that you are eligible for a 10% tuition benefit.
  4. Your Center Director will apply the discount on your next billing cycle.

 

EMS1 | EMS advocacy and adaptability with Shawn Baird

EMS1 Interview of AAA President Shawn Baird by AAA Communications Chair Rob Lawrence

As we enter, hopefully, a happier new year, several of our national associations that have been at the forefront of collaborative advocacy efforts and the voices of the EMS profession have undergone planned changes in their leadership.

To welcome in 2021, I sat down, via Zoom, with Shawn Baird, incoming president of the American Ambulance Association and asked him about 2020 and his thoughts on the future of our industry. Shawn is the vice president for rural services with MetroWest Ambulance Family of Companies in Oregon. Shawn spent the last two years serving the AAA as president elect and has been at the center of AAA activity and advocacy.

Continue Reading

Happy 2021, EMS!

Happy New Year, EMS! No matter how big the challenge, mobile healthcare NEVER gives up on our communities. Paramedics, EMTs, and Dispatchers have been a ray of hope in the #COVID19 pandemic. Thanks for showing us all what CARING really means.

Happy New Year, #EMS! No matter how big the challenge, #mobilehealthcare NEVER gives up on our communities. #Paramedics,…

Posted by American Ambulance Association on Wednesday, December 30, 2020

COVID-19 EMS Association Thank You Video

#EMS association leaders say THANK YOU to #paramedics, #EMTs, #dispatchers, and other #MobileHealthcare professionals. Thank you for serving on the very front lines of our nation’s #COVID19 response!

Thank you to Matt Zavadsky for creating this video!

2020 AAA Board of Directors Election Results

The winners of the 2020 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. The term for each position will begin on January 1, 2021. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association.

Executive Committee

President-Elect

Randy Strozyk
Senior Vice President- Executive Operations
Global Medical Response
Tukwila, WA

 


Treasurer

Julie Rose
Chief Executive Officer
Community Care Ambulance
Ashtabula, OH

 

 


Secretary

Jamie Pafford-Gresham
President and CEO
Pafford Medical Services
Hope, AR

 

 

Region I

Director (2022)

Mike Addario
Vice President of Operations- Northeast
Global Medical Response
Syracuse, NY


 

Alternate Director

Jim O’Connor
Vice President
Empress EMS
White Plains, NY

 

Region II

 

Director (2022)

Chuck Kearns
Chief Executive Officer
Mercy Ambulance Service
Savannah, GA

 


Alternate Director

Terence Ramotar
Director of Government Affairs
Global Medical Response
Tampa, FL

 

Region III

Director (2022)

 

Kim Godden
Vice President- Legal, Government Relations, and Compliance
Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, Inc.
Elmhurst, IL

 

 


 

Alternate Director

*Vacant due to term limit*

 

Region IV

Director (2022)

Asbel Montes (2 years)
Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives
Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc.
Lafayette, LA

 

Tom Fennell (1 year)
Compliance Officer
Mayo Clinic Ambulance
Rochester, MN

 

 


 

Alternate Director

David Tetrault
Administrator/Chief Executive Officer
St. Francois County Ambulance District
Farmington, MO

 

Region V

Director (2022)


JD Fuiten
Owner & President
Metro West Ambulance Service, Inc.
Hillsboro, OR

 


Alternate Director


Paul Pedersen
Managing Partner
Arizona Ambulance Transport
Sierra Vista, AZ

 

 

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Ethics Committee

Allyn Girard (2022)
Golden Cross Ambulance
Region 1

Moises Segovia (2022)
Life Star EMS
Region 4

 

Debora Gault & Tom Tornstrom Receive AAA President’s Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: October 29, 2020
Contact: Maria Bianchi, AAA CEO

Arlington, VA—Aarron Reinert, President of the American Ambulance Association (AAA), is proud to award Debora Gault and Tom Tornstrom with the 2020 President’s Award.

Deb Gault, Global Medical Response (GMR) is receiving the award for leading the efforts with the AAA, to address the outstanding billing issues for ground ambulance services with the Veterans Affairs Administration.  Deb has worked tirelessly over the last several years to get ambulance service claims paid promptly, a prudent layperson standard adopted, and for the VA to be considered the primary payor unless another payor is identified.

Tom Tornstrom, Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance, Inc. is receiving the award for leading the efforts of the AAA, to address issues critical to ground ambulance services in their response to the current Public Health Emergency.  Tom has led a group of industry leaders in addressing PPE shortages, access applying for PPP and CARES Act Funding, and many operational and clinical issues.

The President’s Awards will be given at the AAA Virtual Annual Membership Meeting on November 4, 2020 at 11:15 am eastern time.

About the American Ambulance Association

The American Ambulance Association safeguards the future of mobile healthcare through advocacy, thought leadership, and education. AAA advances sustainable EMS policy, empowering our members to serve their communities with high-quality on-demand healthcare. For more than 40 years, we have proudly represented those who care for people first. www.ambulance.org

In Memory of Larry Anderson

With heavy hearts, the American Ambulance Association shares the passing of former board member Larry Anderson. Please see the announcement below from Ron Slagell of Emergent Health Partners.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and former colleagues.

Larry retired in 2006 as the CEO of LifeCare Ambulance, a company he helped found in 1983 when the community’s EMS system was in crisis.  Larry had a lengthy career before his involvement in EMS as a hospital administrator, and was also involved in the creation of Huron Valley Ambulance.
LifeCare served on the Board and Committees of many non-profit organizations including MAAS and the American Ambulance Association, where he championed that ambulance accidents should be referred to as crashes, because most are preventable.
He was committed to his community, was known as an advocate for collaboration, and was passionate about patient care and safety. His contributions to EMS and public health will be long standing well beyond the time he was with us.