President’s Perspective April 2019

Posted on by Aarron Reinert

Dear Fellow AAA Members, Spring is in full bloom in Washington, D.C., and the American Ambulance Association is hard at work in our nation’s capital advocating for mobile healthcare providers. I am pleased to share with you several updates from your association. Advocacy Progress The AAA continues to forge ahead advocating for the legislative and regulatory priorities of our membership. Earlier this month, more than forty AAA volunteer leaders and members came to Washington, D.C., meeting with more than 100 congressional offices to advocate for Medicare policies and improved claims processing by the Department of Veterans Affairs for emergency ambulance services. (View photos on Facebook.) The AAA has also taken an active role in responding to potentially harmful “surprise billing” legislation. The AAA has been urging Members of Congress to recognize the unique and essential nature of emergency ambulance services and ambulance interfacility mobile healthcare transports. Ambulance service suppliers and providers are already heavily regulated at the local level and struggle with receiving adequate reimbursement. The Congress should protect patient access to ground ambulance services and continue to allow us to balance bill. The AAA is working closely with CMS and the RAND corporation on the development of the ambulance (more…)

2019 Annual Call for Presentations

Posted on by AAA Staff

The American Ambulance Association Annual Conference & Trade Show is continuously one of the largest inclusive gatherings of ambulance and pre-hospital care leaders, and features distinct tracks for Reimbursement and Policy, Human Resources and Operations, Government Affairs, and Executive Leadership. Our primary focus is to provide critical information that both new and established ambulance services may utilize to better serve their communities and operate their services more efficiently and profitably. The following are general topics areas to be addressed, but other subject areas are welcome: Recruitment, Retention, and Human Resources Operations, Risk Management and Safety Management and Supervision Leadership Development & Structure Improved Fleet Maintenance/Management Clinical/Quality Assurance Program Reimbursement/Patient Accounts Innovations, Technology, and Communications Emerging Healthcare Trends/Hot Topics Healthcare Reform/Public Health Format of Sessions Sessions will range from larger audience general sessions, to smaller breakout sessions within various topic tracks. Breakout sessions may be 20 minutes, 60 minutes, or 75 minutes in length. We are accepting single speaker as well as panel discussions. Sessions may be either classroom style or set for small work groups. Audience involvement is encouraged. Proposal Instructions Please be advised that participation as a presenter is strictly on a voluntary basis. AAA is unable to pay speaker fees or (more…)

2018 AMBY Award Winners Announced

Posted on by Jessica Marvin

The American Ambulance Association is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 AMBY Awards. The AMBYs highlight excellence in EMS and the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that epitomize AAA members. The mission of the awards is to showcase creativity and innovation in the ambulance industry by fostering a culture of collaboration, cooperation and a passion for excellence in patient care. This year’s awards will be presented at the Annual Conference & Trade Show Awards Reception on September 7, 2018. Please join us in congratulating our 2018 winners! Clinical Outcome Program Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. | Vallejo, CA Community Impact Program NorthStar EMS, Inc. | Tuscaloosa, AL Employee Programs Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. | Bakersfield, CA Innovation in EMS Priority Ambulance | Knoxville, TN Mercy Ambulance Service, Inc. | Savannah, GA Public Relations Campaign MEDIC EMS Agency | Charlotte, NC Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. | Bakersfield, CA Quality Improvement Program Sunstar Paramedics | Largo, FL Patient and Employee Safety Program Priority Ambulance | Knoxville, TN Once again, join us in celebrating the 2018 winners! Learn more about the AMBYs.  

2018 AAA Award Winners Announced

Posted on by AAA Staff

The American Ambulance Association is proud to announce this year’s award winners. Awards will be presented at the AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show Membership Meeting on Friday, September 7, 2018. Please join us in congratulating this year’s winners! J. Walter Schaeffer Award Dale Berry The J. Walter Schaeffer Award is given annually to an individual whose work in EMS has contributed positively to the advancement of the industry as a whole. Dale has achieved this through his many years of commitment and service to the ambulance industry. Robert L. Forbuss Lifetime Achievement Award The Honorable Harvey Hall The Robert L. Forbuss Lifetime Achievement Award is named in honor of the first Executive Director of the American Ambulance Association. It recognizes a volunteer leader who has made a significant long-term impact on the association. your decades of service, commitment, and dedication to the private ambulance industry, the AAA, and its members. The Honorable Harvey Hall has achieved this through his decades of service and dedication to the private ambulance industry, the AAA, and its members. President’s Award Jonathan Washko These awards are bestowed by the President to volunteer leaders who have shown commitment to the advancement of the AAA, above and beyond (more…)

NEW! AAA PreCon Workshop on Mandatory Cost Data Collection

Posted on by AAA Staff

AAA is excited to announce that this year we will be holding a full day pre-conference workshop at the AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show! Join industry experts Rebecca Williamson, Angie McLain, Asbel Montes, Kathy Lester, Scott Moore, and Brian Werfel to learn what the new cost data collection mandates will require and how you and your service can get ahead of the game and prepare for these changes. Mandatory Cost Data Collection: When Is It Happening & How to Prepare September 5, 2018 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | MGM Grand, Las Vegas $75 for Annual Conference attendees | $250 workshop-only 2018 federal legislation expanded Medicare cost reporting to ambulance services, although with some important differences from other Medicare reporters. Failure to meet these new reporting requirements could lead to significant sanctions including loss of Medicare revenue. In this session, we will review how we got to where we are, what the new mandates will require based on current regulations, and how best to prepare yourself and your service for the phase-in. To register, simply add the workshop to your cart when completing your Annual Conference registration. Register for Annual and the Workshop► Register only for the workshop (more…)

Mark

President’s Perspective: April 2018

Posted on by Mark Postma

Dear Fellow AAA Member, Spring has sprung, and the American Ambulance Association is busier than ever working on your behalf to build the future of EMS. The AAA is pleased to announce that since our last Response Times update, Congress has passed the 5-year extension of the Medicare ambulance add-ons. The extension included the AAA’s preferred method of cost data collection that provides flexibility to the Secretary of HHS in developing the system. Consultation with the industry is required so that it strikes the appropriate balance between obtaining meaningful data and avoiding overly burdening or onerously penalizing the ambulance services. This legislation was a true victory for the AAA and the entire industry. Learn more► This success would not have been possible without months of effort by AAA volunteer leaders, advocacy experts, and staff, as well as support from our key champions in Congress. In particular, the AAA would like to thank Senator Debbie Stabenow for spearheading our legislation and ensuring that the Senate language prevailed. In recognition of Senator Stabenow’s support, she has been named the AAA’s 2018 Legislator of the Year. The AAA would also like to thank Senators Schumer, Roberts, Collins, Leahy, Hatch, Wyden, Thune, and many (more…)

Closed: 2018 Annual Conference Call for Presentations

Posted on by Colly Crowy

AAA 2018 Annual Conference & Trade Show September 6-8, 2018 at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV We are asking those individuals interested in presenting at the American Ambulance Association’s Annual Conference & Trade Show to respond to our Call for Presentations. This premier event is one of the largest inclusive gatherings of ambulance and pre-hospital care leaders, and features distinct tracks for Operations, Reimbursement and Policy, and Executive Leadership. Our primary focus continues to be providing critical information that both new and established ambulance services may utilize to better serve their communities and operate their services more efficiently and profitably. To submit a proposal, please fill out our Call for Presentations form. The following are general topics areas to be addressed, but other subject areas are welcome: Recruitment, Retention, and Human Resources Operations, Risk Management and Safety Management and Supervision Leadership Development & Structure Improved Fleet Maintenance/Management Clinical/Quality Assurance Programs Reimbursement/Patient Accounts Innovations, Technology, and Communications Emerging Healthcare Trends/Hot Topics Healthcare Reform/Public Health Format of Sessions Sessions will range from larger audience general sessions, to smaller breakout sessions within various topic tracks. We are accepting single speaker as well as panel discussions. Sessions may be either classroom style or set (more…)