Proposed Changes to the FLSA Overtime Exemption Salary Level
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2023 Mentorship Guide for EMS
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EMS Workforce Quick Take: Sign-on and Referral Bonuses
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Rule Expanding Electronic Submission Requirements for Injury & Illness Data for High Hazard Employers
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2023 EMS Employee Turnover Study Released!
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EMS1 Stop | Anna Liotta, AAA 2023 Keynote Speaker
Thank you to Rob Lawrence of Pro EMS, EMS1, and the California Ambulance Association for connecting with #Ambucon23 keynote Anna Liotta and Royal Ambulance’s Steve Grau!
SCOTUS Decision Changes Religious Accommodation Standard
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EEOC Weighs in on SCOTUS Decision On Affirmative Action Programs in Education
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CMS Publishes Final Rule COVID-19 Vaccination & Testing for Long Term Care Facilities
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NHTSA’s Office of EMS Contributes to New Study Analyzing Suicide Among EMS and 911
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EEOC Issues Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence an Employer’s Selection Process
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U.S. DOL Provides Updated Guidance on Break Time for Breastfeeding Employees
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All Clear Foundation Names Mike Taigman Chairman of the Board
This appointment demonstrates its commitment to serving those in emergency services with the wellness resources they need, when they need them, free of charge
Denver, Colorado, USA – All Clear Foundation (ACF), a national 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to improving the wellbeing and longevity of Emergency Responders, including Healthcare Workers, and their families, has appointed Mike Taigman Chairman of the Board.
“My life’s purpose–for my entire life–has been to recognize suffering in all its forms and do something about it. All Clear Foundation’s mission is in complete alignment with that passion,” says Taigman. “I am humbled and excited by this opportunity.”
A Proven Track Record
Taigman brings a wealth of experience to this role. He spent decades on the streets of Denver as a paramedic, honing his “people first” approach. The author of more than 600 articles in professional journals, Taigman is a recognized expert in the areas of quality improvement, data science, leadership, and EMS. He serves as adjunct faculty at University of Maryland, Baltimore County and UCSF, and he is the Improvement Guide at FirstWatch, a data analytics firm dedicated to quality improvement in public safety.
“We are thrilled to have Mike on board,” says Rhonda Kelly, the foundation’s Executive Director. “His passion for improving quality of life among Emergency Responders is sincere and his track record is unparalleled. We appreciate his focus on the full spectrum of wellness supports from proactive education to crisis intervention. And we are very excited about his commitment to utilizing evidence-based practices to drive improvement.”
ACF relies upon the power of strategic partnerships to affect change and appreciates Taigman’s extensive experience building and growing partnerships in the Responder wellness world. In addition to facilitating development of EMS Agenda 2050, a vision EMS 20 years into the future, he is the author of Super-Charge Your Stress Management in the Age of COVID and is regular faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
A Vision Forward
Among his top priorities, Taigman looks forward to ensuring the sustainability of All Clear’s mission. “My hope is to support the ongoing mission and build sustainable support and funding for the foundation so we can continue this important work,” says Taigman. “There’s so much evidence that being involved in emergency services and healthcare takes a toll on the folks doing the job.”
“All Clear Foundation has pulled together an ecosystem of resources that is unmatched and provides them free of charge to Emergency Responders, their agencies, and their families. Securing reliable support for these efforts is essential and ongoing.”
A Clear Need
The need is there. One study found Emergency Responders suffer from depression and PTSD at five times the rate of the general population. Among the many challenges inherent in the work are frequent trauma exposure, rotating shift schedules, limited agency support, amplified stress on the family and other relationships, and physical injury.
“Too many Emergency Responders have paid for their service with their lives, either in quality or longevity,” says Director Kelly. “The barriers of shame, stigma, lack of local resources, and lack of finances have kept many from accessing the supports they deserve and need. This is where All Clear Foundation steps in. Built by Responders, for Responders, we are here to help across the domains of wellness: mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual.”
Supporting First Responders
All Clear Foundation provides an array of easily accessible and navigable wellness solutions at no cost to agencies or participants. ResponderStrong, its mental health initiative, has had a significant impact nationally and continues to grow with hybrid-format educational content and digital tools. Partners organizations include Global Medical Response, FirstNet-Built with AT&T, Abbott Nutrition, The Center for Relationship Education, IndyCar, IPSDI, Sigma Tactical Wellness, and NERPSC.
“The work All Clear and its partner organizations provide is saving lives,” says Taigman. “But, beyond that, it’s making Emergency Responders happier, healthier, and more resilient. This is good news for all of us.”
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ABOUT FIRSTWATCH
Since 1998, FirstWatch has been helping EMS agencies monitor real-time situational awareness, operational performance, clinical quality and performance improvement measures, as well as health surveillance, bioterrorism or other potentially concerning incidents. FirstWatch is designed to aggregate data from your agency’s CAD, ePCR, ProQA, RMS, Hospital ED, Billing and Phone system into a single, automated real-time view. For more information, visit www.firstwatch.net.
ABOUT ALL CLEAR FOUNDATION
Through assessing community wellness needs, priorities, and barriers, All Clear Foundation, a 501c3 public charity, leverages the power of strategic partnerships to create easily accessible and navigable systems of wellness solutions, improving the wellbeing and longevity of those who serve our communities. In 2019, ACF was founded by Global Medical Response as an autonomous public charity designed to serve and benefit the national Emergency Responder community. As one of the largest employers of Public Safety personnel in the U.S., GMR believes it has a duty to support the overall wellness of all Responders nationally. All Clear Foundation’s mission is to improve the overall wellbeing and longevity of those who serve our communities in times of need. We believe that healthy emergency responders contribute to healthier communities. For more information, visit www.allclearfoundation.org.
For more information, please contact Crawford Coates at ccoates@firstwatch.net.
OIG Announces Modernization of Compliance Program Guidance Documents
By Brian S. Werfel, Esq.
On April 25, 2023, the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) posted a notice in the Federal Register that it would be updating its publicly available resources, including its compliance program guidance documents. The OIG’s Compliance Program Guidances (CPGs) were developed as voluntary, non-binding guidance documents that can assist healthcare providers in developing their own internal controls to ensure adherence to federal laws, regulations, and program requirements.
Specifically, the OIG announced that it will no longer publish updated or new CPGs in the Federal Register. Instead, updates or new CPGs will now be made available on the OIG’s website. The OIG will also revise the format for CGS. The new format will consist of: (1) a General CPG (GCPG) that applies to all healthcare providers and (2) industry-specific CPGs (ICPGs) tailored to the fraud and abuse areas specific to that industry. The OIG indicated that it anticipates issuing the GCPG by the end of calendar year 2023, with ICPGs being issued starting in calendar year 2024. The OIG further indicated that it anticipates the first two ICPGs will address Medicare Advantage plans and nursing facilities.
Note: the OIG is not updating its 2003 guidance on compliance programs for ambulance suppliers. The OIG frequently cites this document in enforcement actions it takes against ambulance providers and suppliers. Thus, this guidance document remains relevant to this day. For that reason, A.A.A. members are strongly encouraged to review this document to ensure that their existing compliance program incorporates the elements cited by the OIG.
Previous Compliance Program Guidance for Ambulance Suppliers
In March 2003, the OIG issued its “Compliance Program Guidance for Ambulance Suppliers.” This document sets forth the basic elements that it believes should be included in any effective compliance program, and then discusses various fraud and abuse and compliance risks associated with the provision of ambulance services under the Medicare Program.
The 7 basic elements identified by the OIG are:
- The development of compliance policies and procedures
- The designation of a compliance officer or compliance committee
- The implementation of education and training programs
- The use of internal monitoring and reviews
- Policies designed to respond appropriately to detected misconduct
- Ensuring open lines of communication
- The enforcement of disciplinary standards through well-publicized guidelines
The CPG then goes into greater detail on each of these elements, including specific recommendations on how to properly implement each of these elements. For instance, the OIG suggests that the organization’s compliance office be a high-level individual who reports directly to the organization’s CEO or Board of Directors.
With respect to the specific fraud and abuse risks associated with ambulance, the OIG highlighted the issue of medical necessity. The OIG also cited level of service issues (i.e., billing ALS vs. BLS), non-emergency transports, and coordination of benefit issues as particular areas of concern.
Employee Turnover Study Due 4/30 | iPad Raffle
The American Ambulance Association is partnering with Newton 360, an ambulance industry partner and Human Resource support firm, to conduct our fifth annual industry turnover study. Our intent is to comprehensively collect and analyze ambulance industry employee turnover data to produce a report that provides useful and actionable data. We are inviting EMS organizations to participate in the study. The study will be conducted and managed by Dennis Doverspike, PhD, and Rosanna Miguel, PhD, who are associated with the Center for Applied Talent Analytics at John Carroll University. Each individual or organizational response will be strictly confidential.
The purpose of the study is to better quantify and understand the reasons for turnover at nearly every organizational level within the EMS Industry. Thank you very much for your time and support.
Laying the Groundwork for Reducing Employee Turnover
Why participate in the survey?
- Educate elected officials, municipalities, and healthcare clients. The insight gained from this survey can help influence the actions, practices, or decisions of officials regarding regulatory and funding policies at the federal, regional, or local level. Specifically, this important data can help validate the critical staffing challenges faced by the EMS industry. This year, we continue to have queries related to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) even though it is scheduled to end on May 11, 2023. We feel that it is important to understand the lingering impact of the PHE on EMS turnover and its related costs.
- This study is critical to gaining insight into combating staff shortages. The AAA / Newton 360 2023 Ambulance Industry Employee Turnover Study aims to yield the information that organizations need to identify and benchmark their turnover challenges. Over the years this survey has been conducted, it has generated the largest response to a turnover survey ever published for the private EMS industry.
- Participating organizations will have full access to the final report at no charge. The comprehensive results of the study will be shared exclusively with each participating organization. Shorter write-ups and summaries of the results may be shared at conferences or published in relevant periodicals or journals.
Before You Start
It is recommended you gather information about your employees and about turnover before completing the questionnaire.
In this survey, we will be asking about headcount (filled and open positions), the number of employees leaving the organization, and reasons for employees leaving. We will be asking these questions for each of the following job categories: supervisor, dispatch, EMT, part-time EMT, paramedic, and part-time paramedic. Headcount refers to the number of filled and open positions for each job category at the end of 2022. Filled positions refer to the number of employees in each job category that were on payroll at the end of 2022. For each job category, the number of filled positions should be added to the number of open positions at the end of 2022 to determine the total headcount.
The survey will open on April 17th, 2023, and close at end of the day, on April 30th, 2023. The survey can be accessed by following the link below. If the hyperlink does not work when clicked, please copy the hyperlink and paste it into your browser.
https://johncarroll.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57s6B8d92GW44wS
Thank you,
Scott Moore, Esq.
Newton 360
Workforce Dynamics, Inc.
(781) 236-4411 office
(781) 771-9914 mobile
www.newton360.com
AAA Provides Comments to the Senate HELP Committee Related to Workforce Shortage
The American Ambulance Association has submitted comments to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) in response to their request for input on crafting legislation to address the health care workforce shortage.
Ground ambulance service organizations are facing a severe shortage of paramedics and EMTs which is placing a significant strain on an emergency medical system already in financial distress. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to provide our legislative solutions to the committee to help address the ongoing workforce crisis.
Please see the document linked below, which was sent to the HELP Committee Chairman, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the Ranking Member, Senator Bill Cassidy.
3-17-2023 HELP Workforce Comments
HHS OCR Settlement in FL to Improve Access to Care for Communities of Color
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NLRB Decision Impacting Severance Agreements
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NAEMT 2022 National Report on Engagement and Satisfaction in EMS
From the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
NAEMT is pleased to present the results of our 2022 National Survey on EMS Workforce Engagement and Satisfaction. Earlier this year, NAEMT asked our members and other EMS practitioners about various aspects of their jobs, including pay, how well supported they feel by employers, and if they had plans to leave the profession. In nearly 1,300 responses, EMS practitioners painted a picture of a workforce that remains dedicated to caring for patients and serving the community, but is under a high degree of strain. They also shared their ideas for how EMS agencies could improve engagement and satisfaction. We thank the following members of NAEMT’s EMS Workforce Committee for their contributions to the survey: Robert Luckritz, Aaron Florin, Garrett Hedeen, Julius Jackson, Lawson Stuart, Mark Ponder, Mike Szczygiel and Mike Thomas. NAEMT also thanks FirstNet, Built with AT&T, for its generous sponsorship of the report.
OSHA Form 300A Electronic Reporting Change
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