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Survey for EMS Educators | Please Share!

Please share this email and survey link with EMS education providers in your area! If your ambulance service operates its own training program, please also complete the survey on its behalf. Thank you for helping us gather this critically important data!

 

Dear Education Partner/Collaborator,

As a leader in Emergency Medical Services and a member of the American Ambulance Association, the Association leadership is trying to better understand the current challenges regarding the new and current workforce. One of our goals this year is to better understand the impact that Covid-19 has placed on education institutions offering programs in emergency medical services.

Therefore, I am requesting your help in completing a short survey and answer five short questions through the link below to help gather data and try to determine the short- and long-term effects we might expect because of any potential disruption in the graduation or completion of future students entering the field of EMS?

SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/227TKTK

We appreciate your time and effort towards helping us better understand the future of our EMS workforce and begin building more solutions to try and recruit and retain our workforce for long term sustainability. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly or contact the American Ambulance Association’s CEO, Maria Bianchi at mbianchi@ambulance.org.

Thanks for considering.

Your Name
Your Title
EMS Service Name

Webinar 7/7 | Lights & Sirens Responses


Flipping OFF the Switch on HOT Emergency Medical Vehicle Responses!

Free Webinar July 7 | 14:00–15:15 ET

HOT (red light and siren) responses put EMS providers and the public at significant risk. Studies have demonstrated that the time saved during this mode of vehicle operation and that reducing HOT responses enhances safety of personnel, with little to no impact on patient outcomes. Some agencies have ‘dabbled’ with responding COLD (without lights and sirens) to some calls, but perhaps none as dramatic as Niagara Region EMS in Ontario, Canada – who successfully flipped their HOT responses to a mere 10% of their 911 calls! Why did they do it? How did they do it? What has been the community response? What has been the response from their workforce? Has there been any difference in patient outcomes? Join Niagara Region EMS to learn the answers to these questions and more. Panelists from co-hosting associations will participate to share their perspectives on this important EMS safety issue!

Speakers

Kevin Smith, BAppB:ES, CMM III, ACP, CEMC
Chief
Niagara Emergency Medical Services

Jon R. Krohmer, MD, FACEP, FAEMS
Team Lead, COVID-19 EMS/Prehospital Team
Director, Office of EMS
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Douglas F. Kupas, MD, EMT-P, FAEMS, FACEP
Medical Director, NAEMT
Medical Director, Geisinger EMS

Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, NREMT
Chief Strategic Integration Officer
MedStar Mobile Integrated Healthcare

Bryan R. Wilson, MD, NRP, FAAEM
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
St. Luke’s University Health Network
Medical Director, City of Bethlehem EMS

Robert McClintock
Director of Fire & EMS Operations
Technical Assistance and Information Resources
International Association of Fire Fighters

Mike McEvoy, PhD, NRP, RN, CCRN
Chair – EMS Section Board – International Association of Fire Chiefs
EMS Coordinator – Saratoga County, New York
Chief Medical Officer – West Crescent Fire Department
Professional Development Coordinator – Clifton Park & Halfmoon EMS
Cardiovascular ICU Nurse Clinician – Albany Medical Center

Register Now (Free)

Recovering Loss of Revenue from “not at fault” Accidents

When your units get hit by a third party and the vehicle is out of service, are you getting Loss of Revenue for the downtime while the unit is being repaired? Whether you answered yes or no to that question, reading this article will be the one of the most lucrative uses of your time this year.

A call comes in and your dispatcher does a perfect job of answering and scheduling the run. The EMT’s jump into the clean, fueled, and well stocked ambulance responding to the call. Then from out of nowhere, a car turns directly into the ambulance’s path rolling through a stop sign. Now what? You have two paramedics stranded on the side of the road who will be spending the next few hours on paperwork and drug testing. In addition, all the drugs and small equipment need to be removed or secured. Hopefully you have another unit to dispatch or your competitor may have already been called.

What happens next is key to getting maximum recovery for your losses caused by the accident.

Key items that help maximize your recovery from accidents:

  1. Educate and equip fleet drivers with the tools necessary to collect key accident information at the scene and relay it. This includes a description of the accident, clear color pictures of the accident scene, the damaged vehicles, and third-party driver’s license and insurance information.
  2. Gather as many witnesses as possible and statements from both drivers.
  3. On board videos are great, but if not, having a smart phone video of the damage and intersection can be very helpful if the liability is in question.
  4. Get an accurate and thorough estimate. Be aware that, for the most part, insurance companies are motivated to pay out the least amount possible to get the claim settled. Their adjusters are typically not trained accurately determine the damage to specialty vehicles or the equipment they may contain. Using a TPA with strong experience with commercial fleets is critical.

We are surprised how many firms don’t realize or understand what they are entitled to recover because of an accident where their driver was not at fault. Essentially, the law supports that the owner is entitled to the use of their “chattel” and compensation pursuant to the same. Here is an interesting titbit. Chattel is originally a Latin and old French term referring to moveable personal property. A good term to throw out at the next risk managers meeting to impress everyone. With that said, what you are entitled to and what shows up in your mailbox are two drastically different things. Insurance companies are motivated to pay the least amount possible and delay that payment as long as possible.

Most people assume that insurance companies make money when they generate more in premiums than they pay out in losses and expenses, but for the most part that’s not true. Most insurers are happy to break even on their underwriting and make their money by investing the premiums and keeping the investment returns.

What am I entitled to from a “not at fault” accident? There are a lot of factors influencing this, but essentially you are entitled to your physical damage, diminution of value, and loss of use/revenue. How much you are entitled to are the subjective negotiations that firms like ours engage in hundreds of times each day. Driver liability, statute of limitations and minimum policy limits vary from state to state. Typically, the state where the accident happens will be the applicable laws and regulations.

If I have a spare unit to take the place of the damaged vehicle, am I still entitled to Loss of Revenue? The short answer is yes, but getting the carrier to ink the check is another matter. There are real costs of having a spare unit which is why the law supports the loss of the use as a recoverable item. Acquisition cost, maintenance, licensing, certification, insurance, and storage are all costs incurred by having a spare unit.

Pursuing Loss Recovery

The following are steps fleets can take to help maximize recovery:

  1. Pursue all possible recoveries. There is often potential recovery from the third-party drivers in the form of an umbrella policy, company policy, or personal assets. Driver liability, statute of limitations and minimum policy limits vary from state to state. The key is to know which accidents offer what potential in which states, and then to pursue recovery using the latest industry tools as quickly as possible.
  2. Follow insurance industry documentation standards. The required forms need to be properly completed and submitted to the third-party driver’s insurance carrier. Knowing insurance industry regulations, standards, and the law are key to move the carriers to action. Technically, a carrier can wait 30 days after receiving a demand before taking action on the claim.
  3. A key component to Loss of Revenue is accurate records showing the income the unit generated prior to the accident. This is the hardest to recover and gets the most pushback from the insurance companies. Putting the data in a format that meets the insurance company’s needs varies by company.
  4. Even after the carrier has agreed to pay, be prepared to make a lot of follow-up calls and emails to get your claim paid. A common tactic used by carriers is to drag out the claim hoping you will either give up or accept less. Essentially wearing you down.

The second key recovery component is Diminution of Value (DV), or Loss of Market Value the vehicle suffers even after it is repaired. Age of the vehicle, miles, condition, and other factors determine this amount. Without a strong recovery plan or Third Party Administrator (TPA), we see significant diminution of value left on the table. The key here is strong data which supports your valuation utilizing use multiple sources and have extensive experience and a successful track record for recovering DV.

Getting accurate value when a vehicle is a total loss. The term “Total Loss” is an insurance term lacking legal definition. Carriers have often used title branding laws to determine if a vehicle is a “Total Loss”. While each state has different criteria for “branding” titles, vehicles can, and have been, paid as total losses with damage percentages well below the title branding statutes. Carriers often tout statements such as “Federal Guidelines” or “State Statutes” when attempting to settle claims. More accurately, legal entitlements are based upon what is called the Restatement of Torts, and defined by case law in each state. Typically, property and casualty insurance adjusters don’t understand these laws and again are motived to pay out the minimum possible. Engaging a firm that specializes in commercial fleet claims can provide an arm’s length transaction necessary to be pro-active on the front side in setting the claim up properly, which usually results in a higher recovery.

So how do you win at the recovery game? Well unfortunately you are in a game where the opponent is highly motivated to not pay or pay the least possible, has their own set of rules on how much you should get, and make most of their profit on dragging out a payment when they finally do decide to pay.

There are essentially three routes you can pursue.

  1. Handle the claims yourself. Unless you have extensive knowledge in the law and insurance industry, plus have ample time to talk to the voicemails of insurance carriers, this option may not be ideal.
  2. Let your insurance company handle the claim. They will pay your Physical Damage, but rarely does the policy have coverage for Loss of Revenue and Diminution of Value.
  3. Hire a TPA (Third Party Administer) to handle the claims for you. Select a firm with a long track record, experience with specialty vehicles, adequate technology, a strong legal department, and specializes in Loss of Revenue recovery. Make sure their fees are performance based and they only win if you do. They can recover Loss of Revenue, Diminution of Value (inherent and repair related) and other costs typically not recovered.

Few fleets have the number of trained personnel in each of these areas to adopt these best practices. If the fleet’s resources are already stretched to capacity, consider outsourcing to a TPA. The chances are the partnership will yield state-of-the-art best practices and more than pay for itself.

I hope you found this article helpful, don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or to learn more.

Brian J. Ludlow is Executive Vice President for Alternative Claims Management. He is an entrepreneur and consultant to the insurance, financial, and transportation industries. Brian specializes in disruptive technologies. His firm has transformed the accident claims recovery process.

bludlow@AltClaim.com | 231-330-0515

Family Liaisons Following EMS Line of Duty Deaths

I was just a kid when I started in EMS. 23 years old, hungry for adventure, and ready for everything the world of EMS was prepared to give me. Car accidents, gunshot wounds, stabbings, intoxicated shenanigans, elderly falls, fist fights, medical emergencies, strokes, and cardiac arrest were all on my list of expected possibilities. One of the scenarios I had not thought of, and nobody presented to me throughout school and orientation, was the possibility of clocking in for shift and not going home. I do not recall line of duty deaths being a discussion point in the paramedic curriculum, job interview, or orientation process. I had experienced the unexpected loss of a younger sibling due to a motor vehicle crash before I started my journey in EMS, but the fact that life is short and unpredictable did not connect with the fact that I was knowingly and willingly walking myself into unknown and potentially dangerous situations with each response. Even after the UW Med Flight crash happened early in my career, and in my service area, we simply did not talk about our own potential for death as a direct result of our profession.

Years later, after many more line of duty deaths and even more reports of violence against EMS and healthcare workers, this topic weighs heavy on my mind. In my time as Staff Development Manager for a service, I pushed for the DT4EMS courses to train our medics on how to recognize potential dangers, escape those situations, and defend themselves if they are unable to escape.  We all know the ‘scene safe/BSI’ tagline and list of what things might make a scene unsafe is not enough. As the Rescue Task Force (RTF) formed, I watched as some were excited for the opportunity to be involved and others started to question their willingness to respond to so many unknown situations as their young families were beginning to grow. I started asking myself if EMS agencies are doing enough in terms of preparing themselves and their employees for the possibility of a line of duty death.

The Line of Duty Death Handbook, published in part by the AAA, is a great tool to start building policies, protocols and personnel records. The handbook guides you through the importance of having employees fill out emergency contact and next of kin forms, and keeping them updated, as well as assigning family liaisons and how to manage coverage for funeral services. As I reviewed this, I started thinking about the assignment of a family liaison—a member of your agency who knew the individual well and will be the primary contact for everything the family needs once the notification has been made. What type of person should be assigned this role, and what kind of training should they have? I sat down with KC Schuler, MDiv and board member for the Fox Valley Critical Incident Stress Management group to discuss.

What are some considerations services should make when putting together their line of duty death policy/procedure?

I think the first significant consideration should be conducting pre-incident training. I mean, are you starting the conversation about critical incident stress exposure all the way up to, and including, the possibility that they may never go home to their family, at orientation? During onboarding? So many of the EMTs and Paramedics coming in are young, and this may be their first job. In my experience, they can be somewhat blind to the possibilities. Early education and creating a culture of support—including letting them know you have their back (and their family’s back) in every potential scenario is important. The second consideration, I think, is to determine what scope you define as a line of duty death. The on-shift motor vehicle crash or incident resulting in death while on the clock is apparent, but what about suicide? If someone is having significant job-related stress and commits suicide, will that be looked at as a line of duty death, or not? This is something all organizations need to consider before such an event happens.

S: What type of actions would you recommend take place, or are discussed, as part of the orientation process?

KC: This is a great time for employees to fill out the emergency contact and next of kin form—this also provides an opening to discuss the possibility of death and the importance of filling out the form accurately and keeping it up to date. They are the best ones to tell you who you should notify in such a situation; guessing in the event of a death is not ideal. A portion of orientation and annual training should also be spent on mental health, including awareness, recognition of post-traumatic stress symptoms in themselves and their peers, and available support resources. Trained peer support and EAP can be very valuable in the management of work and home related stressors. Again, being intentional to build and sustain an organizational culture of support prior to an unfortunate tragedy like a line of duty death will help all those involved.

S: The Line of Duty Death Handbook talks about assigning a family liaison—a person who becomes the 24/7 primary contact for the family once notification has been made. This person should be available, in person and via phone, and dedicated to the family whether it is household chores such as mowing the lawn and grocery shopping, to communicating with out of town family members and arranging hotels. Who should be considered for such an assignment, and what might the service do to prepare these individuals?

KC: This is a high-intensity assignment, and this role should not be assigned to shifts in the beginning either. Being a family liaison is a big responsibility, and it is not a responsibility that should shift from person to person; ideally, the family will have one liaison for the duration. Trust is a significant factor—the family must trust the individual they are assigned, so that individual must be able to build that trust or recognize early if it is not a good match. Services should consider the following in their selection of a family liaison:

  1. Someone who is specially trained in being a family liaison. The nature of this position is demanding and can significantly interfere with the liaison’s personal life and responsibilities of emotionally supporting another. They need to be able to have clear boundaries, open lines of communication to leadership, and have a stellar support system in place as well. The International Critical Incident Stress Foundation does offer a 2-day LODD course.
  2. Preferably, the family liaison would not have any other roles (such as being an honor guard member) as they will likely have other duties and responsibilities throughout the process and at the funeral itself. The liaison duties need to be 100% dedicated to the family.
  3. Gender sensitivity—If the deceased is a male, you may want to assign a female liaison to the spouse as there can be a lot of strong emotions during this time and unhealthy attachments can form. You should consider gender identity and sexual preference in assigning a liaison as well.

Training and preparation of individuals for family liaison assignment should happen before an event like this ever occurs.

S: If I am a service director looking to send a few people to train for this, what type of people should I look for?

KC: If I had to provide a list of characteristics for liaison selection, it would probably include someone who:

  1. Does not gossip and respects confidentiality.
  2. Can make things happen—someone who is comfortable making, and either has the authority to make decisions on behalf of the service, or has direct contact with someone who can.
  3. Has a great support system of their own.
  4. Understands and respects boundaries—can set limits where appropriate and necessary.
  5. Is comfortable speaking, but also understands and can recognize the importance of silence, or when not to respond.

S: When it comes to families, there are a lot of dynamics a liaison might have to contend with such as divided families or family members that do not get along. If more than one individual is involved in a LODD, such as two members killed in a car accident, there may also be dynamics between those two families that need to be considered. What are your recommendations for addressing those type situations, where either a single family or multiple families may be at odds?

KC: If there is more than one family involved (i.e., two employees) you will want to assign each family a liaison, and those liaisons will need to be in close communication with each other and the organization leadership. One thing agencies may wish to consider is holding family support or family networking events throughout the year, before an event like this happens. I mean, beyond the Christmas parties and summer picnics where all families are invited—events that allow family members of your employees to get together, build relationships, and form a support system between families who understand the dynamic of supporting someone in EMS. If families are meeting for the first time as the result of a fatal accident, the dynamic will likely be much different (and more difficult) than if they are afforded a place to get to know each other and form bonds before such an event would happen. It is a lot easier to blame a stranger than a friend; it is easier to share pain and experience with someone you share a bond.

If there is pre-incident conflict within a family, such as animosity between divorced parents or an ex-spouse, these situations become more difficult to manage. Training will help the liaison better navigate and handle these situations.

S: You mentioned before, the importance of knowing the resources in your area—what would you say to those services who might plan to reach out to their local CISM or hospital for a family liaison or other support in this situation?

KC: As I mentioned before, EAP is a valuable resource but likely not the best as a stand-alone support in the event of LODD, and it certainly would not be able to function as a family liaison. Many hospitals may have pastoral care staff, such as myself; however, many would not have the capacity to operate as a family liaison or the awareness, authority, and connections to make decisions on behalf of your service. So, neither of these options would not be the best plan in my opinion. CISM teams can help in debriefings, but again, that is different than functioning as a family liaison. Some of your staff members that are trained as CISM peer counselors, however, may be excellent candidates for continued training in LODD and more specifically, as family liaisons.

S: You also mentioned how the family liaison should be taken off shift responsibility and assignments while they are functioning as the family liaison. What time frame should a service expect, and could the director or administrative staff function as the liaison to reduce scheduling disruptions?

KC: The time frame will be variable and unique to each situation; this is part of the importance of a service’s selection and training of these individuals. They need to determine when the family needs the high-intensity liaison, when to move to periodic support, and when to transition out to periodic or then eventual annual check-ins. They need to do this without creating a co-dependence.

A director or administrative staff would not be the ideal candidate for the family liaison assignment. The director will be busy dealing with many other operational details and would not be able to devote the time or attention to the family during the high-intensity phase. Ideally, the liaison will be someone the fallen individual knew, worked alongside, and had a good relationship with; someone who can share some stories with the family. The liaison’s ability to do this goes back to the importance of fostering the family/spousal support network as well.

There are many ways in which services can prepare for a line of duty death. Option one is to bury your head in the sand and pretend it will never happen to you. This, we know, is a lie; a lie to ourselves, our employees and their families. Option two is to address the potential with eyes wide open and full support starting in orientation and stretching through the selection of qualified employees for advanced training. Even if I am lucky enough never to experience a LODD personally, I would rather work for an organization adopting option two every time.

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.”

― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish

Time to handle 911 call demands with Paramedics

When discussing this new and growing field of pre-hospital care, there seems to be two unique paths that services are following. The first is the hospital-owned or contracted service, where community providers seek ways to decrease readmission rates for CHF, COPD, Pneumonia, Sepsis, MI and other chronic illnesses.

When a patient discharged with one of these targeted conditions is readmitted within a 30 day window, “hospitals face penalties of up to 3 percent of Medicare payments in 2018” (Gluck, 2017, para. 10). That is a lot of money. Consider, “Lee Health, Southwest Florida’s largest hospital operator, which is expected to lose $3.4 million in payments” (Gluck, 2017, para. 2). This model represents the if, or, and type of service, meaning if we can do it for less and there are providers willing to do this type of medicine, then we can save the expensive penalties from CMC.

The other model of community paramedicine is 911 abuse reduction. For years EMS has conditioned the public to call 911 for any emergency. But today, what we consider an emergency is far from the public’s perception of an emergency. “EMS has experienced a 37% increase in 911 calls since 2008.” (White, 2016, para. 6) Yet have we increased staffing proportionally to meet the demand? Afraid not since “only 50% of EMS services in 2008 were fully staffed, and more than 63% had a volunteer component as part of their staffing level” (“Critical Staffing Shortages,” 2015, para. 2).

The article references increasing wages to help compensate for the decrease in trained providers by attracting more professionals to the field. With the CMC limiting payments and the major insurance companies following suit, doubtful this will be an option in the near future.

To reduce calls and increase levels of service, we can try to reeducate the public to what is a true emergency, but that is a long and slow process. For example, Philadelphia has started the trend and placed several billboards up around neighborhoods that contribute an ordinarily high amount of non-emergent 911 calls. Will this work? Time will tell but I would believe not enough to affect the volume of calls.

What about enlisting Community Paramedics in these situations? I believe this is a viable solution with nurses triaging the low acuity calls in the 911 center. Dispatching Community Paramedics armed with not only the usual equipment, but also the knowledge base to connect these patients with primary care physicians, social workers, and the programs that are available to them. This will help people receive the long-term care they deserve.

Scott F. McConnell is Vice President of EMS Education for OnCourse Learning and one of the Founders of Distance CME. Since its inception in 2010, more than 10,000 learners worldwide have relied on Distance CME to recertify their credentials. Scott is a true believer in sharing not only his perspectives and experiences but also those of other providers in educational settings.

References
* Critical Staffing Shortages (2015)
* Gluck, F. (2017, February 7th, 2017). Lee Health will lose $3.4 million in Medicare payments because of readmission rates. USA Today
* White, D. (2016, February 16th, 2016). Community paramedic? program intended to reduce 911 calls. Manatee Technical College

Protecting EMS and What That Means

I have been seeing a lot of chatter on social media and reading quite a bit about ambulance services issuing ballistic vests and providers being allowed to arm themselves. Looking at the available data, consider the following:

  • 67% (95% CI = 63.7%–69.5%) of respondents reported that either they or their partner had been cursed at or threatened by a patient;
  • 45% (95% CI = 42.4%–48.3%) had been punched, slapped, or scratched and 41% (95% CI = 37.9%–43.7%) were spat upon;
  • Four percent (95% CI = 2.8%–5.0%) of the respondents reported that they or their partner had even been stabbed or involved in an attempted stabbing; and
  • 4% (95% CI = 2.5%–4.8%) reported being shot or involved in a shooting attempt by a patient.” (Oliver & Levine, 2014, para. 22).

When looking at the survey results, specifically the low percentages of violent activities, it would appear that such protections are not needed. However, I cannot support the notion that a provider feels that where they work this protection is essential to them. I think a closer, more current look with a larger sample will create a better perspective. This study is relatively small and would be better served if the questions were more focused.

When it comes to “arming EMS Providers” I do think we are far from that. To arm EMS Providers would certainly require specific training, educational classes, and buy in from legislators.

Consider what happens if I defend myself. Am I now obligated to treat the person I’ve harmed? Would I, should I, be held to the same standard of trying to deescalate a situation as the police? With the absence of training and ambiguity of the legal system, I do not think arming EMS providers at this point is the answer.

To me, we need better education, better perceptions from the general public, and most of all a unified EMS front at the national level that is tasked with moving our industry toward the 22nd century.

______

Scott F. McConnell is Vice President of EMS Education for OnCourse Learning and one of the Founders of Distance CME. Since its inception in 2010, more than 10,000 learners worldwide have relied on Distance CME to recertify their credentials. Scott is a true believer in sharing not only his perspectives and experiences but also those of other providers in educational settings.

References

Oliver, A., & Levine, R. (2014). Workplace Violence: A Survey of Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Services Professionals

 

Maintaining Compliance Within an EMS Service

Maintaining compliance within an EMS service can be a daunting task, especially given the number of regulations that we must follow.

One way to look at EMS is if a trucking company married a hospital.

There are rules and regulations to abide by for an entire fleet of vehicles, from safe operation guidelines all the way down to the use and color of lights. Then there are requirements for a group of healthcare providers, which include necessary certifications such as CPR and knowledge of pertinent life-saving skills.

Not only does maintaining compliance keep vehicles and equipment running smoothly, but it can offer employees valuable peace of mind and keep everyone focused on the same goals of providing the best care possible.

I like to consider compliance an investment in common sense.

Employees know what is expected of them at all times, and they know what type of support their employer will provide to keep their skills sharp. In turn, an EMS service gains from being in good standing with regulators and from an engaged, confident workforce.

The benefits of a strong culture of compliance are immense. An organization that lives and breathes compliance can help ensure a smooth-running operation that features top-notch communication and quality providers who offer excellent care.

Journey to Compliance

These six key ways ensure compliance will serve as a roadmap to a strong culture in your organization:

  1. Start from the top: Backing from leadership ensures a strong culture of compliance. For certification and education compliance to stick, it starts with the attitudes of upper management, such as the board of directors, chiefs, officers, and day-to-day operations staff. Leaders must actively support all compliance efforts, including regular compliance-related reports, approving policies and having a general knowledge of the rules that govern EMS providers. Without the right tone from the top, an EMS service’s compliance efforts are usually undermined and ultimately fail. This results in issues with governing bodies, payers, scheduling and staffing.
  2. Commit to resources: Having the right personnel and systems in place are both vital to creating a strong compliance culture. The organization’s compliance staff should have experience in directing compliance efforts and supporting the evaluation of compliance-related risks. When it comes to certifications and education, compliance is always black and white. Knowing how to evaluate and respond to operational issues is important to maintaining compliance and successfully operating an EMS service. Systems that provide information to assist the service in complying with its obligations are a necessity.
  3. Have the write stuff: Developing written policies and procedures for compliance programs and internal controls is essential to adequately address regulatory requirements and an EMS service’s specific risks. Having these policies and procedures in writing sets the expectation of what is required of both managers and employees. Assessing risks before drafting these programs will help identify key areas where controls are needed. A compliance program should include how a service’s policies can be implemented from an operational perspective. This will include internal controls and standard operating procedures.
  4. Provide education: Providing the training for your EMS employees gives them peace of mind that they will be in compliance and acknowledges that the service values them.
  5. Test the system: Subjecting procedures to an independent review and audit ensures the compliance system is working correctly. This review provides an evaluation of where the EMS service’s compliance efforts stand. It also offers an opportunity to correct deficiencies before an outside regulatory audit is performed.
  6. Communicate more: Communication is vital to all organizations, but it can be the most difficult piece of the puzzle to achieve. With compliance-related responsibilities, sharing information is very helpful and, in some cases, required. Communicating expectations within EMS training programs is imperative. Reporting compliance efforts and noting any deficiencies should be a part of a communication strategy, especially if your state has an active medical director and/or board of EMS.

Acadian’s High School Champions Program Leads the Way

Founded in 1971 in with just eight staff and two vehicles, Acadian Ambulance has grown over the years to more than 4000 employees with a fleet of 400 ground ambulances, helicopters, fixed-wing airplanes, and van and bus transports. Their territory has expanded from Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, to stations spanning large swaths of Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

How does such a large and varied service feed their talent pipeline? In addition to many other strategies, Acadian is leading the industry in its efforts to engage young adults in EMS through its High School Champions program, a division of their National EMS Academy.

Porter Taylor, Acadian's Director of Operations
Porter Taylor, Acadian’s Director of Operations

To learn more about the ins-and-outs of the program, AAA caught up with Porter Taylor, Acadian’s Director of Operations. Taylor has been in EMS for 29 years, since he joined Acadian Ambulance as a college sophomore. “I love making a difference in people’s lives. When I was working on a unit it was the patient, and now, almost 30 years later, it is the employees that I love helping.”

Establishing High School Champions was not a linear path. Initially, Acadian would send medics to career fairs and school functions to introduce the field and promote its National EMS Academy (NEMSA) as an opportunity after graduation. “There are a lot of technical grants out there, and a critical staffing need for EMS in general. We wanted to create an avenue for educating students about the benefits of becoming EMTs to support our staffing needs long term,” said Taylor.

Although these medic visits were effective, Acadian wanted to expand the fledgling program’s scope and reach. He began visiting area high schools and meeting with school boards and directors more than a year ago to build relationships and explore opportunities. The partnerships he built added another facet to the High School Champion initiative wherein Acadian continues to promote NEMSA, coupled with an effort to get the schools to incorporate an EMT program as an elective prior to graduation. “[I wanted] to introduce them to our company and our support of this technical career path. My goal was to let the teachers and technical program directors know that Acadian has jobs for their students upon the successful completion of the program. Once students turn 18, Acadian will be able to offer them a rewarding  position with good pay and benefits and with continuing education opportunities.”

Acadian Operations Manager Justin Cox was instrumental in the implementation at Livonia High School, a recent addition to the program. In concert with his professional know-how, Cox had a personal connection to the school—his thirteen year old daughter attends Livonia.

Collaborating with the administration, Acadian now works with schools like Livonia to introduce EMS career paths at the end of high school, a time when students are making key choices about their futures. Students can start the EMT training program as an elective prior to graduation and take the national certification exam upon turning 18. Students spend 2-3 hours 3 days a week, during their junior and senior years preparing. “It is a joy to work on this program,” said Taylor, “It is a privilege to help young people make a career choice that is full of rewards.”

Does your service have a great program that is making a difference in your area? Let us know in the comments section below, or email ariordan@ambulance.org.

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