Ninth Brain: Unleashing Power-Packed Features with Open API, Single Sign-On, and Advanced Tools!

Written by AAA Staff on February 14, 2024. Posted in Marketing & PR, News.

In the ever-evolving landscape of workforce management, Ninth Brain emerges as a pioneering force, dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that prioritize cutting-edge technology, user-friendly features, and steadfast compliance.

As Ninth Brain continues its journey, they are thrilled to unveil insights into key functionalities that position them as a leader in the industry.

Developer Open API: Seamless Integration

Central to Ninth Brain’s commitment to seamless data integration is their Developer Open API. Features like the Forms Module API Endpoint enables management to effortlessly retrieve form responses, facilitate in-depth analysis and examine with external dashboard utilization. The Run Log Module API Endpoint empowers management to monitor and analyze debriefs, chart reviews, and utilization responses, providing invaluable insights into its patient care.

OSHA Logs and Electronic Reporting: Simplified Compliance

In the realm of Emergency Medical Services, compliance with OSHA regulations is paramount. Ninth Brain’s Employee Health module streamlines the management of workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents. This not only ensures compliance but also enhances reporting efficiency, enabling EMS agencies to focus on their life-saving missions.

Captain Grey Matter/Co-Owner, Lisa Tedford, underscores the commitment: “Our team is dedicated to researching regulations and finding innovative ways to enhance our platform. We aim to alleviate tasks for busy administrators, making our partners more efficient and ensuring ongoing compliance. The recent update to the Employee Health module was driven by the need to keep agencies compliant with the new 2024 electronic reporting mandate, designed to simplify the submission process.”

Single Sign-On: Effortless Access

Ninth Brain’s adoption of Single Sign-On (SSO) has revolutionized the user experience, providing a simplified and secure login process. Centralizing authentication, SSO reduces password fatigue, enhances security, and streamlines administrative management. Password Administrators are encouraged to explore the benefits of SSO with their tech teams, as enabling this feature is an impactful and positive change.

Accreditation Assistant: Streamlined Process

Notably, Ninth Brain recently introduced the Accreditation Assistant, revolutionizing the compliance journey for EMS leaders with features tailored for accreditation and reaccreditation, streamlined processes, and intelligent recommendations, reinforcing Ninth Brain’s commitment to comprehensive solutions.

Co-Owner Holly Taylor emphasizes, “At Ninth Brain, we’re all about making things better. Our latest software enhancements? They’re like your personal efficiency boosters, helping our partners get things done smarter and keeping them in the compliance sweet spot. We’re not just here to deliver software; we’re here to make their work life a whole lot easier!”

By highlighting these features, Ninth Brain reaffirms its commitment to supporting EMS agencies in optimizing workforce management, ensuring compliance, and contributing to the successful delivery of life-saving services. As they look ahead, Ninth Brain remains at the forefront of industry compliance, continuously enhancing its software to meet the evolving needs of its clients.

About Ninth Brain: Ninth Brain’s mission is to be a long-standing partner with First Responder agencies by providing quality and intuitive software solutions that evolve with the industry. They bundle comprehensive software with a fun, devoted, and knowledgeable support team that make their clients their top priority. Throughout the past 20+ years of their journey, Ninth Brain has continuously developed enhancements to provide efficiencies, aid in industry compliance, and ultimately elevate patient care practices. Ninth Brain offers Credential Tracking, Learning Management System, Workforce Scheduling, Quality Improvement Tracking, Digital Forms and Checklists, and more! To learn more, visit www.ninthbrain.com

Contact: Holly Taylor, Chief Hat Holder

Phone: 888-364-9995 ext. 320

Email: Holly@ninthbrain.com

OHSA Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) Emergency Response Standard

Written by Scott Moore on February 8, 2024. Posted in Member Advisories, News, Operations, Regulatory.

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CMS Updates GADCS User Guide | Feb 29 Office Hours

Written by Samantha Hilker on February 7, 2024. Posted in Cost Data Collection, News.

Dear Ground Ambulance Providers and Suppliers,

Starting January 1, 2024, selected ground ambulance organizations in Year 3 and Year 4 are required to report cost, utilization, revenue, and other information to CMS. Organizations that fail to report may be subject to a 10 percent payment reduction.

Learn about an updated user guide and upcoming webinar:

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: Updated GADCS User Guide

CMS updated the step-by-step Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) User Guide to include changes that we finalized in the CY 2024 Physician Fee Schedule final rule.

More Information:

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System: Office Hours Session – February 29

Thursday, February 29 from 2–3pm ET

Do you have questions about the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS)? CMS and our contractors will address GADCS-related questions in real-time. While everyone is welcome to participate, this session will be most relevant to selected ground ambulance organizations in Year 3 and Year 4 of the GADCS as they begin reporting data to CMS in 2024.

This session will be divided into 2 topics:

2–2:30pm: GADCS instructions and how to respond to specific questions
2:30–3pm: User accounts, accessing the GADCS portal, and information technology issues

Visit Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System for resources including:

Printable version of the GADCS instrument in English and Spanish
Updated GADCS User Guide
Tip sheets on reporting and getting access to the GADCS, FAQs, and prior educational sessions
Lists of ground ambulance organizations required to participate in Years 1–4

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In Memory of the Crew of Air Evac Lifeteam N295AE

Written by AAA Staff on January 22, 2024. Posted in News, Press.

Statement from Global Medical Response

Air Evac Lifeteam is heartbroken to report that three crew members have perished in an incident that occurred on Saturday, January 20. At 11:23 pm local time AEL’s Operations Control Center (OCC) lost contact with the aircraft, a Bell 206L3 with call sign N295AE. The crew is based out of Weatherford, OK, and was returning to base after completing a patient care transport in Oklahoma City when the OCC lost contact with them. Nearby AEL teams assisted local law enforcement with the search.

Our primary focus is on supporting the families and our team members. CISM teams have been sent to assist our team members during this time.

It is with a heavy heart that we share the names of our three colleagues. Pilot Russell Haslam, Flight Nurse Adam Tebben and Flight Paramedic Steven Fitzgerald. We continue to hold their families in our hearts.

AEL has turned over the scene and investigation to the NTSB

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System Overview Webinar – January 18

Written by Samantha Hilker on January 10, 2024. Posted in Cost Data Collection, News.

Dear ground ambulance providers and suppliers,

Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System Overview Webinar – January 18

Thursday, January 18 from 2– 3:30 pm ET

Register for this webinar. While everyone is welcome to participate, this session will be most relevant to selected ground ambulance organizations in Years 3 and 4 as they start reporting Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) data to CMS in 2024.

This 60-minute presentation will cover all aspects of the GADCS, including:

Overview and key concepts
Section walkthrough
User accounts, logging in, and linking to your organization
Submitting and certifying your data

A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

More Information:

Ambulance Events webpage: The January 18 presentation will be posted here
Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System webpage:
- Printable version of the GADCS instrument in English and Spanish
- GADCS User Guide
- Tip sheets on reporting and getting access, FAQs, and prior educational sessions
- Lists of ground ambulance organizations required to participate in Years 1–4

Podcast | EMS One-Stop | Resuscitating EMS through trend analysis

Written by Rob Lawrence on December 19, 2023. Posted in News, Press.

43 min

The road ahead: Resuscitating EMS through trend analysisEMS One-Stop

- Government

Collecting and communicating the big EMS news of 2023

The American Ambulance Association and the Academy of Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) collect, collate, categorize and share weekly EMS-based news stories widely with many national organizations and associations, including NHTSA, USFA and NAEMT.

The information contained in the news tracker allows officials and EMS leaders to brief and educate journalists and elected officials, as well as the public as to the current plight of EMS. EMS is delivered on a local level and those experiencing issues with their service can believe it is just them suffering funding shortages, staffing challenges, hospital delays or general poor performance. The tracker can be used to demonstrate that the issues are occurring on a wider regional, state, national and, in some cases, international level.

In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence, who also heads up the AAA-AIMHI news collation effort, welcomes fellow news collator, Rodney Dyche of Patient Care EMS; and AIMHI Education Committee Chair, Matt Zavadsky, chief transformation officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare. Rob, Rodney and Matt examine EMS news and current trends, and discuss how these themes can be used to inform, influence and educate.

Top quotes from this episode

“There’s a perverse ‘incentive’ about response time … if you have the target of 8:59, you arrive on time and the patient dies; that’s a success. If you arrive in 9:01 and the patient lives; that’s a failure. That’s absolute garbage” — Rob Lawrence

“There was a quote from Dr. Clawson in a news story that was done in Minneapolis, and I love his quote. He says, ‘there is no evidence that using red lights and sirens have saved more lives than they’ve taken.’” — Matt Zavadsky

“Every week in this great country, an ambulance is stolen either from hospital or from scene – that’s avoidable.” — Rob Lawrence

“Stop being timid. Stop licking your wounds. Get out in your community, talk to your elected officials. Talk to your city managers or county administrators – very factually, not emotionally. There will be time for emotions, but give them the facts and let them know what it’s gonna take to resuscitate their EMS delivery system.” — Matt Zavadsky

Episode contents

00:23 – Guest introduction

02:06 – AAA/AIMHI News Tracker and story categories

04:22 – A resource to brief the press and elected officials

04:30 – Operational challenges across many states

05:50 – Massive sign-on bonuses – robbing Peter to pay Paul

06:30 – Staffing and funding issues

08:40 – Communities/local governing bodies facing the fact that they are running out of money, and their EMS isn’t free

09:40 – Transitioning from a volunteer to a paid system

11:00 – Explaining EMS economics to your elected officials

11:50 – Has anyone died? Bring data

13:30 – EMS systems closing

15:30 – “Elected officials get nervous deciding to allocate funding to a service that they haven’t had to fund or haven’t, haven’t had to fund to this certain level in the past.”

18:40 – Response time

19:25 – Increase in low acuity calls

20:30 – Service design

22:50 – Single- versus double-paramedic crewed trucks

25:04 – MEDIC Charlotte – Taking bold steps within categories of response

27:00 – The rate of ambulance crashes across the county at intersections

27:47 – If you are not the ambulance driver … who is?

29:49 – There is no evidence that using red lights and siren have saved more lives than they’ve taken!

30:30 – Stolen ambulances

32:59 – Supply chain and vehicle availability

34:00 – Rurality and ambulance deserts

35:00 – Violence against providers

37:00 – Responding to patients in crisis/agitated patients

38:00 – How to use the media log in your locality to good effect

40:00 – Final thoughts

About our guests

Matt Zavadsky is the chief transformation officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare, the exclusive emergency an

VA Final Rule Delayed One Year

Written by Meghan Winesett on November 22, 2023. Posted in Government Affairs, News.

Hot off the press! The Department of Veteran’s Affairs has announced a one year delay of the VA Final Rule. This delay pushes implementation of the final rule to February of 2025.

We want to thank all of our AAA members, partner organizations, and legislative champions for their collaborative efforts and commitment to securing this critical delay.

Please see the following press release from the Office of Senator Tester.

Following Tester Efforts, VA Takes Action to Avoid Potential Reduction in Air and Ground Transportation Services

VA delays rule that could have resulted in severe reductions in access to emergency ground and air transportation services in Montana

(Big Sandy, Mont.) – Following sustained efforts from U.S. Senator Jon Tester to protect rural veterans’ access to lifesaving emergency medical transportation services, the Department of Veterans Affairs is delaying a rule to change reimbursement rates for special mode transportation, including air and ground ambulances. This delay will give VA more time to work with stakeholders and Congress to implement the rule in a way that would ensure access and availability of emergency transportation to veterans and civilians, especially in rural America.

“The availability of emergency air and ground transportation services in Montana and rural America can be the difference between life and death,” said Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. “VA’s hasty implementation of its rate change for these services could have been the final straw for providers in rural America, and I’m glad to see VA answering my call and taking steps to fix this reimbursement issue. VA still has a lot more work to do, and I’ll continue pushing my VA Emergency Transportation Access Act to ensure VA gets this rule right for veterans and anyone who calls rural America home.”

VA’s rule was set to go into effect in February 2024, despite significant opposition from Tester, transportation providers, and Veteran Service Organizations. Now, VA is committing to delaying the rule’s effective date until February 2025, which would give the Department more time to work with providers to ensure the rule will not negatively impact their services and ability to serve veterans, especially those in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The previous implementation timeline of rate reductions could have resulted in emergency transportation providers severely reducing services, closing bases, or even billing veterans for the remainder of their costs in order to shoulder the financial impacts of this change.

Tester has led the bipartisan charge to push back on the Biden Administration’s proposed rule change and protect Montana veterans’ access to emergency medical transportation services since day one. In September 2022, he wrote to VA Secretary Denis McDonough to express his concerns with VA’s rule, and in February of this year, he called on the Secretary again to delay this rule. This September, he introduced the bipartisan VA Emergency Transportation Access Act to bar VA from reducing rates of pay and reimbursement for special mode transportation providers, including ground and air ambulances, unless the Department meets certain requirements that ensure rate changes will not reduce veterans’ access to this essential service.

The Senator also recently secured a bipartisan amendment to prohibit VA from implementing this rule in fiscal year 2024 to a key Senate bill that passed earlier this month.

Tester’s efforts have been applauded by emergency medical service leaders in Montana and across the nation. Earlier this month, the Senator was awarded Legislator of the Year by the American Ambulance Association for his work to push back on VA’s rule.