EMS.gov | New Resources Address Important EMS Issues
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EMS Testifies at House Ways & Means Field Hearing
Yesterday was a proud day for EMS!
Thank you to Matt Zavadsky and Medstar Mobile Healthcare for developing this highlights clip from the recent House Ways & Means field hearing focused on emergency services.
Yesterday, Dr. @ed_racht of @AMR_social and former @NAEMT_ President @mattzavadsky provided testimony at a House Ways & Means field hearing on the challenges and opportunities facing #EMS. We appreciate the Committee’s time and attention! #SupportEMS #alwaysopen #NotJustaRide pic.twitter.com/5hKSJLGEd5
— American Ambulance Association (@amerambassoc) March 19, 2024
GoAERO Competition + Informational Webinar Details
Heroes who look past danger to help people in need,
Heroes to step in to be the difference between triumph and tragedy,
And Heroes who use their minds to create technology that saves lives.
We need those Heroes.
GoAERO is offering $2+ Million in prizes for the best thinkers, creators and inventors to build Emergency Response Flyers and stretch and challenge their minds to unlock a new era of disaster and rescue response.
By unleashing the power of autonomy, speed, and precision, GoAERO is looking for the brightest, boldest and bravest to change the way we rescue and respond to disaster.
This is your chance to make history and save lives.
Register for Informational Webinars
- Tuesday, March 19th, 3pm PT/ 6pm ET: https://shorturl.at/fvCG5
EMS Gives Life | EMT Dave and Wife Kelly Need Your Help
Dave and Kelly’s Inspiring Journey
Meet Dave Raymond, a dedicated firefighter EMT, and his wife, Kelly, who has been on a courageous four-year quest to find a kidney donor. In December 2023, a ray of hope shone through when Kelly’s uncle, though not a match for her, selflessly donated a kidney on her behalf through the National Kidney Registry’s standard voucher program. While Kelly is still waiting for the perfect match, they are one significant step closer, and Dave and Kelly are feeling blessed by this development.
A Struggle Behind the Scenes
However, behind this hopeful story lies a financial crisis. Despite Dave’s tireless efforts, working multiple jobs, having private medical insurance and Medicare for Kelly, the overwhelming burden of unpaid co-pays and uncovered balances has pushed the Raymond family into a dire financial situation. They now face the imminent threat of losing their home and only vehicle, and Kelly’s health is further compromised as they are unable to schedule specialist appointments due to unpaid balances.
“Dave is working four jobs. We have both private health insurance and Medicare, and the medical bills still keep piling up. I’m on daily dialysis and can’t work. There are no more hours left in the day for Dave to work. I am worried he will lose his health and we’ll lose our home. The stress is overwhelming.” – Kelly Raymond
The Raymond Family’s Sacrifice
Dave and his son, Christopher, share a profound commitment to saving lives as firefighter EMTs. Yet, the harsh reality is that they are unable to save Kelly on their own. The burden of mounting bills has forced them to turn to their community, and their fire service/EMS family for support.
Your Chance to Make a Difference
Now is the time for us to rally together and support these everyday heroes who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Your contribution will not only ease the financial strain on the Raymond family but also allow them to focus on what matters most – Kelly’s health and well-being. Your donation can be the lifeline this family desperately needs.
Kelly’s Medical History of Diabetes and Kidney Disease
Kelly has struggled with medical issues all her life. She has Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes which created many health complications. But one by one, Kelly has overcome and moved on, keeping an incredibly optimistic outlook. In 2013 she lost her leg to diabetes but has adapted very well. In 2020 her kidneys started shutting down rapidly and it was determined that she would need a kidney transplant to live. In the meantime, Kelly is doing dialysis 7 days a week to keep going. It is difficult, but we are grateful that dialysis buys her some time while we search for a donor. Many people have stepped up for Kelly and all but one has been found medically ineligible to donate. Unfortunatley the one approved donor had a major family crisis that put kidney donation on hold indefinitely. With the National Kidney Registry standard voucher, Kelly is now waiting patiently to be matched with a living kidney donor, which will likely happen within the year.
Will you send the Raymond Family a lifeline?
Good news…
Kelly is waiting to be matched with a living kidney donor!
The need…
The Raymond family’s financial situation is dire!
We Need to Raise $20,000
- $5,000 will avoid repossession of their car
- $10,000 will remove the risk of home foreclosure
- $5,000 will cover unpaid medical bills
100% of your donation will go to the Raymond family. EMS Gives Life is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
GoAERO Competition + Informational Webinar Details
Heroes who look past danger to help people in need,
Heroes to step in to be the difference between triumph and tragedy,
And Heroes who use their minds to create technology that saves lives.
We need those Heroes.
GoAERO is offering $2+ Million in prizes for the best thinkers, creators and inventors to build Emergency Response Flyers and stretch and challenge their minds to unlock a new era of disaster and rescue response.
By unleashing the power of autonomy, speed, and precision, GoAERO is looking for the brightest, boldest and bravest to change the way we rescue and respond to disaster.
This is your chance to make history and save lives.
Register for Informational Webinars
- Thursday, February 29th, 6am PT/ 9am ET: https://shorturl.at/rtOS0
- Tuesday, March 19th, 3pm PT/ 6pm ET: https://shorturl.at/fvCG5
In Memory of the Crew of Air Evac Lifeteam N295AE
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
EMS Profiles | Meet Maryam Boyd
Maryam Boyd
Paramedic Crew Chief
Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic 911)
Charlotte, NC
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I’ve always loved science and medicine. And after losing one of my brothers in a car accident I knew there were no words to express my appreciation for the Paramedics and hospital staff that worked on him. I wanted to pay it forward and be there for people the way the Paramedics were there for my brother.
I know I have no control over the outcomes of the people I care for, but I can show up for my community and try to help in people’s worst moments like so many did for my brother and family.
What do you love about working in EMS?
There is never a day in EMS that is the same as another. There is always more to learn and more to do. It is a very raw, intimate, and humbling experience to be able to meet so many different people in different situations and come together as a team to try and help. This job makes me grateful for my blessings every day.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Make sure you take time for your hobbies and self-care. A work-life balance is crucial. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Make sure you have someone you can talk to on the hard days. I have yet to find any other role that compares to this one. This career can be heart-wrenching but it can also be absolutely exhilarating and incredible and not once have I ever felt like it wasn’t worth it.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Regardless of the outcome, what you do matters.
EMS Profiles | Meet Michele Bracken
Michele Bracken
Training Officer
Wendover Ambulance
West Wendover, NV
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How did you come to be in EMS?
I had a good friend ask me if I wanted to work on an ambulance with her. I said yes and she said ok you gotta take this class. So I enrolled in an EMT class and fell in love with it from the first day.
What do you love about working in EMS?
I love being able to help people. I love the team environment and the amazing people I get to work with every day. It’s so rewarding to be a part of a team that really makes a difference in the communities we serve.
Do you have any advice for someone considering becoming an EMT or Paramedic?
Do it! I absolutely love coming to work each shift. Work hard and ask all the questions you can in your EMT classes and during your probationary time on the ambulance. It’s the best job in the world!
The road ahead: Resuscitating EMS through trend analysisEMS One-Stop
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- 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
Randy Murry
Brett Zingarelli
Rosetta Scott, NREMT
Jameson Fernandez
