presentation

The Troubled State of Rural EMS
and
The Good News Ahead
John Becknell
EMS Best Practices, Inc.
2008
Condition:
critical; Rural
ambulances.
(A shortage of
ambulances
in the
countryside
where they
are needed
most)
Rural EMS Crisis
•
•
•
•
•
Design
Staffing
Funding
Leadership
Expanding Role
1966 National Academy of Sciences
Accidental Death and Disability: the
Neglected Disease of Modern Society
1966 Highway Safety Act
NHTSA
Grants
National standard curricula
1973 EMS Systems Act - HEW
National system design
300+ regions
Funding
Demonstration projects
EMERGENCY!
Resuscitation
Rural EMS Crisis
•
•
•
•
•
Design
Staffing
Funding
Leadership
Expanding Role
Solution
An integrated and funded system
of rural paramedical care with the
appropriate deployment and use
of resources.
More regionalization
Getting people to do difficult
things is always about
story-telling
10 Observations
1. Rural EMS is not small urban EMS
clinical, financial, workforce, operations
urban vs. rural best practices
2. Rural EMS is always regional
3. Design matters
•resource deployment & utilization
•stakeholder involvement in leadership
•honoring the 90%
4. Volunteerism is not the future
5. Sociology of EMS is huge
Community identity
Caretaking volunteerism
Bastard child syndrome
6. All EMS is subsidized
Corporate EMS
7. Medical dollar is not reliable rural
EMS funding
8. Rural EMS is an underutilized
resource
9. A broad spectrum of regional
storytellers are needed
•Hospital administrators
•Rural health officials
•EMS medical directors
•Local and state policy makers,
leaders and legislators
•State EMS directors
•Regional EMS coordinators
10. The ideal story
•Describes where we are
•Paints a picture of the ideal system
•Outlines the next step in bridging the gap

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