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EMS Medical Directors & ambulance service leaders urge lawmakers to take action and bolster critical ambulance services
 

St. Paul — EMS providers across Minnesota are confronting serious challenges as they face staff and volunteer shortages and increased demand for emergency medical services, EMS leaders said at a State Capitol press conference today. 
 
Advocates gathered in St. Paul to meet with lawmakers and encourage action this year to bolster ambulance services.
 
In the 1980s, the federal government began decreasing financial support for ambulance services, leaving local services responsible for funding. Today that contributes to financial pressures – the price tag to operate one ambulance with 24/7, 365 on-call access is close to $1 million annually. And that’s with many rural EMS programs dependent on “volunteers,” who are often modestly compensated but not at levels truly commensurate with the time they give and the services they provide.
 
Each year ambulance service providers throughout the state respond to nearly 715,000 calls for service annually using 804 individual ambulances. All Minnesotans count on EMTs and Paramedics throughout our state to provide not only transportation, but high-quality out-of-hospital care to keep Minnesotans safe and healthy.
 
Dr. Aaron Burnett practices Emergency Medicine at Regions Hospital in St. Paul and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater. He serves as an EMS Medical Director for several agencies in the Twin Cities East Metro. He believes in the importance of strong pre-hospital patient care and has witnessed the building pressure on EMS and ambulance services.
 
“This is probably one of the most important things coming up in the next 10 to 20 years as our population gets older and older,” said Dr. Burnett. “As a state we shouldn’t wait until there’s a public outcry because people can’t get an ambulance in a timely manner. Every day citizens in Minnesota rely on EMS services for emergency care. We owe it to those patients to ensure our EMS system is appropriately supported and funded at the state level.”
 
Dylan Ferguson became executive director of Minnesota’s Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board in February 2022. His organization has compiled data showing the workforce shortage in EMS, as workers leave the field in pursuit of better pay and working conditions. 

• Of EMTs not renewing their license and leaving the profession, nearly 65% are under the age of 40
• In 2021, 4,474 certifications expired while 1,558 certifications were issued – a deficit of 2,916 EMS providers
• 39% of EMS providers leaving the profession said their decision was influenced by low pay 

• Increased reimbursement levels from the Federal Government and State Government by realizing opportunities to leverage more Federal dollars for Governmental payers. Legislation will be introduced soon to address opportunities.
• A focus on improving retention of the current EMS workforce, such as the income tax subtractions for Volunteer Fire & Rescue Workers in HF 98
• Development and support for future EMS workforce, including Establishment of a Paramedic Scholarship Program, HF 165, and funding for current and new EMTs under HF 141 

We are so excited to announce that Stars of Life will be returning to MN in March 2023. 

Nominations will open in January, watch your email for announcements. 

Sponsorships opportunities are available! Email office@mnems.org for more information. 

Congress has extended the Medicare add-ons for ground ambulance services by two years, until 2024 (Section 4103) as part of the Omnibus package. 

It takes a village and we want to thank everyone who took part in the letter writing campaign, attended hill visits, or reached out to your elected officials and encouraged them to support ground ambulance services. 

NOTE: The Omnibus bill is more than 4,000 pages long. The American Ambulance Association advocacy team is still in the process of reviewing the full text and will provide a full update in a webinar in early 2023. We will share a link to that webinar when it is available. 

The Minnesota Ambulance Association's Rural Resource Center, with support from partners, recently completed a Gaps Analysis of resources available to EMS agencies, specifically resources that support the sustainability of rural EMS agencies. 

We want to thank all of our partners who provided input and perspective on this project and the many individuals and organizations who work tirelessly on the development and delivery of existing resources. 

View the 2022 Gaps Analysis here. 

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $30,000 with 100 percent funded by HRSA/HHS and $0 and 0 percent funded by nongovernment source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Nominations for Regional Directors are now OPEN through October 15. 

Click This Link or use the QR Code below to submit a nomination for Regional Director in your region. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2210mnregnom

MAA members can now view board meeting agendas, minutes and associated documents in the members section of the website. 

Note - if you have not logged into the new site, you may need to use the 'forgot password' option, or email us to get a new password emailed to you. 

Login now to view the agenda and minutes from our September 8th meeting. 

The Board of Directors made their final vote on 22-Resolution-13. The vote rescinds the resolution on eligibility requirements and allows for the National Registry to continue conversation with national partners and stakeholders to progress toward a more inclusive solution. For more information about 22-Resolution-13, click here: https://zcu.io/psD7

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