NAEMT RADIO
Episode 33 | Legislating for Critical Access Ambulance Designation. For this discussion of Critical Care Ambulance Designation and associated reimbursement we tap the insights of Steve Kroll, NAEMT Advocacy Committee vice chair and NAEMT EMS PAC Steering Committee chair, provides key insight. Legislation, if sponsored and executed, reduce the financial vulnerability of rural ambulance services and improve access to healthcare by keeping essential services in rural communities via cost-based Medicare Reimbursement.
Episode 32 | Lights and Sirens Reduction. Mecklenburg EMS Agency NC (MEDIC) achieves a 70% reduction in the use of lights and sirens during responses and a 78% reduction in Medic-involved traffic incidents. 
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We are now aware of the academic research and trials underway to reduce the use of lights and sirens during emergency response and transport. In this edition, Steve Wirth Esq, EMS lawyer, and John ‘JP’ Peterson, Executive Director of The Mecklenburg EMS Agency, discuss the reasons, risks, liability, benefits, and outcomes of L&S reduction.
Steve Wirth highlights the benefits for and risks against adopting a policy of appropriate L&S use and JP Peterson discusses MEDIC's award-winning and pioneering Response Configuration program. This initiative, launched in April 2023, strategically enhanced MEDIC's response protocols to emergency calls, leading to significant operational improvements. Notably, within six months, comprehensive data analysis highlighted that the new configuration had no negative effects on patient outcomes, optimized resource allocation, and led to a substantial 70% reduction in the use of lights and sirens during responses. Additionally, it achieved a 78% decrease in Medic-involved traffic incidents, significantly enhancing safety for both the community and emergency responders. These impressive outcomes not only demonstrate MEDIC's innovative approach to EMS but also underscore its unwavering commitment to improving patient care, safety, and efficiency within the greater Charlotte area.
Resources
Presentation to the County Board of Commissioners on L&S Reduction https://mecklenburg.ravnur.com/media/PAx21k
Medic pleased with how reduced 'light and sirens' response configuration is working: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/medic-response-changes/275-72af3aad-acb9-4ce4-ad07-6032076d250d
Episode 31 | Special EMS On The Hill Day Coverage and NAEMT Legislative Issues. Recorded at the 2024 NAEMT EMS On The Hill Day event, April 17-18, Host Rob Lawrence chats with NAEMT President Susan Bailey and President-elect Chris Way on our Requests to Congress this year:
- Support EMS Reimbursement for Treatment in Place (TIP). NAEMT has long advocated for providing EMS agencies the flexibility to navigate patients to the right care in the right setting through federal and state reimbursement of TIP. Reimbursing EMS agencies for TIP will save Medicare billions of dollars on unnecessary emergency department visits and provide needed benefits For EMS agencies.
- House Support for the Community Paramedicine Act of 2024 (H.R. 8042) would create a grant program under the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would authorize $25 million per year for five years to support community paramedicine services and other provisions.
- Support for SIREN ACT reauthorization for an additional five years and encourage Congress to include $32M in FY2025 for SIREN Grants.
- Protect Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services to extend the current temporary increases under the Medicare ambulance fee schedule of 2% urban, 3% rural and 22.6% super rural for another three years, through December 31, 2027.
Learn more: Online Legislative Service
Episode 30 | EMS Apprenticeship Programs. A discussion with Henry Lewis, executive director of the South Carolina EMS Association, and Lieutenant Joseph Coley of Tazewell EMS, Virginia, includes funding, start up, candidate selection and results. Topics also include scholarships, apprenticeship, rural health tuition assistance programs, and an earn-while-you-learn program to increase staffing numbers.
NAEMT Radio is hosted by NAEMT Member and Lighthouse Leadership Program Mentor – Rob Lawrence. View other NAEMT Radio episodes
