Tag Archive: EMS

What’s next? How EMS can survive the economic downturn
By Guillermo Fuentes, MBAFitch & Associates What is keeping you up at nights as EMS leaders? With COVID-19, there is the immediate risk to the population you serve, the staff you must take care of, the supplies you require and the money required to make the operations continue. Political leaders at all levels are pledging…

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The ‘M’ in EMS Stands for Medical: Tackling Fire/EMS Challenges
By Jay Fitch, PhD As I pulled on my bunker pants, I started whining about taking a middle-of-the-night, low-priority ambulance call. It was early in my career, and an older firefighter leaned over and said, “Son, remember that the M on your EMS patch stands for medical, so quit whining and just get on with…

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Fitch Insights – Chuck O’Neal
Chuck O’Neal may currently be Deputy Director of the Kentucky Board of EMS, but he has been involved in the EMS his entire life. In fact, he first intubated a mannequin at age 7! As a paramedic and a state official, Chuck offers unique perspective on working with state regulators, the challenges of rural EMS,…

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2019 EMS Trend Report: The Forces Shaping the Future of EMS
How will EMS advance at its current pace of change?

Fiscal things that can go bump in the night
By Anthony W. Minge, EdD “From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!” — Scottish saying Have you ever heard that noise in the middle of the night? You know, the one just when you are dozing off and there it is … thump! And…

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Does Diet Impact Fire/EMS Performance and Outcomes?
While it is well known that good nutrition plays a significant role in our overall wellbeing, the impact of our diet tends to fall behind issues like exercise, fatigue, and exposure to carcinogens when we discuss the health risks related to performance and safety in Fire and EMS. It is time for a closer look into what…

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Are we as collaborative as we think we are?
We know collaboration is key to thriving in our profession, especially as our communities become more interconnected. But truly fostering the collaborative relationships that can take your organization to the next level takes strong leadership and commitment. We in public safety often think we are being effective collaborators. On an incident scene, we frequently work…

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2018 EMS Trend Report: The Forces Shaping the Future of EMS
How the optimism divide between leaders and providers will shape EMS’ future

What does CMS’s support of home health monitoring mean for EMS?
Last week, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed changes to how it reimburses home health agencies. Specifically, CMS will now allow home health providers to report the costs of remote monitoring. Like many initiatives happening at the local, state and national levels, this move by CMS appears to recognize and support…

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3 Ways EMS Leaders Make or Break Paramedic Training Programs
Many EMS agencies realize that new employees, whether new graduates of pre-service paramedic programs or employees with experience in other organizations, are not fully prepared to climb into an ambulance and head out to serve the community.