NAEMT Radio

Mecklenburg EMS Agency NC (MEDIC) achieves a 70% reduction in the use of lights and sirens during responses and a 78% decrease in Medic-involved traffic incidents
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 of NAEMT Radio, EMS Lawyer, Steve Wirth Esq and John ‘JP’ Peterson, Executive Director of The Mecklenburg EMS Agency, also known as MEDIC, join host Rob Lawrence to 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 Medics 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
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About our Guests
J.P. Peterson is the Executive Director at Mecklenburg EMS Agency (MEDIC) in Charlotte, North Carolina. MEDIC is the busiest EMS service in the state with over 156,000 responses in 2021. Prior to working at MEDIC, J.P. served as Vice President of Florida Operations for PatientCare EMS Solutions. In this role, he had oversight of MedFleet Ambulance Service based in Pasco County, Florida and Sunstar Paramedics in Pinellas County, Florida where he was also the Chief Operating Officer. He is the Immediate Past President of the Florida Ambulance Association and is also a member of the American Ambulance Association bylaws, professional standards, and ethics committees.
Steve Wirth is a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth. In a distinguished four-decade public safety career, Steve has worked in virtually every facet of EMS – as first responder, firefighter, EMT, paramedic, flight paramedic, EMS instructor, fire officer, and EMS executive. He was one of central Pennsylvania’s first paramedics. Steve brings a pragmatic and business-oriented perspective to his diverse legal practice having served for almost a decade as senior executive of a mid-sized air and ground ambulance service, helping to build the company from the ground up.

Recorded at the 2024 NAEMT EMS on the Hill event, Rob Lawrence chats with NAEMT President Susan Bailey and President Elect Chris Way on the bills and issues that are being discussed with elected officials and their staff this year.
Urge Congress to 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 Treatment in Place (TIP). Neither Medicaid nor Medicare currently cover TIP; because EMS is not reimbursed for care unless a patient is brought to the hospital, the current EMS economic model incentivizes transportation to a hospital emergency department, even when a less expensive level of care is appropriate.
 Reimbursing EMS agencies for TIP will save Medicare billions of dollars on unnecessary emergency department visits, shorten task times for EMS agencies struggling with workforce shortages, help decompress overcrowded hospitals and emergency departments, and meet patients’ needs without long waits at the hospital. Many hospitals hold EMS personnel for hours waiting for an available bed in the emergency department, keeping EMS responders from getting back into service and ready for the next emergency in the community.
Request House Support for the Community Paramedicine Act of 2024
Request support from your House Representatives for H.R. 8042, the Community Paramedicine Act of 2024, introduced by Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). This bill 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; award qualified entities up to $750,000 for individual applications and $1.5 million for joint applications; and establish an advisory board comprised of national community paramedicine, emergency medical service, and fire service organizations to advise, assist, and peer review grant applications in rural and underserved areas.
SIREN ACT
The SIREN Act was signed into law on December 20, 2018. This law created a grant program for public and non-profit EMS agencies and fire departments in rural areas to support the recruitment, retention, education, and equipping of EMS personnel. Rural EMS agencies and fire departments often lack the resources to pay for even basic operational needs, and this program is aimed at helping meet some of those needs.
 This successful program needs to be reauthorized. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) have introduced the SIREN Reauthorization Act, S. 265 and H.R. 4646. These bills would reauthorize SIREN Act grants for an additional five years, through 2028. S. 265 passed the Senate in December 2023.
Encourage Congress to include $32M in FY2025 for SIREN Grants
Take action today to encourage Congress to include $32M in the FY2025 budget for the Rural EMS Training and Equipment Assistance (REMSTEA) grant program, otherwise known as the SIREN grants. The REMSTEA/SIREN Act grant program, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a critical lifeline for budget-challenged rural EMS agencies and fire departments. The grants have provided much-needed funding to assist in procuring medication and medical supplies, recruiting and retaining personnel, increasing service levels from Basic Life Support to Advanced Life Support, and even replacing older ambulances with newer and safer models.
Ask Congress to Protect Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services
S.1673 and H.R. 1666 would 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. Without the extension of these ground ambulance add-ons, many ambulance service organizations will not be able to continue serving their communities.
Resources
Online Legislative Service: Online Legislative Service (naemt.org)
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About our Guests
Susan Bailey, MSEM, NRP, is the Director of the Louisiana Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and part-time faculty at Columbia Southern University where she teaches courses such as EMS Operations and Personnel Management, Risk Management Practices in EMS, and Finance of EMS Systems. She has been active in the EMS Industry since 1990 with experience in both the rural and urban setting. She has served as the NAEMT representative on the Commission on Accreditation of Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE) Board of Directors and was chair from 2018-2022.
A lifetime NAEMT member, Susan served as Vice-Chair of NAEMT’s Advocacy Committee, Chair of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, Chair of the Affiliate Advisory Committee. She also served on the Education Committee and the Finance Committee. In 2014, she was awarded the NASCO/NAEMT Paramedic of the Year Award, and in 2016 she was awarded an NAEMT Education Service Award for innovation in delivering NAEMT education programs to rural areas. Susan is a lifetime member of the Louisiana Association of National Registered EMTs (LANREMT). LANREMT awarded her the Instructor of the Year Award in 1999, a Presidential Meritorious Award in 2013, and an Outstanding Achievement award in 2018. In July 2022 she received a Raising the Bar Recognition from Columbia Southern University.
Passionate about the EMS Industry, Susan strives to bring positive attention to the work that EMS Practitioners do. She encourages EMS practitioners to expand their knowledge to grow with an ever-changing scope of practice within the EMS industry. A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Susan has a bachelor’s degree in management from Southeastern Louisiana University where she graduated magna cum laude, and earned her master’s degree in emergency management from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
About Chris Way
Christopher Way has been an emergency service professional for 28 years. Chief Way transitioned to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue as the Fire Chief in May of 2020 after serving as the Chief Officer for the Kootenai Count EMS System for the previous seven years.
Chief Way came to Idaho from Kansas where he served in Fire and EMS roles in urban, suburban and rural settings. He was an EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and now has been a licensed paramedic since 1994 as well as a certified Firefighter. Throughout his career he has held different ranks culminating most recently in his promotion to Fire Chief.  He also has significant experience in disaster management at the local, state and national level.
In addition to his full-time role as Fire Chief he is involved at the local, regional, state and national level in advocacy and leadership for emergency services.  He is the Treasurer for the National EMT Association and has served on their board and committees for several years.  He is a regular speaker at national conferences and in his spare time Chief Way and two partners own an Emergency Medicine education and consulting company. 
Passionate about emergency medical care, Governor Brad Little selected Chief Way to be the Chairman of the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council in May of 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Relations and maintains all of his Fire and EMS licenses/certifications.  He regularly donates time to his community, serves local non-profit organizations and is involved in his children’s many activities. Christopher and his wife Jennifer live in Hayden, Idaho with their two daughters and four Labradors.

We reach a milestone as we arrive at Episode 30 of the NAEMT Radio Podcast! Joining us for this edition is Henry Lewis, Executive Director of the South Carolina EMS Association and Lieutenant Joseph Coley, of Tazewell EMS, VA.  The topic of discussion with host, Rob Lawrence, is EMS Apprenticeship programs, where funding, start up, candidate selection and results are discussed.  Henry describes the programs and resources leveraged across the whole of South Carolina.  These include scholarships, apprenticeship, and rural health tuition assistance programs. Joseph describes the actions of his own department to essentially offer an earn while you learn program to increase his staffing numbers.
Resources
Also discussed in this podcast, is the work of the NAEMT Workforce Development Committee and the comprehensive resource guide they offer via Workforce Development (naemt.org) Content within the guide is shared by EMS agencies, associations and organizations and highlight how they are promoting interest of the EMS profession, recruiting new EMTs and Paramedics, and engaging and retaining their current workforce. If your agency or organization would like to share its solution(s), please send to EMSWorkforce@naemt.orgfor the NAEMT EMS Workforce Committee to consider posting.
Statewide technical college scholarship program designed to address workforce shortages in South Carolina: SC EMS Association - EMS Program Assistance
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Guests
Henry Lewis
Henry Lewis began his career in emergency services with a small, volunteer fire department in South Carolina in 1999. He quickly transitioned to the local EMS agency and gained his paramedic license in 2003, which he still maintains. As a career EMS professional, Henry has worked across all aspects of EMS to include governmental, private industry, hospital-based services, and EMS education. He served as the State EMS Coordinator for the state EMS office and in administration for the state’s largest 911 provider before transitioning to become the South Carolina EMS Association’s first Executive Director in 2021. As a working student, Henry earned his BA in Emergency Management and master’s in healthcare administration from Columbia College with honors.
Joseph Coley
Joseph Coley is a Nationally Registered NR paramedic in rural South West Virginia. He works as a Lieutenant for the Town of Tazewell EMS. Joseph has worked in EMS for 26 years now and serves with NAEMT as the advocacy coordinator for Virginia, as well as serving on the NAEMT EMS workforce committee. Joseph is married with 2 girls.

Guests for this edition of the NAEMT Radio are NAEMT Medical Director, Dr Doug Kupas, who is medical director for Geisinger EMS and co-director of Mobile Integrated Healthcare for Geisinger Health System and Dr. Joey Johnson is an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and director of clinical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 
Drs Kupas and Johnson join host Rob Lawrence to discuss Prehospital Antibiotic Administration for Suspected Open Fractures and identify that open fractures cause significant morbidity for orthopedic patients and early antibiotic administration has been shown to decrease infectious sequelae of these fractures. They discuss that prehospital administration of antibiotics has been shown to decrease time to antibiotics while maintaining a strong safety profile and identify that the COT and OTA jointly backed a position statement on the use of prehospital antibiotics in suspected open fractures and conclude that the prehospital administration of antibiotics for open fracture prophylaxis is safe, inexpensive and effective for decreasing the sequalae of open fractures.
Discussion Points
Open fractures cause significant morbidity for orthopedic patients.
Open tibia fractures have been shown to have an infection rate as high as 20%.
Fracture related infection has been shown to seriously decrease quality of life and increase the direct costs to health centers and patients for care
Early antibiotic administration has been shown to decrease infectious sequelae of these fractures.
Lack et al delineated a 65-minute window for the administration of prophylactic antibiotics in Type III open tibia fractures, after which infection rates rose significantly
There is good data on early administration for gram+ prophylaxis, gram- data is much less clear.
Prehospital administration of antibiotics has been shown to decrease time to antibiotics while maintaining a strong safety profile
Multiple studies have shown that prehospital administration of antibiotics for open fracture prophylaxis is safe, inexpensive and can decrease time to abx
Additionally, various studies have shown that EMS can be very effective at open fracture diagnosis in the field
The COT and OTA jointly backed a position statement on the use of prehospital antibiotics in suspected open fractures.
Several recommendations of use were presented in this position statement.
In a responsive patient with no history of penicillin allergy, the administration by EMS of a 1st generation cephalosporin should be performed after the management of life-threats.
In an obtunded patient with a protected airway, the administration by EMS of a 1st generation cephalosporin should be performed after the management of life-threats.
In a responsive patient with a documented penicillin allergy, the administration by EMS of a 1st generation cephalosporin should be performed with close monitoring after the management of life-threats.
Critically, administration of antibiotics should not delay transport to a trauma center or any other lifesaving interventions.
Prehospital administration of antibiotics for open fracture prophylaxis is safe, inexpensive and effective for decreasing the sequalae of open fractures.
Resources
PCRF abstracts from EMS World.
Prehospital Care Research Forum Abstracts 2023 (tandfonline.com) 
Peth A, Gregorio DJ, Studebaker SA, Muniz AD, Camacho CG, Williams B, Kupas DF, Brown LH. Safety and timeliness of emergency medical service administration of antibiotics for traumatic injuries. (PCRF Abstract) Prehosp Emerg Care. 2024;28(S1):S118-S119.
 
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About our Guests
Dr. Joey Johnson is an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and director of clinical research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Georgia prior to attending Emory Medical School. He completed his residency and first orthopedic trauma fellowship at Brown University prior to completing an AO Short Term Fellowship at Leeds General Infirmary in the UK. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, a board certified orthopedic trauma surgeon and current Future Trauma Leader on the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.
Dr. Douglas Kupas is medical director for Geisinger EMS and co-director of Mobile Integrated Healthcare for Geisinger Health System, his professional home for the past 30 years. He is a professor of emergency medicine and an EMS physician who is board-certified in both EMS and emergency medicine. Dr. Kupas also serves as the director of the Resuscitation Program at Geisinger. Dr. Kupas is an avid researcher and passionate advocate for EMS practitioners and patient safety. His clinical interests include CPR, hypothermia, end-of-life care, trauma triage, EMS patient and practitioner safety and EMS airway management.
Dr. Kupas’s EMS career began 40 years ago when he joined Lower Kiski Ambulance Service in Leechburg, PA, on his 16th birthday as a volunteer. He later became a paramedic and a physician. He earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Dr. Kupas is the Medical Director of NAEMT, President-Elect of NAEMSP, and serves on the EMS Subboard of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. In 2020, Dr. Kupas received the Rocco V. Morando Lifetime Achievement Award from NAEMT and NREMT.

Guests Melinda Wilson, community paramedic in a hospital-based EMS system in the East Tennessee Region and Justin Duncan, CEO for Washington County Ambulance District in rural Missouri join host Rob Lawrence to discuss their respective Community Paramedic / MIH Programs.  Despite the demise of ET3, the programs of both guests are thriving and sustainable and they share their operations with host Rob Lawrence.  Topics of discussion cover grant funding, business models, data quality and results, Community Paramedic credentialling and certification, rural EMS as well as ambulance and hospital ‘deserts’.
Resources:
Acute Hospital Care at Home Resources:
Acute Hospital Care at Home Resources (cms.gov)
State of Tennessee: CPC defined and requirements:
https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1200/1200-12/1200-12-07.20200315.pdf
Acute care at home waiver:
https://qualitynet.cms.gov/acute-hospital-care-at-home
CMS announces hospital at home:
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-announces-comprehensive-strategy-enhance-hospital-capacity-amid-covid-19-surge
Missouri EMS Association :  www.memsa.org         
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Melinda Wilson works as a community paramedic in a hospital organization in the East Tennessee Region.  Melinda entered the EMS workforce in 2013 as an EMT and quickly set her eyes on becoming a paramedic, which she achieved in early 2015.  She has since become a critical care paramedic and community paramedic.  She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership.  During her career, Melinda has worked in the ER of a level-one trauma/comprehensive stroke center where paramedics operate on RN scope.
She maintains part-time employment in the ER while working for an EMS system and full-time as a community paramedic.  In January of 2023, Melinda set out with 9 other paramedics to obtain community paramedic credentials.  All 10 members of this class passed and have working full force to provide advanced care at home for acute care hospital patients since March 2023.  This program is new to Tennessee and the only program like it in the state; currently operating with community paramedics at the helm of patient interactions.
 
In addition to hospital, ambulance, and community paramedic experience Melinda currently serves on two NAEMT boards and an IBSC board.  She also serves on medical missions in the Dominican Republic with a non-profit organization where her primary function is to provide medical care and translate English/Spanish.  Her husband is a paramedic as well and shares her passion for working in the ER which is where he is currently employed.  They have two wonderful children, Marcos (13) and Delmy (8) both of whom are involved in countless activities that keep both parents busy without end.
Justin Duncan serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Washington County Ambulance District which is a regional mobile healthcare system in rural Missouri.  In addition, Chief Duncan is the President of the Missouri EMS Association (MEMSA), the Chair for the Missouri State Advisory Council - EMS, Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) Sub-Committee, founding member of the Washington County MIH Network and a founding member of the Missouri Highlands MIH Network.     
Chief Duncan has endeavored to maintain both breadth and depth in all his healthcare pursuits. He is a life-long advocate for EMS professionals, an ardent supporter of education, and is constantly looking for new ways to bring innovative therapies into the out-of-hospital setting. He is particularly passionate and a fierce advocate for mobile integrated healthcare systems and driving change to ensure EMS clinicians are recognized as healthcare providers.  
Chief Duncan is proudly considered a “disruptor” in the EMS and healthcare worlds.  He constantly pushes to advance EMS systems and strives to be a catalyst for change in the healthcare world. Above all else, Chief Duncan is a dedicated servant leader and strives to support those who take care of the ill and injured.

Our guest for this edition of NAEMT Radio is Emily M. Nichols, MD. Dr Nichols is board certified in both adult and pediatric emergency medicine and has worked in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, and Baton Rouge in addition to New Orleans. Additionally, she has also worked in community clinics in urban and rural settings in the US, Costa Rica, Belize, Haiti, Brazil, and South Africa.
Rob and Dr Nichols discuss the complex and multifaceted issue that is the rise in maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the United States and prehospital obstetric care plays a crucial role in addressing and mitigating these challenges. They identify several factors contribute to the current issues surrounding prehospital obstetric care including, access to care, health disparities, provider training and resources, communication and coordination, maternal health education, systemic and policy issues and more.
Resources:
What’s behind the spike in U.S. maternal mortality:  What’s behind the spike in U.S. maternal mortality | American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)
Trends in Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity During Delivery-Related Hospitalizations in the United States, 2008 to 2021: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2806478
Faster Refill in an Urban EMS System Saves Lives: A Prospective Preliminary Evaluation of a Prehospital Advanced Resuscitative Care Bundle
Faster Refill in an Urban EMS System Saves Lives: A Prospect... : Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (lww.com)
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“There are no negatives for building a youth serving or facing EMS Training opportunity in your area – none! We have talked about how it leads to career opportunities; we’ve spoken to how young people can change the economic future of their families, on an even more practical level, young people can become empowered to help shape the wellness and longevity of their entire population by something as simple as knowing CPR in an emergency or knowing how to properly how to call help in an emergency”
In this edition of NAEMT Radio, host, Rob Lawrence hears from Chief Julius D Jackson (quoted above), EMS Program Director from Eastern High School in Washington DC and John Cavell, Education Manager from the Louisiana Department of Health Bureau of EMS as they discuss recruiting the next generation of EMS team members through High School EMS Programs.
Also in this edition, John Cavell discusses the Louisiana Bureau of EMS (LaBEMS), EMS Pathway, part of the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) Jump Start Initiative - an innovative career and technical education (CTE) program that prepares students to lead productive adult lives, capable of continuing their education after high school while earning certifications in high-wage career sectors.
After four years, the Louisiana EMS High School Pathway has grown from a handful of independent high school programs in 2015 to over 110 approved high school EMR programs and 11 EMT programs in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the high schools in the state.
Resources:
ADDRESSING THE NEED: Best Practices in Implementing High School EMS Programs:
190617ADDRESSINGTHENEED.pdf (la.gov)
HIGH SCHOOL EMS EDUCATION PROGRAM MANUAL: HIGH SCHOOL EMS EDUCATION PROGRAM GUIDE (la.gov)
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NAEMT Radio Host Rob Lawrence welcomes returning guests, Immediate Past Presidents, Bruce Evans and Matt Zavadsky to discuss urgent issues surrounding the Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT) payment. NAEMT has recently written to CMS to address their actions in withholding approval of recently submitted State Plan Amendments (SPAs) citing the potential inclusion of federally unallowable costs that are non-ambulance service delivery related. 
Ground Emergency Medical Transportation or GEMT is a program that provides reimbursements from Medicaid for EMS agencies that serve a significantly disproportionate number of low-income patients. The program offers supplemental payments to publicly owned or operated emergency ground ambulance transportation providers to cover the difference between a provider’s actual costs per GEMT transport and the Medicaid base payment, mileage and other sources of reimbursement.
Resources:
NAEMT Memo on GEMT:
https://naemt.org/docs/default-source/advocacy-documents/letters-and-comments/naemt-memo-on-gemt_25jan2024.pdf?sfvrsn=ab59f393_1
Applicable Federal Cost Principles for Ground Emergency Medical Transportation (GEMT)  - Bulletin:
CMCS Informational Bulletin (medicaid.gov)
NAEMT – EMS on the Hill:
EMS On The Hill Day (naemt.org)
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Ep 24. NAEMT Radio – Treatment in Place and Transport to Alternate Destinations
In this edition of NAEMT Radio we chat to Matt Zavadsky, Chief Transformation Officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare in Fort Worth, Steven Kroll, MHA, EMT, executive director and volunteer chief of Delmar-Bethlehem EMS in Albany County, New York and Regina Crawford, advocacy liaison for EMS Management & Consultants and member of the Senate Advisory Committee for Ground Ambulance & Patient Billing. 
With host Rob Lawrence, the panel discusses the Treatment in Place and Transport to Alternate Destinations legislative initiatives and the US Senate Bill S.3236 - Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act (EMS ROCS!) which proposes to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage of ambulance services that do not include transportation.
Resources:
S.3236 - Emergency Medical Services Reimbursement for On-Scene Care and Support Act (EMS ROCS!) - https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/3236/text
Meet the Guests:
About Matt Zavadsky
Matt is the Chief Transformation Officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare in Fort Worth, TX.  He has helped guide the implementation and financial sustainability of numerous innovative programs with healthcare partners that have transformed MedStar fully as a Mobile Integrated Healthcare provider. Most recently, he has led the negotiations with multiple third-party payers to change the basic economic model for EMS to better align patient, provider and payer focus on patient centered care as opposed to simply payment for ambulance transport.
Matt serves as an EMS SME for multiple consulting firms working with city and county leaders to evaluate and redesign EMS systems with a focus on high performance and high value for the community.
Matt also chairs NAEMT's EMS Economics Committee. He has recently worked with CMS/CMMI to help facilitate recent new payment models such as Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) model and Medicare waivers for Treatment in Place during the pandemic. He has a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, with a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Data Management.
About Regina Crawford
Regina has over 33 years of experience in EMS regulatory oversight and administration. Regina worked for the Office of EMS for over 22 years before retiring. Most recently, Regina sits on the Biden Harris Administration Senate Advisory Committee for Ground Ambulance & Patient Billing. She held the position of Regional Specialist, which included inspections, regional exams and technical assistance to EMS providers. Regina served as an advocate for EMS providers in the General Assembly to include grant funding for community paramedicine programs and other important legislative issues affecting EMS. At EMS|MC, Regina continues to serve as a strong advocate for EMS agencies across the nation, working in conjunction with other state EMS agencies on reimbursement matters and related topics. Regina holds a Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University as well as Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
About Steven Kroll
Steven Kroll, MHA, EMT, is the executive director and volunteer chief of Delmar-Bethlehem EMS in Albany County, New York. He is also the chief delivery officer at UCM Digital Health, a telehealth triage, treatment and navigation medical practice. Kroll guided the development of UCM’s EMS treat-in-place telemedicine program.
In addition to his work in prehospital care, he’s the chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Cobleskill Regional Hospital in Schoharie County, New York.
Kroll holds a Master of Health Administration from Duke University and has extensive experience in healthcare policy, advocacy, and operations. Prior roles include serving as the executive director of The Arc New York, the state’s largest developmental disability services organization; vice president of governmental affairs at the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS); and a health staffer for the U.S. Senate.
Kroll is a member and past chair of his state’s Emergency Medical Service Council. He is also NAEMT’s Advocacy Coordinator for New York and a member of the NAEMT Advocacy Committee. In 2018, he was recognized as the NAEMT/Braun Industries EMT of the Year.
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Happy New Year!  Its 2024 and NAEMT Radio begins its second year with a conversation with NAEMT President Susan Bailey. Susan and NAEMT Radio host Rob Lawrence assess the year 2023 and discuss 2024, upcoming events, activity and legislation.
Susan reinforces her key points that EMS Practitioners must be paid for the work they are doing, that they are valuable assets in the healthcare industry and reimbursement reform is the key factor to getting EMS Practitioners the pay they deserve.
Topics also discussed include advocating for our workforce including the upcoming EMS on the Hill 2024, key reports published, EMS Educational offerings, ongoing committee work, and membership and its benefits.
Resources:
EMS on the Hill: https://naemt.org/events/register
NAEMT Advocacy: https://naemt.org/advocacy
Meet our Guest:
Susan Bailey, MSEM, NRP, is the Director of the Louisiana Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and part-time faculty at Columbia Southern University where she teaches courses such as EMS Operations and Personnel Management, Risk Management Practices in EMS, and Finance of EMS Systems. She has been active in the EMS Industry since 1990 with experience in both the rural and urban setting. She has served as the NAEMT representative on the Commission on Accreditation of Prehospital Continuing Education (CAPCE) Board of Directors and was chair from 2018-2022.
A lifetime NAEMT member, Susan served as Vice-Chair of NAEMT’s Advocacy Committee, Chair of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, Chair of the Affiliate Advisory Committee. She also served on the Education Committee and the Finance Committee. In 2014, she was awarded the NASCO/NAEMT Paramedic of the Year Award, and in 2016 she was awarded an NAEMT Education Service Award for innovation in delivering NAEMT education programs to rural areas. Susan is a lifetime member of the Louisiana Association of National Registered EMTs (LANREMT). LANREMT awarded her the Instructor of the Year Award in 1999, a Presidential Meritorious Award in 2013, and an Outstanding Achievement award in 2018. In July 2022 she received a Raising the Bar Recognition from Columbia Southern University.
Passionate about the EMS Industry, Susan strives to bring positive attention to the work that EMS Practitioners do. She encourages EMS practitioners to expand their knowledge to grow with an ever-changing scope of practice within the EMS industry. A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Susan has a bachelor’s degree in management from Southeastern Louisiana University where she graduated magna cum laude, and earned her master’s degree in emergency management from Millersville University in Pennsylvania.
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