Carthage Area Rescue Squad, Inc.-Ambulance Service on LinkedIn: Report: Lack of staffing, funding hurt EMS squads (2024)

Two recent news reports in the Washington Post and Connecticut Insider highlight the plight of EMS delivery in rural and suburban communities. Since January 2021, 2,058 news reports have been chronicled, with 47% highlighting the EMS staffing crisis, and 34% highlighting the funding crisis. Combined reports of staffing and/or funding account for 80% of the media reports! 101 reports cite EMS system closures/agencies departing communities, and 92% of the news articles reference staffing challenges, funding issues and response times. You can view all the news reports, with links to source documents here: https://aimhi.mobi/news/ Special thanks to our colleague, Steve Wirth, for finding and sharing the Washington Post report!PWW Advisory Group----------------- 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞’: 𝐀 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚. 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍-𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.By Tim CraigJune 23, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT https://lnkd.in/gAicm_efNotable Quotes: "Throughout Sheffield, there is deep concern about emergency response times. Doug Kennedy, associate director of the only funeral home in the township, said he has seen more people die in their homes since the local ambulance service ended.""At many volunteer fire stations in Pennsylvania today, Ozog said, “it’s all gray hair and nobody under the age of 55. That has made it harder for fire stations to respond to emergency calls. Growing numbers of departments have also shelved their ambulance service, unable to find enough qualified volunteers who are willing to become a licensed EMT or paramedic. In some pockets of Pennsylvania, the nearest ambulance is now 40 minutes away, Ozog said."--------------------- 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞By Susan Danseyar,Staff WriterJune 23, 2024 https://lnkd.in/gAdnDJpJNotable Quotes:"Every town is facing increased call volumes and decreased manpower, whether that's volunteer or paid people," Millix said. "It's becoming harder and harder to find people to become contributing members of the organization.""The hourly wage for EMTs is $17.50 an hour, said First Selectman William “Bill” Morrison, who is also assistant chief of the West Stafford Fire Department. He pointed out less dangerous jobs such as working in the food industry pay that same wage. EMTs must also undergo extensive training that's not only time-consuming but also expensive, he said."

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🚑 Exciting News from Kyrgyzstan! 🚑The digitalisation of ambulance services in Osh, Kyrgyzstan is revolutionising emergency care, supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Check out this article highlighting the remarkable transformation:👉 "Digitalisation of ambulance service streamlines emergency care in Kyrgyzstan" https://lnkd.in/ezzR6SjF Residents of Osh used to face long waits and unreliable service from the ambulance, but since September 2023, a new digital system has drastically improved response times and overall efficiency.With the implementation of the new system:- Dispatch times have been significantly cut 🕒- Emergency teams are reaching patients faster, with over 88% dispatched within 20 minutes of the call 📞- Ambulances are now on the road within minutes of receiving an emergency call 🚨This success in Osh serves as a model for Kyrgyzstan and beyond. With plans to expand the system to other regions, we're witnessing a remarkable leap forward in emergency healthcare infrastructure.Let's celebrate this milestone in healthcare innovation! 🎉 #EmergencyCare #DigitalTransformation #HealthcareInnovation #Kyrgyzstan #AmbulanceServices #PublicHealth #DigitalHealth #TechForGood #GermanSupport #EHealth #AgileDevelopment

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'St John Ambulance appoints new CEO' Read our new article about how St John Ambulance has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive Officer, Shona Dunn CB.Full story available here: https://hubs.la/Q02xd1QK0#EST #EmergencyServicesTimes

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Addressing Healthcare Disparities in Rural Areas: A Call to ActionNew Athens is facing the alarming prospect of losing its ambulance service, a lifeline for many rural residents. This situation highlights a significant healthcare disparity that faces many rural locations. I urge everyone to watch this local news story on the situation in New Athens from KSDK. It is a stark reminder of the challenges we face and the work that needs to be done. On a personal note, my grandparents are from New Athens, and I spent a lot of my youth visiting.🔹 The Issue: In rural areas, access to healthcare services is already limited. The potential loss of ambulance services in New Athens is a stark example of this disparity, leaving residents without timely access to emergency care. This gap puts lives at risk and underscores the broader challenges faced by rural communities in accessing essential healthcare services.🔹 The Impact: For many rural residents, ambulance services are not just a convenience; they are a necessity. Without these services, residents will face prolonged wait times in emergencies, which can be the difference between life and death. Now, imagine a similarly sized town located 150-200 miles from St. Louis, even further removed from critical healthcare infrastructure. The disparities become even more pronounced, with residents experiencing even longer wait times and greater risks in medical emergencies.🔹 A Call to Action: We must advocate for better healthcare infrastructure in rural areas. This includes ensuring reliable ambulance services, investing in telehealth solutions, and supporting policies that address the unique challenges faced by rural healthcare systems. By leveraging technology and community resources, we can bridge the gap and provide equitable healthcare access to all.🔹 St. Louis as a Healthcare Hub: I firmly believe that St. Louis has the potential to become a central hub for healthcare innovation, not just for Missouri but also for Southern Illinois. By developing robust Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) programs and preventative care models, we can significantly reduce healthcare disparities. These programs can provide continuous, real-time health data to medical professionals, ensuring timely interventions and reducing the need for emergency services. Additionally, using technology to bridge the gap makes it possible to deliver high-quality preventative care, leading to better health outcomes and reducing the burden on emergency services. Lastly, technology only works with a good model and best practice behind it!Let's come together to support our rural communities and advocate for the necessary changes to provide equitable healthcare access for all. Your engagement and support can make a difference.#RuralHealthcare #HealthEquity #EmergencyServices #Telehealth #CommunitySupport #HealthcareDisparities #NewAthens #MetroEast #SupportRuralCommunities #RPM #HealthcareInnovation #StLouis #PreventativeCare

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**Urgent Call to Ambulance Services!** If your ambulance agency is looking to outsource or streamline your current communications, **Matcom Office Of Public Safety** stands ready to assist you. Our expertise spans both Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) operations - no challenge is too great or small for us to tackle.Emergency response is at the core of what we do: **EMERGENCIES ARE OUR MIDDLE NAME**. We're built to withstand the pressure, continuing to operate smoothly in the face of any challenge. But don't just take our word for it; our customers' experiences speak volumes about our capability and resilience. Let Matcom be your reliable partner in delivering critical care when it matters most.#MatcomPublicSafety #AmbulanceCommunication #EmergencyResponse #BLS #ALS

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My agency was one of the first county-based services providing Paramedic Flycar and Ambulance service in NY. One thing that I have learned over the years after talking to multiple other countries is that EMS is not cookie-cutter. What works for one place would not necessarily work for another. But what "sprint" or other initiatives to enhance resource management fail to address is the EMS professional shortage that is a result of generations of poor pay, poor treatment, poor training, and minimal support. EMS as a culture has to be the focus moving forward if we desire a sustainable prehospital medical system. Quick fixes and gimmicks will only put a bandaid on the continuous hemorrhage of trained professional EMS providers. For years, I have heard that the patient always comes first, but what we are actually saying is that everyone else comes before our EMT; what if we put our people first? What if we financially supported our employees? What if we put their needs and well-being at the top of our priority list? What if we found ways to support work-life balance and even emphasized higher education by providing tuition assistance? We would still need to look into billing and system abuse but it would be a good start.

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Have you noticed? Ambulance ramping is at crisis point and the dire consequences are back in the media. We have seen the system continue to perform poorly to be able to support our community. Recently a single mother from Qld, passing away after waiting for an ambulance for over 1.5 hours, that never came. We continue to see media coverage reporting that Ambulance ramping is worst in South Australia, with Queensland following very close behind. All states are experiencing an all-time high ambulance ramping crisis.According to the AMA Ambulance Ramping 2023 report:Australia is experiencing unforeseen levels of ramping, with reports of people needing to be driven to the emergency department as there are no available ambulances, and people dying waiting for an ambulance.I would like to take a moment here to praise our paramedics. This is not a fault of our workers, it is the system. We've heard desperate stories in the media, that paramedics are so personally concerned about the system, that some have used their own vehicles to transport patients to hospital. That certainly is dire, and clearly shows the dedication and passion of these amazing people.Read more on the Ambulance crisis here:https://lnkd.in/eUQc_UNx#ambulanceramping #blog #fastfirstaidtraining #firstaid #cpr #firstaidtraining #brisbanebusiness #ipswichbusiness #firstaidipswich #firstaidbrisbane #workplacetraining #brisbanecpr #ipswichcpr

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Addressing Night-time Landing Challenges in Air Ambulances UK Missions 🚁✨A recent post from Midlands Air Ambulance Charity shed light on the critical role of Community Emergency Lit Landing Sites (CELLS) in facilitating night-time medical responses. The reliance on these sites highlights a common challenge faced by air ambulance services during night time flight operations.In response to this challenge, we've been proactively working with Devon Air Ambulance. Our collaboration is centred on developing a solution that enhances the capabilities of air ambulances during night-time missions. By integrating our advanced geospatial technology, we aim to provide more flexible and reliable landing options, reducing dependence on CELLS and improving response times in critical scenarios.Follow our journey as we strive to make emergency medical services more efficient and accessible, ensuring that rapid assistance is available whenever and wherever it's needed.#AirAmbulance #EmergencyServices #Innovation #GeospatialTechnology #gis

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A personal thought based on something I saw on KSDK tonight. New Athens is a small village in Southern Illinois, and this article highlights the disparities residents will face by simply losing ambulance services. This town, while rural, is still close enough to St. Louis to be considered part of the Metro East, thereby driving distance to major medical centers. What about these small towns that happen to be further from major medical centers? The disparities are only more pronounced!Health Equities RPM currently has a maternal/infant initiative in the planning phase. Ask yourself...what would a high-risk mother do with no personal transportation options, no support nearby, and because of lack of funding, no ambulance services available in an emergency? As a society, do we want people to die because we can't fund services protecting them? As a society, don't we want to forge ahead with innovative solutions to provide healthcare services in new ways that can save lives by bridging the gap using digital solutions? I think many of you reading this will answer resoundingly "yes!"

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We delve into critical differences between two essential programs: the NDIS and Home Care (Aged Care). Discover funding insights, participant numbers, provider details, and more: https://buff.ly/44IWG24 #NDIS #HomeCare #SupportSystems #Australia #AgedCare #Comparison #HighLevelOverview #ParticipantNumbers #Funding #ProviderDetails

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