State Capitol

Advocacy

Members of the Transportation Advisory Council, which includes the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin, recently authored a joint letter to the Wisconsin Department of Health (DHS) with several recommendations to improve the program as it moves forward.  The transportation contract is issued by the state and will be bid out sometime in 2018.

One recommendation offered in the letter is to remove non-emergency "ambulance" from covered services in the upcoming bid.  >> Click to review letter.

Since 2011, non-emergency ambulance transportation was first included in the broker model.  Broker services began with Logisticare and later changed to MTM, who is the current broker management company.   Under the model, ambulance services are required to get an authorization number prior to transporting a non-emergency patent.

The broker model hasn't been kind to ambulance services with brokers often short paying bills, delaying payment for months or not paying invoices at all - even after patient transportation services were provided.  It is estimated that over one-million dollars has been lost to unpaid bills since inception of the program. 

EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast

Next EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast

EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast
Wisconsin EMS Day Plans at the State Capitol Nov. 1

Special podcast reviewed EMS Day plans and talking points

>> To listen to this podcast, go to http://tobtr.com/10314789. 

On Friday, October 6, PAAW completed a special podcast to discuss the upcoming Wisconsin EMS Day at the State Capitol in Madison on November 1.  Our guests included Wisconsin Office of Rural Health Executive Director John Eich, Baraboo EMS Chief Dana Sechler and Ryan Brothers President and PAAW President Patrick Ryan.  The program was hosted by PAAW Executive Director Joe Covelli.

According to Covelli, "EMS providers don't get involved in their local ambulance service to lobby their local legislators.  However, EMS does a great job sharing stories about what they do and the pride they have in taking care of patients.  Those messages can translate into action by state government.  Legislators want to help local EMS, but they need input.  They need to hear from their constituents.  Wisconsin EMS Day offers that platform".

John, Dana and many others have been instrumental in organizing Wisconsin EMS Day.  The podcast offered insight into the day's plans and how you can be involved.

This is a critical time for EMS.  Volunteerism is down, levy limits and dwindling reimbursements are affecting funding to EMS, and services are struggling to keep ambulances staffed and their doors open.  The goal on November 1 is to talk with legislators about:

• Tax incentives to recruit and retain volunteers
• Lifting levy limits for EMS services
• Reducing unnecessary calls through use of Community Paramedics and Community EMT's

Join the group on Wednesday, November 1st, at 9 am, in Madison’s Central Library for EMS Day at the Capitol. The Associations representing Wisconsin EMS are united in holding this event. The Professional Ambulance Association of WI, the Professional Fire Fighters of WI, the WI EMS Association, and the WI State Fire Chiefs Association will all be there--and we invite you to come stand alongside them.  

Register now (Click here), so we know how many EMS providers are coming to participate, and can provide a box lunch for everyone.  Let’s show the legislators what EMS means to Wisconsin.

Wisconsin EMS Day Agenda - November 1

10:00 am   Welcome  (Partner Panel) - History, goals for today, key talking points and bills

10:30 am   Legislative speaker panel - Sen Nass, Rep Kremer, Rep Shankland, Rep Loudenbeck all invited

11:00 am Lobbying 101, what it looks like, what to expect

11:20 am Lobbying Packet Review

11:40 am The Legislative “Asks”

12:00 pm Lunch served and walk to Capitol building for visits

Wisconsin EMS Day State Capitol HQ, 2nd floor North Hearing Room. Water and snacks available, drop off feedback and requests for follow-up.

>> To listen to this podcast, go to http://tobtr.com/10314789. 

Stars of Life

They go up this hill every day, he’s telling the passerby who is seated next to him in the tall summer grass, keeping him company before all the sirens went from distant to loud, then finally silent here at the scene. The garish lights are strobing up the countryside but they are held to a dim minimum on this sunny summer day. Him and his buddy go down this hill every day to see another buddy, and then back up the hill to the ridgetop they call home. He never thought this would happen today. They were headed up the hill when the gentleman in the VFW jacket thought the engine sounded funny, “Like it was slipping gears, ya know”. Soon the driver told my patient, “I got some bad news for ya. I think we’re gonna crash.” My patient thought it best then to click on the seatbelt he’d removed to access his smokes in an inner pocket of the VFW jacket, and no sooner did the seatbelt click home than the engine did die. Within short order the steering and brakes left as well and they ended up somehow going back down the hill backwards. As my patient tells it, “after about five minutes, we rolled over. Just once I think but it’s hard to say, ya know.”

>> Click to read more of the story...

"Standby for Tones" is a blog written by Crystal Wallin, a La Crosse paramedic.  Her stories, written from real life events, bring to light the human experience in having an EMS career and work life. 

State Capitol - Madison

Over the past several years, bills have been written and passed by the Wisconsin Legislature that affect EMS--with little to no input from the EMS providers and stakeholders.  Legislators want to help EMS, but unfortunately, the recent bills feel like short-term solutions to the perceived problems.  Our elected officials need to hear from us on how to create sustainable change for EMS.  

The Kenosha Fire Department recently posted an RFP for Medical Director.

The overall medical responsibility is planning, implementation, operation, and monitoring of the emergency medical services provided by the Kenosha Fire Department. The successful candidate has medical and legal responsibility for the EMS system operations and for all medical services provided by the department as outlined in the department’s EMS operational plan.

Additional responsibilities, include: 

• Supervision, direction and management of pre-hospital medical care provided by the department, and
  

• EMS continuous quality improvement program and is actively engaged in the training and education of the department’s EMS providers.
  

It is estimated that the department Medical Director would perform services ten hours per week or forty hours per month.

>> Click to review RFP.

Sealed proposals should be sent directly to Fire Chief Charles Leipzig, City of Kenosha Fire Department, 4810 60th Street, Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144 on or before Friday, October 6th, 2017 at 4:30 P.M.

>> Click to download and listen now!

According to Mark, "The Paramedic and EMT shortage is bigger than what most may think.  We had waiting lists and could pick and choose the best candidates.  Now, we find ourselves with no waiting list or even applicants coming in looking for work".

The Wisconsin EMS Office has added two more Wisconsin Ambulance Run Data System (WARDS) Elite Training sessions.