Returning Vets to be fast tracked medics to ease shortage

[Richard B the EMT]

P.S. I recently moved to the state where even your mailman is a Paramedic any guesses anyone?

So if one of them goes "postal", they can then treat those they shoot?

(lol)

[Dustdevil]

LOL@postal

Yeah, I was going to say Kalifornia too. Although, it feels that way in Texas sometimes too. Maybe it's the lower population density. :?

Floridia it another, though less likely possibility. In order to have a glut of medics, you have to be in a state that has very little volunteer EMS, and a lot of fire departments who offer the promise of employing anybody with a 90-day paramedic card. That doesn't leave many other possibilities.

[thatoneguy]

haha Dust came the closest. I actually moved from California to Florida. Pretty brilliant eh? Anyway, I hope that helps explain my complete disbelief in the Paramedic shortage, lol. And by the way, I apologize for the thread hijack.

[Flasurfbum]

Dang Dust, you beat me to it.

Where in Fla are ya?

[Sleeper]

As was mentioned Canada recently adopted military to civilian reciprosity for medics serving.

Their yr of schooling and clinical work gives them a PCP AKA EMT-A ticket immediately country wide. The medics faught long and hard for this and the military agreed for a reason.

- It attracts more to that military trade.

- Retention rate is higher. Canada pays its soldiers well.

- Personnel know they can go to civilian work with some transition easily.

When a military medic gets their civi ticket (while serving they are encouraged) they must meet a certain number of hours on civi bus to maintain that civilian qual. This allows them to experience the civi side of medicine and it helps augment local EMT shortages.

I do agree however that a lessor trained medic with little street cred should not be fast tracked cart blanche, its just not safe for anyone. If the program is thought out and meets standards then I think its great these guys have something else to look forward to.

My 3 cents your mileage may vary.

Sleep

[tradesman531]

While I respect our soldiers and all they do, I see this proposal as another slam on what we do.

Basically, they are stating that the returning vets should not have to endure all the traditional book learning because they already have experience on the front lines. This fast tracking of the soldiers to medic is to ease the shortage, especially in the rural areas.

Another major flaw in my opinion; obviously this scheme was concocted by someone who has no real field EMS experience or no opinion of it being a profession.

Yes the soldiers do get some kick ass front line trauma care/experience. However the thinking on the front line is vastly different than the thought processes stateside on an EMS run. Over here, patients for the most part are young and healthy, no meds, no significant history. Trauma is king, medical calls are scarce in their usual patients.

To make the statement that since they have trauma experience, they do not need to spend lots of time getting the foundation of a solid education is ludicrous.

For the record, this article is referencing the many, many Army EMTs and/or Combat Life Savers(CLS). These programs, which I am very familiar with and have taught over here in theater, in no way compare to the civilian counterpart. It is very coobook medicine with no room for individual thought or critical decision making. This is the way it has to be for these guys to survive here. The EMT course is very trauma oriented, with medical issues being glossed over. Again, I am not knocking this method, as it has saved many lives and is very necessary for this time and place.

There are many soldiers here that are competent, kick ass clinicians and medics (typically found in the AF or Navy arena) and these folks have no reciprocity issues upon returning as most of them went through a traditional EMT or Paramedic program and maintain that licensing during their entire career. That is just how the AF rolls!! Navy corpsman usually become nurses, PAs or docs.

But, we can not allow this to shortchange our patient populace or the vets themselves upon their return, which inevitablly is what this program is going to do.

............. ................. ......................

Returning Veterans to help paramedic shortage

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar announced that she is introducing federal legislation this week that is designed to relieve the shortage of emergency medical personnel, especially in rural areas, by streamlining civilian paramedic training for returning veterans who already have emergency medical experience from the military.

"On the one hand, we have a severe shortage of emergency medical personnel in rural communities," said Klobuchar. "On the other hand, we have an abundance of returning veterans who have significant training and experience. They're an ideal talent pool to relieve the shortage."

Klobuchar said her legislation, called the "Veterans-to-Paramedics Transition Act," would accelerate and streamline the transition to civilian employment for returning veterans who already have emergency medical training.

Klobuchar went on to say, "When we have soldiers who are trained to save lives on the front lines of combat, they should also have the opportunity save lives on the front lines right here at home."

Specifically, Klobuychar's legislation would provide federal grants for universities, colleges and technical schools to develop an appropriate curriculum to train these veterans and fast-track their eligibility for paramedic certification. A standard paramedic training program can take one to two years to complete.

Klobuchar's legislation has already been endorsed by the Minnesota Ambulance Association and the National Rural Health Association.

There are more than 300 licensed ambulance services in Minnesota, with 85 percent of them located outside the Twin Cities and other urban areas like Rochester, Duluth and St. Cloud.

Rural communities have long faced critical shortages in emergency medical personnel. A Minnesota Department of Health study several years ago described it as a "quiet crisis." In that study, 75 percent of rural emergency medical service providers said they needed to add more staff, and 67 percent reported having difficult covering their shifts.

"We very much welcome Senator Klobuchar's legislation to address Minnesota's shortage of emergency medical personnel," said Buck McAlpin, president of the Minnesota Ambulance Association. "Every year, one to two ambulance service operations close in rural Minnesota and, in some places, there is growing concern about whether an ambulance will even be available when someone calls 911. Minnesotans have a right to expect that a well-trained emergency responder will be there for them."

Meanwhile, thousands of men and women in the military receive emergency medical training as part of their duties. For example, 80 percent of all Army combat medics are currently certified as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) at the basic level.

When these veterans return to civilian life, however, their military-based medical training is not counted toward training and certification as civilian paramedics. Existing programs require all students to begin with an entry-level curriculum. For veterans, this means spending extra time and money for training that, in effect, they have already received.

Standing with Klobuchar at the news conference was Jesse Folk, a Minnesota National Guard member from Ortonville who served in Iraq for one year and received training as a combat medic. He described his emergency medical training and experience, as well as his frustration at trying to find a civilian paramedic education program that would recognize and build on the training he already received in the military.

"We cannot afford to squander this wealth of skill and experience, especially when rural communities have such a shortage of emergency medical personnel," said Klobuchar. "Our nation has invested in developing the skills of our servicemen and women. We need to make the most of this investment when they return to civilian life "

I could not agree more there is a time and a place to practice civilian and military style care the ability to cross train is something I would support after the returning vet resolves any issues he may have after returning from war. GOD BLESSOUR SOLDIERS

[thatoneguy]

you know, I am not trying to nitpick here, but not every vet has "issues" to be resolved when the come back. In fact there is absolutely no reason to assume a vet has issues until proven otherwise, to do so is actually quite absurd and off-putting to the individual vet.

Again, I am not trying to nitpick, and in no way am I trying to argue or point an individual out, just trying to put out some food for thought, afterall we are all only as crazy as the next guy lol.

Have a good one and be safe

[akroeze]

number of hours on civi bus to maintain that civilian qual.

Since when do Paramedics drive a bus? :shock:

[medic313]

I work in rural ems in the texas panhandle and I tell yorural there is not just a shortage in rual, but amarillo(AMS) is over 20 paramedics short. They just raised their pay, but still can't get any medics. Were I work is the highest paid rural ems in the panhandle, which is not much. Everbody wants to be a nurse because it pays much more for the same amount of schooling. I belive the shortage should increase the pay of paramedics.

[Dustdevil]

Everbody wants to be a nurse because it pays much more for the same amount of schooling. I belive the shortage should increase the pay of paramedics.

All the schools in the Panhandle require a minimum entry level of an Associates Degree? If so, that would be the very first system I have ever seen that did so.

Part of the problem in the Panhandle is that there is only one accredited paramedic school in the entire region, unless you drive to Oklahoma. Few schools = few graduates = shortage. And there is nothing attractive about moving to the Panhandle, so, unfortunately, they are unable to recruit from outside the area.

Money is a good start, but it takes more to solve a shortage. Especially in a rural area with only one accredited school. You'd have to hike wages to at least $60k plus benefits to get people to move from the big cities to the South Plains. And then you have to provide a pleasant and stable work environment for them to want to stay there for more than the usual five or less years. Running transfers, System Status Management posting, EMT-B partners, 24-hour shifts, arsehole management... all those things have to also be improved to keep people from leaving. If you can't keep people, then it doesn't matter how many people you recruit, or provide through fast-track medic mills. You're still always going to have a shortage.

Generally, it's going to take more than individual systems improving to solve the shortages. It is going to take the entire American EMS system as a whole drastically changing for the better. Don't hold your breath.