Worth Reposting: Health Care vs. Public Safety

[WolfmanHarris]

This was posted by the former Chief of Toronto EMS on the Facebook group, "Make Paramedics Essential." I thought it was an excellent explanation of the debate and had to repost it.

From Ron Kelusky

"I did the comprehensive review of Alberta's health system. One of the challenges was that Cities ran EMS as public safety and Health Authorities ran health care. It is one system from start to finish, from point of illness to injury to point of discharge. You are comparing yourselves to organizations (fire and police) whose only similarities are the siren's they run. The problem with being alligned with dual funders (cities and health care systems) is that when a process is developed that would benefit the patient the City can always cry "why should we pay for half of it when it is health care". Health care is moving to a completely integrated model and is designed to lessen reactive response in favour of proactive and bundled services. Being in public safety lessons your opportunity to sit at the table and be part of an integrated solution. Consider this if there are no fires or crime what happens to policing budgets? In California public safety is no longer the sacred cow. When municipal budgets get tight (as they are now and going to be in the future) services will be paired back. Municipalities are not happy with the increased costs associated with the provision of provincially mandated services such as healthcare. In Columbus OHIO a city known for being one of the fathers of Advanced EMS care recently moved back in time to full BLS. Not because of outcomes but because of cost. In government there are 3 criteria for funding (1) outcome, (2) increased capacity (3) economic efficiency. Public safety as a stand alone provides non of the above. Rise above the lights and siren optics and think of the possibilities of being integrated into health. As the population ages and technology increases the profession needs to be seen to be a partner and not a separate entity."