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EMS Training and Education

Pinnacle Conference Quick Take: How EMS can be more innovative

EMS leaders at Pinnacle conference head specific recommendations to improve prehospital care from the Promoting Innovation in EMS project co-leader

July 21, 2016 11:01 AM • 
Greg Friese, MS, NRP

SAN ANTONIO ― EMS leaders were challenged to innovate in a time of tremendous change in health care by Promoting Innovation in EMS project co-leader Kevin Munjal, MD, MPH at the Pinnacle EMS Leadership conference.

While many other professions have implemented new technologies, system designs, payment models and diverse service offerings, EMS has had relatively little success in adapting to external forces or innovating to keep pace. Funded by three federal agencies, the Promoting Innovation in EMS project drew stakeholders together to develop recommendations across seven major challenge areas for EMS leaders.

  1. Legal and Regulatory
  2. Finance
  3. Education
  4. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
  5. Regional EMS Coordination
  6. Data and Telecommunication
  7. Medical Direction and Oversight

Munjal, associate medical director for prehospital care at Mount Sinai Health System, also shared strategies for EMS leaders to pursue innovative approaches to EMS delivery. He closed the presentation with five innovation tips:

  1. Excel at your core mission
  2. Promote a culture favorable for innovation
  3. Constantly engage partners to understand where the needs are
  4. Get data to get funding
  5. Begin planning for sustainability before beginning the pilot

Memorable Quotes
Here are four memorable quotes from Munjal’s presentation.

“Innovation is the process of translating an idea or innovation into a good or service that creates value for which customers will pay.”

“The time to innovate is now. Health care is changing from volume to value.”

“The solution to one problem often intersects with another problem.”

“We need the ability to coordinate our care in a region across agencies to help us better communicate with other health care providers and payers.”

Key takeaways on promoting innovation in EMS
The Promoting Innovation in EMS project will release its draft report in August. Meanwhile here are the key takeaways from Munjal’s Pinnacle presentation.

  • Study innovation: EMS leaders can learn about innovation from business and industry. Leaders can also look to innovative new practices already underway in areas like community paramedicine, stroke ambulances, prehospital ultrasound and telemedicine.
  • Promoting innovation: Innovative organizations have a culture of innovation which allows personnel to question existing structures and processes, empowers personnel to be entrepreneurial and rewards pursuit and sharing of knowledge. Innovative organizations also have access to capital and investment funding.
  • Innovation recommendations for EMS: Munjal highlighted several of the recommendations across the seven major challenge areas. For example, in the legal framework category, the project has recommended, through its iterative process, “States are encouraged to create a legislative regulatory environment that both enables early adoption of evidence-based best practices and promotes innovative practices in EMS.”
  • Education for paramedics: One of the project recommendations is the establishment of a degree requirement for paramedics. Specifically it states, “By the year 2025 EMS agencies, leadership, management and educators should support, incentivize and establish the requirement of a degree for paramedics.” Currently only two states, Kansas and Oregon, require paramedics to earn a degree.

Learn more:

Clinical EMS Management EMS Training and Education Legal Issues Paramedic Chief Pinnacle
Greg Friese, MS, NRP
Greg Friese, MS, NRP
Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is the Lexipol Editorial Director, leading the efforts of the editorial team on Police1, FireRescue1, Corrections1 and EMS1. Greg served as the EMS1 editor-in-chief for five years. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the University of Idaho. He is an educator, author, national registry paramedic since 2005, and a long-distance runner. Greg was a 2010 recipient of the EMS 10 Award for innovation. He is also a three-time Jesse H. Neal award winner, the most prestigious award in specialized journalism, and the 2018 and 2020 Eddie Award winner for best Column/Blog. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn.