Des Moines Register
DES MOINES, Iowa — The struggles of Iowa’s emergency medical system are reflected in the state Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, which has been ravaged by a series of budget cuts. The most telling sign: The bureau hasn’t had a chief in two years.
And for the past 10 years, Iowa has operated without a state EMS medical director to help shape public policy and provide a physician’s perspective on emergency care. Today, it is one of just 13 states that doesn’t have such a position.
“That’s just unconscionable,” said Don Lundy, president of the National Association of EMTs, an organization with 30,000 members. “Holy smokes. To go 10 years without a state EMS director? Golly, that’s really crazy.” Since 2002, the bureau has seen its staff shrink in size from 17 positions to 10, which means there’s less oversight of Iowa EMS services and leadership from the state on how to improve EMS care.
Full coverage: How a broken EMS system endangers Iowans