Make no mistake: We’re in for a roller coaster ride. The buzz at the annual Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum, held the last week of July in Miami Beach, was all about the rapidly changing EMS landscape and how the profession needs to galvanize itself behind a coordinated response.
Interestingly, two of the most popular preconference workshops were the yin and yang of the public/private divide that has erupted in many places under the pressure of lay-offs, closed stations and budget cuts. One workshop presented the perspective of the fire service, teaching attendees how (and if) to get into the EMS business. The other—called, provocatively enough, “Fire-proofing Your Market”—took the opposite view. Perhaps not unexpectedly, many of the same people attended both, looking for insight from the other’s perspective.
Lisa Tofil, a partner in the Public Policy and Regulation Group at Holland & Knight (and interviewed in BP this past May), led off Pinnacle with a keynote analysis and update of the Field EMS Bill, the ambitious attempt by Advocates for EMS to “change the game” with a major restructuring of the underlying paradigm of how EMS is funded and positioned within the federal government. It may be a long shot to get it passed in its present form, but it has already started a national conversation that we need to have.
Jay Fitch’s opening general session acknowledged the extraordinary challenges leaders face today with his presentation “Creating a Courageous EMS Workplace Culture.” He reinforced the need for leaders to be willing to take risks—to weigh the chances of success by gauging the control you have in the outcome, assessing your own skills and finally deciding how closely the risk aligns with your organizational values. Fear of failure can be immobilizing, but as Jay quoted Frederick Wilcox: “Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”
David White, CEO of TransCare, made one of the most closely watched presentations on the new wave of EMS consolidation. David, a survivor of the consolidation craze of the ’90s, gave an insider’s account of the how and why of the first wave of consolidation and then brought the audience up to date on the latest action and what it means. (You can read more of David’s perspective in our cover story.) By the way, if you haven’t heard much about TransCare, you will. With nearly 2,000 frontline employees, it’s a progressive company that is quietly making great strides for patients and employees alike.
There were many other important presentations that we’ll be reporting on in future issues, including a discussion with Scott Hadley, director of Sedgwick County (Kan.) EMS and winner of the Pinnacle Emerging Leader Award, as well as Steve Williamson, president and CEO of the EMS Authority in Oklahoma and president of the American Ambulance Association. Steve received the Pinnacle EMS Leadership Award from Jay Fitch in a touching tribute that highlighted the personal courage he has shown in the face of adversity.
I’ll end this update on Pinnacle with a quote from the sage and always articulate Norm Dinerman, an EMS pioneer and current medical director at Eastern Maine Medical Center. As he ended his session on “tethering talent” to improve regionalized EMS care, Norm asked the audience to remember: “If my face is the last human visage which my patient sees, or my hand is the last touch which is felt, may I be worthy of that trust.”
Editor’s note: Next year’s Pinnacle will be in Colorado Springs from July 16–20.
Keith Griffiths can be reached at editorinchief@emergencybestpractices.com.
