Bottom line up front (BLUF): Emergency care for every community depends on strong state associations working in alignment with national partners. State associations understand the realities on the ground — workforce fragility, reimbursement pressures, regulatory complexity and provider wellbeing — while national organizations bring scale, advocacy reach and coordination. When those voices align, EMS strengthens its credibility, influence and ability to deliver sustainable progress. The inaugural EMS Association Summit was created to make that alignment intentional.
KANSAS CITY — The inaugural EMS Association Summit opened not as a routine conference, but as a deliberate act of alignment. Leaders from the National Registry of EMTs, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and the American Ambulance Association stood together to welcome attendees from individual state ambulance and EMS associations, with a shared understanding: EMS has reached an inflection point.
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An inflection point for workforce and funding
“The challenges we are facing today are not confined by state borders,” leaders told the audience. “Workforce sustainability is a national issue. Reimbursement reform is a national issue.” Those words framed the summit’s purpose clearly. The pressures facing EMS staffing shortages, funding uncertainty, educational pathways and expanding expectations for mobile healthcare are not isolated problems. They are systemic challenges requiring coordinated solutions.
Chris Way, speaking from his perspective as a national association leader with roots in state leadership, reminded attendees that collaboration is not aspirational — it is essential. “What we came to realize is we agree on 95% of the things out there,” Way said. “And so if we can champion those 95% of the things, and really let each association focus on the other 5%, as long as we’re never doing anything against each other, and we look like we’re a united front, that’s a great thing.”
He went further, describing the power of unity not just conceptually, but practically. “When we’re together, and there’s thousands of us marching hand in hand, all in the same direction, we can be an unstoppable force,” he said. “None of us can do it alone, and we are better together.”
State associations as the foundation
That theme — unity as a force multiplier — was reinforced by American Ambulance Association President Jamie Pafford-Gresham, who grounded the conversation in the importance of state associations as the foundation of national progress. “The success for all of our industry really starts at the grassroots level,” Pafford-Gresham said. “We can talk about problems in Washington, but if you’re not able to take care of your problems at home, then it just snowballs.”
Her remarks reflected a fundamental truth: state associations are often the first to hear about workforce stress, reimbursement gaps, and mental health challenges among providers. They are closest to the operational front line, and therefore uniquely positioned to inform national advocacy. “I love to start at the bottom and work my way all the way to the top,” she said. “I believe that men and women in our industry are the Swiss Army knife of healthcare professionals.”
One message to lawmakers
That frontline perspective is precisely why national organizations are seeking deeper collaboration with state partners. Bill Seifarth of the National Registry of EMTs described how unity strengthens EMS credibility and effectiveness, particularly in legislative advocacy. “If you go into your state legislature or to Capitol Hill, and one organization is singing from the same hymn sheet, and then another group comes in with a different message, that shows our house is not in order,” Seifarth said.
Fragmentation weakens influence. Alignment strengthens it. “Legislatively, financially, operationally, and from a public trust perspective, there’s a lot more we can do when we’re unified,” he said. Seifarth also captured one of the summit’s most important leadership lessons in a single sentence: “Partnership is not about losing control. It’s about amplifying capacity.”
Maria Bianchi of the American Ambulance Association expanded on that idea, emphasizing that associations exist not to compete, but to serve the profession. “The amazing thing about associations is that our purpose is to serve a profession,” Bianchi said. She acknowledged that collaboration can be uncomfortable and slower at the outset, but ultimately produces stronger and more sustainable outcomes.
“Sometimes collaboration takes more time, but you’re going to get better results,” she said. “The legacy shouldn’t rely on an individual. It should reside within the collective.”
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Evolving roles for national organizations
Deb Lally of the National Association of EMTs reinforced that EMS organizations are evolving beyond traditional roles toward broader partnership and advocacy. “It’s not just about giving a test anymore,” she said. “It’s about partnerships and advocacy.” That evolution reflects the changing expectations placed on EMS. What began decades ago as fragmented local services has matured into a critical component of the healthcare system. Yet fragmentation persists — in funding models, regulatory frameworks and operational realities. The summit itself represents a conscious effort to overcome those divides. “This is a starting point,” leaders told attendees.
The goal is not uniformity. EMS will always reflect the diversity of the communities it serves. The goal is alignment of shared priorities, coordinated advocacy and mutual support. Throughout the opening session, one message was unmistakable: collaboration is no longer optional. It is the pathway to sustainability. The workforce crisis, reimbursement challenges, educational modernization and expanding clinical expectations facing EMS cannot be solved in isolation. They require coordination between state and national leadership, between associations and certifying bodies, and between advocacy and operational reality.
From conversation to action
Ultimately, the summit’s purpose is not abstract. It is grounded in the daily work of EMTs and paramedics across the country. The conversations that began here — in hallways, breakout sessions and panel discussions — are intended to carry forward into policy, governance and operational change. Because the future of EMS will not be shaped by any one organization alone. It will be shaped, as this summit made clear, by a profession willing to stand together and speak with one voice.
The final line is simple — all of EMS is forming up to hunt as a pack for the good and benefit of all because like the family we are — we may disagree inside the house, but when we are out and about we must be one!
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