Legal Issues
The legal issues topic contains news and information about legal issues affecting EMS personnel, agencies or departments. Find the latest news from personnel misconduct, to disciplinary and harassment cases, to malpractice lawsuits, as well as advice to prevent legal action with EMS training, documentation and management.
An EMS Week thank you to the dreamers and disrupters who have and will continue to improve our profession
“Every arm counts:” 4 ways to encourage more people in your community to get vaccinated
Develop clear parameters with these roles for mentors, mentees and managers
Driving an inherently unstable, multi-ton vehicle at speeds beyond your ability to maintain full control is simply a disaster waiting to happen
The jury ruled there was no criminal negligence when an ambulance on a call and a car collided at a red light, killing an 18-year old girl in 2013
Officials found no violation related to a complaint about unearned continuing education credits, but a suspension preventing the agency from responding to certain medical calls remains in place
The concept of a college-level EMS text, with collegiate-level research and writing, was something of a challenge in the world of EMS texts written at a much lower level
Too often, leaders get caught up in leading the technical and operational aspects of change and don’t budget time and energy for leading the people
Allina Health EMS serves 1 million people in Minnesota, and it’s leader has never lost sight of why he got into the business in the first place
When taking a closer look at big accomplishments, we don’t find lone leaders — we find great groups and teams
Next time you’re looking to hire for the position, look for someone with these characteristics
When supervisors really listen, they light fires of loyalty that motivate employees to bust their butts to make the supervisor and the organization more successful
Follow this five-question framework to set the direction for your agency’s future, watch the system, and support vital processes
The most demanding yet unrecognized and unrewarded job in EMS is that of the supervisor, manager and leader who really cares about their workers
Rampart is the cornerstone of a sophisticated emergency medical system with cutting-edge goals that mirror some of the leading ideas in healthcare reform, community paramedicine and mobile integrated healthcare
Touchstone spoke about EMS leadership issues, including the need for a professional standard, curriculum and credentialing for EMS officers
Here’s how EMS organizations can better prepare and mentor those promoted into supervisory or management roles
Healthcare delivery and payment is rapidly evolving; now is the time for EMS to act and be part of that change
As you build a dashboard of vital measures for your system, keep in mind the vital functions in your system which, if they failed, would have a major negative impact
Former Toronto EMS leaders Alan Craig talks about his transition to AMR, and where the agency is headed
An annual retreat where EMS leaders reflect on what they’ve learned from employees and patients helps one agency set a clear direction and establish priorities for the coming year
Fitch & Associates suggested minor tweaks to Pinellas County’s service, rather than decommissioning 25 fire-based rescue vehicles and eliminating 150 county firefighter positions
Understanding each others’ personalities fosters openness and trust, different approaches to a problem, and allows for alignment of strengths with team tasks
The simple yet powerful Model for Improvement holds the key to making real changes to an EMS organization
Rural/Metro executive Robert “Boo” Heffner accused the agency of cheating San Diego out of revenues in 2010, and then moved on to Falck, a Denmark company that operates fire and EMS services in 37 countries worldwide
From its rescue swimmer programs to its innovative use of data to improve clinical care, Nature Coast EMS is continually seeking out ways to be more efficient while doing more for the community
We must have communication practices that encourage people to speak about concerns, and encourage others to hear those concerns and give them due consideration
Eric Beck also uses a personal story as a powerful reminder of the importance of having a robust EMS system for responding to life-threatening injuries
Sedgwick County EMS implemented a policy where patients transported to an ED who call 911 again within 72 hours must be transported to the same ED
Attorney General Eric Holder plans to bring PSOB functions, including legal, under one roof, in an effort to ensure that fallen or injured officers and their families receive benefits in a timely manner
William “Bill” Brown discusses the importance of the Registry and the long road to earning the industry’s acceptance of the organization
EMS Chief Ken Bouvier talks about his nearly 40 years in EMS and what it took to prepare his city of 360,000 for the two overlapping events
Through the widespread adoption of the NEMSIS standard and the commitment among individual EMS providers to participate in building the state and national databases, EMS is showing that it can adapt to new health care realities