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Turning learning into action: Leaders’ top takeaways from Pinnacle 2021

When EMS leaders can inform, interact, collaborate and inspire “a solution shared is a problem halved”

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Through podcasts, social posts and articles, Rob Lawrence encourages collaboration and sharing to solve the problems challenging EMS.

Greg Friese

This article originally appeared in the August 26, 2021 Paramedic Chief Leadership Briefing. To read the full briefing, see Pinnacle 2021 takeaways | PPE lowers virus risk | EMS diversity, and add the Leadership Briefing to your subscriptions.

Chiefs, on return from a conference or industry event, do you pass on the lessons learned? Or do you ask attending staff to present to those that did not attend, so all can benefit? While everyone dreads speaking on the final session of any conference, I gladly took the last agenda slot at Pinnacle 2021 and used the time and leaders present to answer a simple question, “What did you take away from this year’s Pinnacle?” Here is what they said.

Recruiting and Retention

Don Deardorff, Director of Operations of West York Ambulance, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of the 2021 Ambulance Service Manager program, developed a takeaway list of ideas on recruitment and retention which may be of use to others. Deardorff noted the need, particularly with the current COVID-induced educational pressures, to bring EMT and paramedic programs in-house and developing an ‘earn while you learn’ program providing an income as students gain knowledge and clinical experience. To retain staff, Deardorff’s list offers sound advice for any organization:

  • A good reputation.

  • A clean and well-kept facility.

  • Management with an open-door policy.

  • Management recognizing good work ethic. 

  • Preparing meals and providing holiday meals.

  • Rewarding providers who go above and beyond.

  • Holiday pay bonuses.

  • A culture that if you are sick, you should stay home.

  • Downtime is the providers’ time if all charting and station duties are complete.

Wellness

Josh McGaughy, Assistant Chief at St. Charles County Ambulance District, Missouri, took away the need for organizations to establish and develop a wellness committee and accompanying programs. Programs could include yoga, strength training and meditation techniques.

McGaughy also identified the need to look after our providers in terms of better back care. During another Pinnacle session that I facilitated, I received many knowing nods when I suggested that all tenured and senior medics can remember the call and the moment their back went or gave out.

Jeremy McLemore from Miller EMS, Oklahoma, identified the need to develop a proactive approach, as he noted, “Lifting, no matter how many fancy devices or wild contraptions we implement, there will be no substitute for pure physical strength.” This may well be in the form of gym memberships and physical training sessions conducted both on and off duty. McLemore recommends a 45-minute pure strength training program for providers that could well reduce lifting injuries as well as improve mental health, which may well be seen as an invest money to save money program.

Data

Steve Brooks, EMS Analyst from Monterey County EMS Agency, California, is clear that we must not lose sight that EMS is about serving people, patients, the public and providers but we must collect the right data to drive change within our industry and systems. Brooks identifies that any visit to any locally elected officials or health system leaders must be accompanied by robust data to demonstrate both issues and solutions to those that may not share our vision.

Steve Vardaman, Operations Manager at Eagle County Paramedic Services, Colorado, also identified that all EMS leaders must make use of deeper metrics to evaluate current deployment operations to find inefficiencies in time of day and in geographic areas

EMS as a Profession

Kelly Cope, CEO at St. Charles County Ambulance District, the 2021 Pinnacle Emerging EMS Leader Award winner, highlighted EMS funding and our ability to pay our providers a reasonable and living wage. Cope asked, “How do we overcome the funding model to compensate our providers at an appropriate level while still providing mobile healthcare with highly effective outcomes?” Cope’s sentiment is on point as we seek to legislate and lobby our way to a better reimbursement package from our federal funds, as well as ensure that insurance reimbursement reflects the true cost of doing business.

Cope also centered on the ongoing requirement to coordinate our focus and message to ensure that we consolidate our voice to communicate the need to be recognized as an essential service. Cope noted, “I was addressed by a gentleman that brought my attention to the fact that we tend to refer to ourselves as an industry, not as a profession.” His point being that we sit in the house of medicine and staff the profession that is mobile healthcare as opposed to the industry of simply hauling patients from point A to B and in that, he makes an excellent point.

I Can and I Will

Greg Friese, EMS1 Editorial Director, noted that in his EMS Trend Report session, attendees were asked to do action planning on one of four provider safety issues by writing “I will” statements for next week, next month and next budget. Several attendees had some very specific actionable and relevant ideas. Friese wrote, “I am hopeful those attendees follow through on taking action to improve provider safety in their organization.”

Friese also highlighted the messages of positivity and hope from Jessica Cox, Pinnacle keynote speaker, who was born without arms but is now a motivational speaker. Cox has learned to drive a car, play the piano, become a taekwondo black belt and fly a plane. Insisting that her disability will not stop her from living life to the fullest, Cox achieves by telling herself that “I can” and therein lies a lesson for us all.

Pinnacle informs and inspires

Pinnacle, as always, provided information, interaction, and inspiration. In the conference where faculty not only lectured but encouraged all to share lessons, problems, and solutions there was a lot to take away. Hopefully, attendees arrived back in their home locations, opened their notebooks or pads, and shared all they took away as a solution shared is a problem halved!

Make plans now for Pinnacle 2022, July 25-29, 2022

Rob Lawrence has been a leader in civilian and military EMS for over a quarter of a century. He is currently the director of strategic implementation for PRO EMS and its educational arm, Prodigy EMS, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and part-time executive director of the California Ambulance Association.

He previously served as the chief operating officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (Virginia), which won both state and national EMS Agency of the Year awards during his 10-year tenure. Additionally, he served as COO for Paramedics Plus in Alameda County, California.

Prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 2008, Rob served as the COO for the East of England Ambulance Service in Suffolk County, England, and as the executive director of operations and service development for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust. Rob is a former Army officer and graduate of the UK’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served worldwide in a 20-year military career encompassing many prehospital and evacuation leadership roles.

Rob is a board member of the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) as well as chair of the American Ambulance Association’s State Association Forum. He writes and podcasts for EMS1 and is a member of the EMS1 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with him on Twitter.

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