EMS public safety of healthcare.

[subliminal1284]

Okay you got me there, we do diagnose to an extent, but its not to the same extent an MD can which is what it seems to me that is what some people would like to see.

How would the increased costs from having to pay the employees up to 3x as much be dealt with? Most of our calls are paid by Medicare and we all know how medicare likes to pay. I think it would put alot of privates out of business

 

[Handsome Rob]

Okay you got me there, we do diagnose to an extent, but its not to the same extent an MD can which is what it seems to me that is what some people would like to see.

How would the increased costs from having to pay the employees up to 3x as much be dealt with? Most of our calls are paid by Medicare and we all know how medicare likes to pay. I think it would put alot of privates out of business

MOST privates...and Medicare would be nice, most of the patients utilizing EMS have none, or medicaid...which pays roughly $17.50 (for BLS in LA County - non emergency):blush:

 

[medictruth]

Ill be honest. Advanced education should be given when you first enter into paramedic school. As far as ALS vs BLS every patient should recieve an ALS assessment.

 

[mycrofft]

Health not public safety. However...

Public safety saves or prevents the public from harm. Health (EMS) repairs harm (except public health...so community health nurse are safety and EMT's are not?). This is an argument in favor of splitting EMS from Fire, I guess, and in keeping EMS out of the rescue business.

(Since field EMS technically and legally is populated mostly by "technicians", not "professionals", the knowledge base can be carried as a set by anyone, even if they are primarily employed as a firefighter, law enforcement, power company lineman, sports coach, etc.).

As for shoving the qualifications upstairs, how many trained or even semitrained potential providers are you taking off the grid (especially in rural or frontier areas) if you get rid of EMT-B's and make Paramedics a four year degree only? Nursing tried this, and the certificate schools and LVN/LPN schools are doing fine, thanks, because there is a need greater than the supply for that level of care and education and apptitude.

 

[EMTJay]

Why not have both AA and bachelors degrees for the paramedic level? This would be similar to the RN model. Keep the basic level for IFT transport and maybe for FF's. Let's keep it as a stepping stone towards becoming a medic. Have two pre-reqs for the basic course, at least four unit's of A&P and possibly college writing.

 

[itsconstant]

This question is vague.

It depends on what company you are referring to.

 

[fortsmithman]

There has been some talk from members of my service to start doing ice river rescue. As well a few senior members want to go into the schools and do some safety education explaining to kids what to do in an emergency. So if we do end up doing those then we would be public safety. As I mentioned in previous posts the Government of Canada declared EMS workers to be public safety, then again they also declared air traffic controllers to be public safety.