Welcome to Day 2 Of The EMS Leadership Summit

We know EMS is relied upon as if it were an essential service, yet not funded like those that are. This film explains the undeniable value of EMS, as well as the inherent problems with the current system, and solutions others are using to formally embrace and fund this third arm of our 911 system. 

We are calling on EMS leaders support and spread the word about this advocacy film project, titled Honorable But Broken: EMS in Crisis, featuring EMS providers from NY and around the country. 

The documentary is being produced by Bryony Gilbey, a former CBS News 60 Minutes & ABC News producer and mother of three EMS professionals, and Rich Diefenbach, a former deputy bureau chief for CBS News in New York & Los Angeles. They were inspired to produce this film after learning about the plight of EMS workers.

We have created an exhibit booth featuring the film’s trailer and exclusively unseen footage for this Summit.

 EMSLeadershipSummit.com/honorable, along with the crowdfunding campaign.

One of the main reasons that employees dislike and leave their job is because they don't feel they are being heard, their managers don't listen to them, and they don't feel that anyone really cares about them. This can be easily corrected by making sure all individuals know how to successfully communicate with each other.

Communication is a two way conversation where both individuals have something to say to each other and they try their best to listen, hear, and interpret the message, and then formulate a response spoken back.

This is my own interpretation of what communication is and how it should work. In my presentation, I will go through all of the steps of basic communication because most of us haven't been taught it or, we had a class on it many years ago and now have forgotten it. I hope to teach you how to be a better communicator so that your conversations are more pleasant with your employees, co-workers, management, spouse, family, and friends.

Why is our profession seen mainly as a stepping stone? As leaders, we have failed to lead change within our community successfully.

Chief Reed will share his journey, successes and non-successes, of stepping out from what is comfortable and growing. 

1. Identify ways to navigate complex change
2. Initial steps for a new leader in an organization
3. Examples of methods to create psychological safety 

The key to growth is addressing psychological safety in clinical practice and individual wellbeing.

Utilizing layered 501(c)3, (c)5 and (c)5 statutes can an upstart movement of EMTs and Paramedics drive real change and improve morale?

Over 80 NYC Area EMS have died since 2020 when the Covid-19 Pandemic killed over 37,000 New Yorkers. Over 20% of these EMS deaths have been form self-harm or suicide. The average time on the job before our EMS members quit is 3-4 years. We all make 30-50K less than PD and FF and call volume is moving above 5500 a day. In short, the busiest EMS system in American is mismanaged, abused and exploited for the job security of FF and the profits being made by nearly 20 private companies.

Out of the Pandemic has come a social movement and a 501(c)3 called the EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PUBLIC ADVOCACY COUNCIL- EMSPAC with a proposed EMS Bill of Rights, a plan for a national organization to bring parity and justice to 4 million active and retired EMS providers.

In this panel some leaders from the Steering Committee will articulate some of the different challenges their movement faces.

Research continues to stress the importance of remaining on scene for up to 30 minutes to improve the outcome and survivability of cardiac arrest patients. But what happens when even the most successful efforts fail and a patient must now be pronounced on scene? Historically, institutions have failed to prepare first responders for this outcome, and "training" for this situation is experiential (trial and error) at best. In this discussion, you will learn about the psychosocial skill that has been overlooked in training and continuing education for far too long and some takeaways to put into use on your next cardiac arrest.

Leadership in healthcare systems is facing tumultuous, challenging times that are likely to become the new normal as we come into the post-pandemic period. As a crucial part of the EMS team, leaders of today are faced with ever-increasing responsibilities; higher levels of accountability; and multiple, ongoing stressors that can have a daily, detrimental impact on a leader's ability to succeed, let alone survive. Our first thought is that maybe the system is at fault and we need to correct, change or build another one.What if we took a different approach. A fresh look at the system to understand it better and look at what is already there. To see the resilience and health that is already built into it, but because of the chaos and busyness gets overshadowed. There is no clarity and we tend to focus on what's not working.

This presentation is an introduction to what it takes to look deeper and understand the systems that already are in place in your services.The outcomes can be measured not only in the well-being of the staff but also at the bottom line of stretched budgets.As Steven R Covey says, "It's a win-win."

EMS services struggle to convince crews to document well but it doesn't have to be hard. Yes, we need compliant documentation and payment for trips. But crews don’t need to write more; they need to capture the right information.

Attend this lively session to learn the common missteps of documentation and tips to help crews easily stay on the “right” track.

These improvements can lead to improved reimbursement for our organizations which can help support EMS and sustain our crews.