December 8, 2022
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Although EMS provides an essential role, only 14 states currently recognize it as an essential service. Citizens in most of the U.S. take as a given that a call to 911 for a medical emergency will result in the timely arrival of skilled help and transport.
The provision of out-of-hospital care by EMS clinicians is a fundamental pillar of public health—part of a system of care as well as a safety net for deficiencies in the system. The lack of recognition of EMS as an essential service and public good arguably hinders the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of EMS provision and—by extension—that of the nation’s health care and disaster preparedness.
Is state legislation mandating EMS as an essential service a solution to the frailty of our EMS system? Join us to discuss benefits and barriers both real and perceived. Our panel of EMS experts, including in states that have successfully recognized EMS as an official essential service, will discuss whether this legislation has improved EMS delivery and sustainability in their states.
Together with our partners, NAEMT and NASEMSO, NAEMSP President Michael Levy, MD, FAEMS will moderate our esteemed group of panelists:
Azeemuddin Ahmed, MD, MBA
Susan Bailey, NAEMT President-Elect
José G. Cabañas, MD, MPH, FAEMS, NAEMSP President-Elect
Libby Char, MD
Carol Cunningham, MD, FAAEM, FAEMS
Marc Gautreau, MD
Joe Holley, MD, FAEMS
Jon Krohmer, MD, FAEMS
Henry Lewis