Recruitment and Retention of EMS Personnel

1
Recruitment and Retention of EMS Personnel

• A Crisis in Rural America

2
Rural And Frontier EMS Agenda for the Future

• recruitment and retention (is) the greatest
  barrier to the successful provision of
  rural/frontier EMS.

3
Lack of trained staff trumps all other issues in
rural areas studied

• EMS Community Planning and Integration Project

4

• 75 of the nations geography is rural and
  frontier.
• Over 56 million Americans, 25 of the
  population, live in a rural area
• - NRHA Issue Paper Recruitment and Retention of
  a Quality Health Workforce in Rural Areas,
  November 2005

5
The Reasons are Many

• Economics 2 wager earner families
• Aging population aging EMTs
• Level of care creep
• Increased call volumes
• Decreasing pool of volunteers
• Lack of enlightened leadership
• Daunting initial training requirements

6

• http//video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g815160b6-8f16-42
  1f-89a2-38fafb6e9deff06/64fgcopy

7
Whats To Be Done?

• Recruitment incentives
• Upgrade to some paid staffing
• Regionalize
• P, I E
• Enhance community awareness
• Affiliation with CAH
• Bridge education requirements
• All community level efforts

8
States Take The Initiative

• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
• PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ISSUES
• STATEWIDE CODE BLUE TO INCREASE STAFFING LEVELS
• EMS Organizations in Pennsylvania Band Together
  to Launch First-Ever Statewide Recruitment
  Campaign
• HARRISBURG, PA NOVEMBER 14, 2005 - In an
  attempt to prevent a looming health-care crisis,
  Pennsylvanias emergency medical community is for
  the first time joining forces to launch a
  statewide recruitment campaign. Emergency

9
Virginia A comprehensive Approach