Ambulance Association looks for needed workforce development, other legislation

As local ambulances look to come up with sustainable ways to continue, the Minnesota Ambulance Association was at the Capitol last week, touting proposed legislation which would help with recruiting and retaining EMTS, and paramedics.
“We are over the moon that it’s still alive and they recognize our workforce,” Dodge Center Ambulance Director John Fox said.
According to a press release “EMS providers warned that outdated funding models, critically low Medicaid reimbursement rates, and an ongoing workforce shortage are pushing ambulance services — especially in rural and Greater Minnesota — toward collapse.”
“EMS is the safety net of our healthcare system—available 24/7, ready to respond when Minnesotans need us most,” Michael Juntunen, President of the Minnesota Ambulance Association and Community Paramedicine Coordinator at Mayo Clinic Ambulance said. “We are there for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans every year. These are not just patients. They are neighbors, friends, and family members — real people in need of help during their most vulnerable moments. EMS providers show up when Minnesotans need us most. Now, we need lawmakers to show up for EMS.”
Some of the key points the Association is looking for legislators to pass this year include passing ongoing EMS sustainability funding to stabilize the system, increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for ambulance providers, and continuing investments in EMS workforce development and training programs.
“The framework of what we were looking for seems to be (moving) forward both from the Association and my Agency’s standpoint so we are very happy about that. If I can get scholarships to help pay for things so it’s not coming out of our budget, great let’s go,” Fox said.
Fox said one aspect of the legislation would allow people to work while going to paramedic school, for example.
“Some of those things may be available to us in the future,” Fox said.
Another aspect would be to allow people to get scholarships for people to become EMTS, which would allow them to not pay for funds out of pocket which can cost upwards of $1,800 or more.
“At least I can offset that,” Fox said.
Fox said currently they charge $1,300 in Dodge Center for its once-a-year EMT course, with a lot of people asking if there are scholarships available.
Fox said Dodge Center Ambulance has a program which allows people to pay a $400 downpayment, which pays for online learning software, with the rest either being paid for through a payment plan or a one-year commitment to volunteer with Dodge Center Ambulance.
Some ambulances, like Hayfield, pay for people to take the course.
Ultimately Fox knows ambulances like his need initiatives to keep and recruit volunteers, with Dodge Center seeing what he describes as a hidden funding of approximately $500,000 to $600,000 per year in volunteer labor.
He also knows there is a growing concern of people leaving the profession. Fox noted in the last research cycle “we have more people leaving or letting their license lapse than we have new licenses or renewed licenses being issued.”
“We are still at a net loss,” Fox said.