The winners of the 2023 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. Each Director will serve a 3-year term beginning January 1, 2024. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association.
Region 1 Director (3 year term)
Mike Addario
Vice President, Operations
Global Medical Response
Region 2 Director (3 year term)
Mike Thomas
Director of Government Relations & Safety
Jan-Care Ambulance
Region 3 Director (3 year term)
Kyle Wolber
Director of Logistics
Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, Inc.
Region 4 Director (3 year term)
Tom Fennell
Regulatory Officer
Mayo Clinic Ambulance
The winners of the 2022 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. The term for each position will begin on January 1, 2023. For regions 1 and 3, two directors were chosen due to vacant positions. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association.
President-Elect
Jamie Pafford-Gresham
Pafford EMS
Hope, AR
Treasurer
Julie Rose
Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, Inc.
Ashtabula, OH
Secretary
Wayne Jurecki
Bell Ambulance Service, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
Region 1 Director – 3 Year Term
Dennis Cataldo
Cataldo Ambulance Service
Somerville, MA
Region 1 Director – 1 Year Term
Mike Addario
Global Medical Response
Baldwinsville, NY
Region 2 Director – 3 Year Term
Chuck Kearns
Mercy Ambulance Service, Inc
Savannah, GA
Region 3 Director – 3 Year Term
Tom Tornstrom
Gundersen Health System-Tri-State Ambulance
La Crosse, WI
Region 3 Director – 1 Year Term
Kyle Wolber
Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service, Inc.
Winfield, IL
Nominations are open for AAA members in good standing who wish to serve the association in one of the following positions:
President-Elect
Treasurer
Secretary
Region I Director
(CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT & PR)
Region IIDirector
(AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
Region IIIDirector
(IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, TN, WI)
Region IV Director
(AR, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, OK, ND, NE, SD, TX)
Region V Director
(AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)
The nomination form must be completed by June 17th to be included in the election.
Individuals who wish to be considered for an elected position as President-Elect, Treasurer-at-Large, or Secretary must meet the following criteria:
1. Be an employee of and the designated representative of an Active member of the AAA, in good standing;
2. Be ready to devote time and effort to matters which concern the Board of Directors and to actively participate in all Board activities;
3. Be prepared to assist other AAA members with concerns and problems which relate to the ambulance industry and the workings of the AAA; and,
4. Understand that these positions provide no compensation for time or reimbursement for expenses. All travel-related expenses, including transportation, lodging and food are the responsibility of the individual and/or the sponsoring organization.
6. Have served on the AAA Board within the past five (5) years prior to his or her declaration as a candidate for election as a President-Elect, Treasurer-at-Large, or Secretary.
Individuals who wish to be considered for an elected position as Regional Director must:
1. Be the designated representative of an Active member of the AAA, in good standing;
2. Be ready to devote time and effort to matters which concern the Board of Directors and to actively participate in all Board activities;
3. Be prepared to assist other AAA members with concerns and problems which relate to the ambulance industry and the workings of the AAA; and,
4. Understand that these positions provide no compensation for time or reimbursement for expenses. All travel-related expenses, including transportation, lodging and food are the responsibility of the individual and/or the sponsoring organization.
There are no restrictions against an individual running for more than one position in the same election cycle, though no person shall hold more than one position simultaneously.All those who wish to stand for election and believe they are qualified are requested to complete a Nomination Form. Please note that we do not have two separate forms this year- just one form including the nominee info & candidate questionnaire! The form must be completed by June 17, 2022 to be included in the candidate ratification.
Candidates’ statements and pictures, as well as the position(s) for which they are running for will be listed on the AAA website.
6/17 | Nominations Close 6/24| Approval of Candidates by AAA Nominating Committee 6/28| Approval of Candidates by AAA Board of Directors 8/1 | Voting Opens
Election will be paperless. Ballots will be delivered to AAA Active Member primary contacts via email. 9/1 | Voting Closes 11:59pm 9/18 | Election results announced at the Annual Membership Meeting at the AAA Annual Conference in Nashville, TN.
About Honorary Membership
AAA accepts written nominations for worthy individuals who have significantly contributed to the accomplishments of the AAA and should therefore be recognized through the granting of Honorary Membership. Honorary Member Form►
About the Ethics Committee
It is the mission of the Ethics Committee to define and distribute guidelines that promote self-imposed high ethical standards for providers of ambulance services. The committee is responsible for hearing complaints and making appropriate recommendations regarding violations of the AAA Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. Ethics Committee Form►
The winners of the 2021 AAA Board of Directors election are listed below. The term for each position will begin on January 1, 2022. In compliance with our updated association bylaws, the candidate who received the most votes in each region will serve a one-time three year term and the candidate with the second most votes will serve a two-year term. Please join us in thanking all candidates for their service to the American Ambulance Association.
Region I
Director (3 year term)
Jim O’Connor
Vice President
Empress EMS
White Plains, NY
Director (2 year term)
Ron Quaranto
Executive Vice President of Operations
Cataldo Ambulance
Somerville, MA
Region II
Director (3 year term)
Terence Ramotar
Director of Government Affairs- Southeast Region
Global Medical Response
Tampa, FL
Director (2 year term)
Mike Thomas
Director of Safety & Government Relations
Jan-Care Ambulance
Beckley, WV
Region III
Director (3 year term)
Chris Anderson
Director of Operations
Bell Ambulance, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
Director (2 year term)
Tom Schmiedeknecht
Director of Operations / President
Professional Med Team
Muskegon, MI
Region IV
Director (3 year term)
Angie McLain-Johnson
Chief Compliance and Revenue Officer
Pafford EMS
Edmond, OK
Director (2 year term)
Tom Fennell
Regulatory Officer
Mayo Clinic Ambulance
Rochester, MN
Region V
Director (3 year term)
Paul Main
President / General Manager
American Ambulance of Visalia
Visalia, CA
Director (2 year term)
Chris Archuleta
CEO
Superior Ambulance Service, Inc
Albuquerque, NM
In accordance with the Bylaws of the American Ambulance Association, it is time to call for members in good standing that wish to serve the association in one of the following positions:
Region I Director
(CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI & VT)
Region IIDirector
(AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
Region IIIDirector
(IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, TN, WI)
Region IV Director
(AR, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, OK, ND, NE, SD, TX)
Region V Director
(AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)
Ethics Committee Member
(Open to all regions)
Due to recent bylaws changes, this year’s election will result in ten new Region Directors, two in each region. The candidate with the most votes in each region will serve a one-time, three-year term and the candidate with the second most votes in each region will serve a one-time, two-year term.
AAA Regional Director Qualifications
Individuals who wish to be considered for an elected position as Regional Director must:
Be the designated representative of an Active Member of the AAA, in good standing;
Be ready to devote time and effort to matters which concern the Board of Directors and to actively participate in all Board activities;
Be prepared to assist other AAA members with concerns and problems which relate to the ambulance industry and the workings of the AAA; and,
Understand that these positions provide no compensation for time or reimbursement for expenses. All travel-related expenses, including transportation, lodging, and food are the responsibility of the individual and/or the sponsoring organization.
Both forms must be completed by the September 13 deadline!
All those who wish to stand for election and believe they are qualified are requested to complete a Nomination Form as well as answer the Candidate Questionnaire, which describes both their qualifications and reasons for wanting to participate in the leadership of the AAA.
(Please note that the Nomination Form may be completed by any designated contact for an AAA Active member for him or herself, or on behalf of another designated contact at a fellow AAA active member service. The Candidate Questionnaire must be completed by the nominee.)
Candidates’ statements and pictures, as well as the position(s) for which they are running, will be listed on the AAA website.
8/19 | Nominations Open 9/13 | Nominations Close 9/21| Approval of Candidates by AAA Board of Directors 10/6 | Voting Opens. Election will be paperless. Ballots will be delivered to AAA Active Member primary contacts via email. 10/21 | Voting Closes 11:59pm 11/1 | Election results announced at the AAA membership meeting at the Annual Conference.
AAA accepts written nominations for worthy individuals who have significantly contributed to the accomplishments of the AAA and should therefore be recognized through the granting of Honorary Membership. Nominate►
It is the mission of the Ethics Committee to define and distribute guidelines that promote self-imposed high ethical standards for providers of ambulance services. The committee is responsible for hearing complaints and making appropriate recommendations regarding violations of the AAA Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. Apply to join►
As we enter, hopefully, a happier new year, several of our national associations that have been at the forefront of collaborative advocacy efforts and the voices of the EMS profession have undergone planned changes in their leadership.
To welcome in 2021, I sat down, via Zoom, with Shawn Baird, incoming president of the American Ambulance Association and asked him about 2020 and his thoughts on the future of our industry. Shawn is the vice president for rural services with MetroWest Ambulance Family of Companies in Oregon. Shawn spent the last two years serving the AAA as president elect and has been at the center of AAA activity and advocacy.
27-member group to create sequencing for COVID-19 immunizations
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Health Authority has completed recruitment for its Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) that will determine the sequence in which new COVID-19 vaccines are distributed around the state.
The 27-member committee will advise OHA on vaccine sequencing for phases 1b, 1c and 2 of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, with the goal of prioritizing communities most affected by COVID-19. The COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee will be grounded in OHA’s definition of health equity, which—as cited in this excerpt—is a health system where “all people can reach their full health potential and well-being and are not disadvantaged by their race, ethnicity, language, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances.”
To advance health equity, and counter unjust COVID-19 inequities, the COVID-19 VAC will:
Advise OHA on the ethical principles that should guide decisions on sequencing of COVID-19 vaccines.
Review data on COVID-19 and immunization inequities.
Advise OHA on which workers, high-risk groups or critical populations should be sequenced at what time, taking into consideration where they are located across the state.
The committee roster is as follows:
Aileen Duldulao
Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition
Cherity Bloom-Miller
Siletz Community Health Clinic
Christine Sanders
Rockwood Community Development Corp.
Daysi Bedolla Sotelo
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
DeLeesa Meashintubby
Volunteers in Medicine
Debra Whitefoot
Nch’i Wana Housing
Derick Du Vivier
Oregon Health & Science University
Dolores Martinez
Euvalcree
George Conway
Deschutes County Health Services
Kalani Raphael
Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition
Kelly Gonzales
Portland State University
Kristin Milligan
Community Volunteer Network
Laurie Skokan
Providence Health & Services
Leslie Sutton
Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities
Maleka Taylor
The Miracles Club
Maria Loredo
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center
Marin Arreola
Interface Network
Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown
Crook County Health Department
Musse Olol
Somali American Council of Oregon
Nannette Carter-Jafri
SEIU Local 503 Indigenous People’s Caucus
Ruth Gulyas
LeadingAge Oregon
Safina Koreishi
Columbia Pacific CCO
Sandra McDonough
Oregon Business & Industry
Shawn Baird
Metro West Ambulance Service
Sue Steward
Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Tsering Sherpa
The Rosewood Initiative
Zhenya Abbruzzese
Adventist Health
“The COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee brings tremendous lived and professional experience to guide OHA’s decisions about vaccine sequencing in a way that upholds OHA’s goal to eliminate health inequities by 2030,” said Cara Biddlecom, OHA deputy public health director.
“Members of this committee represent communities that have been unjustly impacted by COVID-19, including tribal communities and communities of color, and OHA is committed to involving community members in the decision-making processes that affect their lives.”
The committee’s first public meeting is Thursday, Jan. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. The meeting can be accessed via conference line at 669-254-5252; meeting ID: 160 583 9896.
Aarron Reinert President American Ambulance Association
Dear Fellow AAA Members,
I write to you today during what we all recognize as an extraordinary time for EMS. As we collectively serve on the very front lines of the COVID-19 epidemic, we know that the most challenging times are still ahead. However, I am heartened by the collective resolve of the members of the American Ambulance Association to provide 24/7 on-demand mobile healthcare, no matter the circumstances.
As President of the Association, I am sharing below a brief summary of the AAA’s activities to support its members in the face of this devastating disease.
COVID-19 Content & Approach
Coronavirus Working Group—AAA Region III Director Tom Tornstrom, Executive Director of Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance, has been appointed to lead the AAA Coronavirus Working Group. The team includes AAA’s lobbyists, leadership, staff, and members from across the nation. We meet frequently and collaborate constantly to track challenges and find solutions to EMS issues relating to COVID-19 response. Sample topics include:
First responder safety and wellness
Reimbursement for alternative destinations, treatment in place, and mobile testing
Paperwork reduction / waivers
Advocating for policies in federal legislation that support mobile healthcare and redacting those that can negatively impact the industry
Members will receive updates via our Digest e-newsletter as we continue to make progress on these and other issues.
Representation in Stakeholder Groups—From CMS to Congress to local mayors, AAA has representatives and members working with legislators, regulators, and officials at every level of government to advocate for EMS. Simultaneously, AAA leaders are working to showcase mobile healthcare’s unique strengths and capabilities for addressing the viral threat.
Member Newsletter—The frequency of our member Digest e-newsletter has been increased from weekly to near-daily to ensure that we are curating and communicating the most relevant and important information.
COVID-19 Archive—All AAA posts related to the virus can be found on our website. A COVID-19 resource link has been added to the top navigation of the AAA website for easy access by providers.
Association Events & Operations
Stars of Life—Out of an abundance of caution, the Stars of Life event in Washington has been canceled. All blocked rooms will be canceled and refunded by the hotel, and all attendee registration fees will be refunded by diflucan. Staff is working on the development of meaningful ways to celebrate 2020 Stars outside of the context of an in-person event.
Ambulance Cost Education (Cost Collection)—A plan is in place to move ACE Gold cost collection education from face-to-face to an interactive online learning environment. Subscribers can expect additional updates in early April.
Headquarters—Association staff is all working remotely whenever possible. Staff is adhering to strict health, hygiene, and social distancing. All order fulfillment, mail processing, and other functions have been moved offsite.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to staff at info@ambulance.org or 202-802-9020 if we can be of any assistance. Thank you again for your service to your communities during this very difficult time.
Aarron Reinert
President, American Ambulance Association
Aarron Reinert President American Ambulance Association
Since I assumed the office of president last month at our Annual Conference, I have been deeply moved by the selfless actions of ambulance services across the nation as they responded to natural disasters. As always, EMS answered the call to help with humanity, efficiency, and professionalism. My thoughts are with those impacted by the recent storms as well as the thousands of EMTs and Paramedics currently helping with Hurricane Michael recovery.
Annual Conference & Trade Show
Thanks to each of you who attended, exhibited at, or sponsored this year’s impressive Annual Conference & Trade Show. We appreciate your support and participation—it could not have been such a success without you. Once again, congratulations to our AMBY and AAA award winners! I would also like to welcome our new board members and thank those who continue to serve. At the conference, I took a few minutes to share my thoughts about the future of our association. If you missed it, you can catch up via video or essay on the AAA site.
We can’t wait to see you in Nashville next November 4-6, 2019! Please check back at www.annual.ambulance.org early next year for more attendee information.
Opioids
The AAA continues to press policy initiatives with Congress and the Administration that are important to our members. The AAA is pleased to report that language we supported on grant funding for opioid protection training for first responders has passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate and is now headed to the President’s desk. The Senate passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act with a bipartisan vote of 98-1 in the last necessary needed action before being signed into law by the President. The impact of this legislation on the ambulance industry includes providing resources and training so that first responders and other key community sectors, including emergency medical services agencies, can appropriately protect themselves from exposure to drugs such as fentanyl, carfentanil and other dangerous licit and illicit drugs. The legislation also allows the Department of Labor to award grants to states that have been heavily impacted by the opioid crisis to assist local workforce boards and local partnerships in closing the gaps in the workforce for mental health care and substance use disorder.
Dialysis
The AAA is also working on legislation that would restructure the additional cuts dialysis transport reimbursement that went into effect on October 1, 2018. Congress included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 an offset to go along with the extension of the add-ons that will cut reimbursement for BLS nonemergency transports to and from dialysis centers by an additional 13%. This will be on top of the existing 10% reduction. The NEATSA Act (H.R.6269) by Congressman LaHood (R-IL) and Congresswoman Sewell (D-AL) would restructure the offset so that a majority of the additional reduction would be focused on those ambulance service agencies in which 50% or more of their volume are repetitive BLS nonemergency transports. In the Senate, Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) had previously agreed to drop a companion Bill. Thanks to the help of the AAA’s members in Alabama, Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) just agreed to co-sponsor this legislation with Senator Cassidy. The AAA will announce the Senate Bill number as soon as it is introduced.
Veterans Affairs
The AAA has also been working on improving the timely reimbursement of emergency ambulance services by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Currently, the VA is the only major payer that does not follow the prudent layperson standard. This happens despite this standard being included in their own regulations regarding reimbursement for emergency care for veterans.
The AAA continues to work closely with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) to get a similar Bill introduced in the Senate during the next Congress. The AAA and representatives from Maine also met with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and her staff who helped include some critical language related to this issue in the Senate’s FY2019 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill (S. 3024). The language can be found in the Senate’s Committee Report on that Bill. This is a crucial step in the right direction to ensure that our veterans receive the highest quality care and that ambulance service providers are adequately reimbursed in a timely manner.
The AAA’s data analyst estimates that since ambulance services are already covered services that there should be no score (cost) for this Bill. Additionally, if the Congressional Budget Office were to account for those claims that the VA is improperly denying, the estimated cost would be $270 million over ten years.
Cost Data Collection
The continues to work closely with Congress and the CMS on the creation and implementation of the new cost collection system for ambulance services. The AAA spent the last four years thinking about how CMS should collect data from ambulance service suppliers and providers, and how we can assist in helping services prepare and respond to the cost data survey. We’re developing material and resources to help ambulance service suppliers and providers prepare for being selected to provide their cost data. Though many of the finer specifics of the framework and data elements are still to be confirmed by CMS, the AAA has an in-depth and insider understanding of the anticipated process and elements.
For information on the AAA resources, please access the ambulance cost data collection webpage at www.ambulancereports.org. The AAA will announce new developments in the cost collection system via email. Although the possibility of your organization being selected to provide data is still a couple of years away, it’s important that you start preparing now.
At the AAA’s Annual Conference & Tradeshow last month in Las Vegas, CMS, through its contractor the RAND Corporation, convened a focus group where they selected several AAA members to talk directly with the contractor. The discussion centered around characteristics of ambulance services that matter for determining costs. The group also talked about how data is currently captured at the state and local levels, as well as how data is tracked within ambulance services. There was also a lot of discussion about the importance of standardizing data elements and not relying upon different state or local definitions, which could confound the data and make it impossible to compare costs across states. CMS is now reaching out to others in the industry for input. If you receive an email or a phone call from RAND Corporation, please respond. If you have questions about, or would like assistance with this project, please contact Tristan North at tnorth@ambulance.org.
SIREN Act
Lastly, the AAA is the working to ensure that the SIREN Act (S. 2830, H.R. 5429) which would reauthorize the Rural EMS Grant program and makes all provider types eligible to apply for these grants.
Membership Renewal Time
Membership is the fuel that powers our advocacy engine and enables us to offer the innovative benefits your service has come to rely on. If you have already renewed, please accept our most sincere thanks for your continued support. If you have not yet submitted payment for this year’s membership, I encourage you to renew online or reach out to staff at info@ambulance.org for assistance. AAA needs your support through membership to continue our industry-advancing work.
Thank you for entrusting me to serve as the president of your association. It is my pleasure to lead such a talented cadre of dedicated healthcare professionals. I wish you a happy Halloween and a wonderful holiday season.
Aarron Reinert
President
American Ambulance Association
Adapted from Aarron Reinert’s address at the
2018 American Ambulance Association
Membership Meeting & Awards
Dear Fellow Member:
I write today to introduce myself as the new President of the American Ambulance Association. It is my honor to serve on your behalf, and I wanted to share with you a bit about my vision for our association over these next two years.
Aarron Reinert President American Ambulance Association
Choices & Challenges
As I prepared to take office, I spent a lot of time thinking deeply about where we’ve come, where we are, and where we’re going. It occurs to me that the next two years will likely be about choices: We can choose to be an association that is the nation’s voice for ambulances services; or we can choose not to. We can choose to stand tall in the face of adversity; or we can choose not to. We can choose to work even harder, even when we passionately disagree with one another; or we can choose not to. And we can choose to do this hard work in concert with associations outside of our own, especially those that disagree with us. Or, here again, we can choose not to.
We have challenging work in front of us. One of the most demanding projects will be to use our voice of influence to advance the design of a cost collection system that works for all of our nation’s ambulance services, whether they are small, large, urban, rural, private for-profit, private not-for-profit, hospital-based, or fire-based. We can choose to lead our industry over the next two years and beyond by spearheading the next evolution of our reimbursement system. We can choose to do this work together, despite passionate disagreements amongst ourselves and with others. We can choose to speak with one unified voice.
Leadership Principles
As I lead the association over the next two years, I aspire to emulate leaders like Stephen Covey. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, he described what I like to call the Habit of Listening: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” I also look to Margaret Wheatley, who described that, “Leaders do not deny that there’s a darkness. They simply choose not to live in it.” These next few years will likely have some darkness, and we can choose to wallow in it or we can choose to rise above it.
Something Maya Angelou said also resonates deeply with me: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” It is my hope that during my presidency, you will all feel truly heard, as well as appreciated for the life-saving and life-sustaining work that you do, day-in and day-out.
Many Providers, One Voice
When you think about the future of our industry, I ask you to consider the mighty sequoias. Many of these trees are more than 350 feet tall or weigh in above 500 tons. Intuition would suggest that a tree of this size must have a tap root that goes down hundreds of feet. However, they don’t. The root system of these towering redwoods actually goes down only 10 or 15 feet. How can these massive trees stand up against earthquakes, winds, prolonged flooding, and other existential threats? They stand up together. The roots of these giants are actually intertwined with those of their neighboring trees. Buy Provigil (Modafinil) http://buyprovigilsafe.com/how-to-buy-provigil-online/
If we were to push away all the dirt and examine their foundation, what we would see is something that looks very much like an army of men and women who have their arms locked together. The trees help hold each other up, help each other stand tall. They’re not only supporting one another: the sequoias are also sharing nutrients.
As I think about this story in the context of our association, I see our member ambulance services as a forest of redwoods standing tall. Together, we are leaders in our industry and leaders in our nation’s EMS system. If we can indeed link our arms together, not just within this association, but including fellow stakeholder groups, couldn’t we support one another? Couldn’t we speak with one voice? Couldn’t we heal from these past difficult years, and move mobile healthcare forward? I think we can. Together, we can accomplish great things, and make soundly the difficult choices that we face. And while there will be many who will work on forging the future of our industry, I hope that I can play a small role in leading our association these next couple of years.
Thank you for your time, thought, and support, and I look forward to two years of sustained collaboration, cooperation, and success.
Aarron Reinert
President
American Ambulance Association
Watch President Reinert’s full Annual Meeting & Awards address.
Spring has sprung, and the American Ambulance Association is busier than ever working on your behalf to build the future of EMS.
The AAA is pleased to announce that since our last Response Times update, Congress has passed the 5-year extension of the Medicare ambulance add-ons. The extension included the AAA’s preferred method of cost data collection that provides flexibility to the Secretary of HHS in developing the system. Consultation with the industry is required so that it strikes the appropriate balance between obtaining meaningful data and avoiding overly burdening or onerously penalizing the ambulance services. This legislation was a true victory for the AAA and the entire industry. Learn more►
This success would not have been possible without months of effort by AAA volunteer leaders, advocacy experts, and staff, as well as support from our key champions in Congress. In particular, the AAA would like to thank Senator Debbie Stabenow for spearheading our legislation and ensuring that the Senate language prevailed. In recognition of Senator Stabenow’s support, she has been named the AAA’s 2018 Legislator of the Year. The AAA would also like to thank Senators Schumer, Roberts, Collins, Leahy, Hatch, Wyden, Thune, and many others who will be receiving AAA Legislative Recognition Awards this year. The successful passage of this legislation would not have occurred without also having strong champions in the House of Representatives. The AAA is sincerely thankful to Representative Devin Nunes (2015 Legislator of the Year Award winner) for his continued leadership in the House on this issue. The AAA also wishes to thank Representatives Sewell, Upton, Welch, Walden, Neal, Brady, Pallone, and Speaker Ryan for supporting this crucial extension of the Medicare add-on payments.
Despite this success, the AAA is not resting on its laurels. AAA Committees, staff, and consultants are taking proactive steps to ensure that the new cost data system both collects meaningful data and is not overly burdensome on providers. The AAA will continue to update members as this process moves forward. Thank you, again, for your support. We truly couldn’t have made it this far without you!
Get Involved!
In mid-May, AAA will open the nominations process for our board of directors. (Full details and criteria for participation will be posted then.) In the meantime, I encourage you to consider becoming more involved with the American Ambulance Association by joining a committee with open positions, and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Stars of Life
I look forward to seeing many of you in Washington, DC in June at Stars of Life. Stars recognizes EMS providers from across the nation who have served their communities with distinction. The Stars, accompanied by their executive-level Hosts, meet with legislators to shine a light on the importance of ambulance services to our healthcare network.
I hope you will enjoy meeting the 2018 class of Stars as we share their stories and accomplishments on our website and social media.
Haven’t yet nominated a Star? It’s not too late! The deadline has been extended to this Friday, April 20. Nominate a Star►
Education
The Education Committee has been hard at work developing the program for the 2018 AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show. We look forward to announcing the full agenda in June, and hope that you will join us in exciting Las Vegas September 6–8. (Yes, I said September! Our conference is two months earlier than usual this year.)
Regional & Online Education
In the meantime, why not learn from our experts at an AAA Supervisor SimLab workshop? If you’re short on time, AAA is also proud to offer a wide variety of live and on-demand webinars on human resources, reimbursement, compliance, and other topics.
It continues to be my pleasure to serve so many talented, dedicated health care professionals. Thank you for your service to your communities, and I wish you continued success in 2018!
—POST
Mark Postma
President
American Ambulance Association
“Representing EMS in America”
In accordance with the Bylaws of the American Ambulance Association, it is time to call for members in good standing that wish to serve on the Board of Directors. The AAA is now seeking candidates for the following positions:
Region I Director (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI & VT)
Region IIDirector (AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
Region IIIDirector (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH, TN WI)
Region IV Director (AR, IA, KS, LA, MN, MO, OK, ND, NE, SD, TX)
Region V Director (AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
Individuals who wish to be considered for an elected position as Regional Director must:
1. Be the designated representative of an Active member of the AAA, in good standing;
2. Be ready to devote time and effort to matters which concern the Board of Directors and to actively participate in all Board activities;
3. Be prepared to assist other AAA members with concerns and problems which relate to the ambulance industry and the workings of the AAA; and,
4. Understand that these positions provide no compensation for time or reimbursement for expenses. All travel-related expenses, including transportation, lodging and food are the responsibility of the individual and/or the sponsoring organization.
6. Have served on at least one (1) Association committee within the past five (5) years prior to his or her declaration as a candidate for election as a Director.
There are no restrictions against an individual running for more than one position in the same election cycle, though no person shall hold more than one position simultaneously.
All those who wish to stand for election and believe they are qualified are requested to complete a Nomination Form as well as answer the Candidate Questionnaire which describes both their qualifications and reasons for wanting to participate in the leadership of the AAA.
(Please note that the may Nomination Form be completed by any designated contact for an AAA active member for him or herself, or on behalf of another designated contact at a fellow AAA active member service. The Candidate Questionnaire must be completed by the nominee.)
Candidates’ statements and pictures, as well as the position(s) for which they are running for will be listed on the AAA website.
2017 Election Timeline
8/31 | Nominations Close
9/14 | Approval of Candidates by AAA Board of Directors
10/3 | Voting Opens Election will be paperless and held online. Ballots will be delivered to AAA Active Member primary contacts via email.
The American Ambulance Association (AAA) hosted the Government Affairs and Member Forum on June 29 to provide an update on legislation on the expiring temporary Medicare ambulance add-on payments, the immediate and long-term goals of AAA on Medicare reform, and how members can get involved with ambulance service-related issues. Mark Postma, president of AAA, and a panel of experts covered varied topics, including where Senate Bill S.967 stands and what changes might occur within the industry, and then fielded questions from members to offer a better understanding of regulatory issues and what’s happening in Washington.
“We put a forum together at this critical time because we currently have a Senate bill to make the add-on permanent, and we’ve been working on a House bill for a long-term extension of the add-ons to be dropped soon,” said Postma. “We have been working diligently to get the appropriate bills introduced, to keep the Medicare extenders and other items that we’ll discuss in this forum.”
Capitol Hill Landscape
The Senate “Medicare Ambulance Access, Fraud Prevention and Reform Act” (S.967) has bipartisan support and is currently being championed Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The bill would make permanent the temporary Medicare add-ons, treat ambulance service suppliers more like providers, cut down on dialysis transport fraud and abuse, and implement our preferred cost-data collection system that is beneficial, not burdensome, to ambulance services.
The AAA is currently working on the language for a bill to introduce the House of Representatives. While the bill has yet to be introduced, the AAA is collaborating with our House supporters and Committee staff to put together a bill that, at the very least, extends the Medicare add-ons for five years. The bill will also include cost-data reporting on which the AAA is negotiating the final details.
“This year really is critical for us,” said Tristan North, senior vice president of government affairs for AAA. “We need to make sure the Medicare add-on payments don’t expire on December 31.”
Going Forward
The panel discussed immediate, intermediate, and long-term goals to improve the ambulance fee schedule in the foreseeable future. The pending legislation covers many of the immediate goals, but AAA consultant Kathy Lester offered information that could impact the industry in the future.
Lester talked about better defining nonemergency services, the “Uber-ization” of medical transport, and what community paramedicine means to ambulance service providers.
The panel agreed that members and the community need to show their support for legislation, causes, and issues that will shape the future of ambulance services. It was suggested that members advocate to their representatives and leaders—offering to take them on ambulance “ride-alongs,” writing letters, or showing up at government functions—and explain to them how important these pieces of legislation and resources are to the EMS profession.
“We’re working hard and hoping for change in the future,” AAA’s Chair of Government Affairs, Jamie Pafford-Gresham, said. “We need you professionals and the relationships you have with your elected officials… your voices matter to Congress and they matter to us.”
As you know, the Medicare ambulance add-on payments are set to expire on December 31, 2017. The AAA Board, Government Affairs Committee, advocacy consultants, and staff have been working diligently to build support on Capitol Hill to ensure that this critical revenue remains in place.
As we continue to connect with policymakers in preparation for the introduction of our legislation, I ask that you pay special attention to the requests for advocacy action you receive from the AAA. Now, more than ever, we need the active participation of each member organization to ensure our collective future!
Capital Campaign and Financial Status
In addition to representing our members’ current interests in Washington, AAA strives to serve ambulance providers over the longer term. It is key that the Association build a pool of capital for use in case of an unexpected legislative or regulatory threat, or once-in-a-blue-moon strategic opportunity. For these reasons, I announced the creation of a Capital Campaign the day I assumed the office of President. Funds contributed to this campaign are managed separately from other assets, and can only be accessed after a full AAA Board vote.
To date, we have raised more than $250,000 of our $1mm goal through the generous contributions of our fellow members. My deepest thanks to all who have given. If you have not done so already, please consider donating today.
In addition to the Capital Campaign, we continue to build the overall financial strength of our association. Through close management of the budget, streamlined regional meetings, and increased membership, AAA continues to thrive. Thank you to Shawn Baird, Finance Chair, and David Tetrault, Membership Chair, and both committees for your hard work. It is paying off!
Stars of Life
I look forward to seeing many of you in Washington, DC in June at Stars of Life. Stars recognizes EMS providers from across the nation who have served their communities with distinction. The Stars, accompanied by their executive-level Hosts, meet with legislators to shine a light on the importance of ambulance services to our healthcare network.
I hope you will enjoy meeting the 2017 class of Stars as we share their stories and accomplishments on our websiteand social media.
Education
The Education Committee has been hard at work developing the program for the 2017 AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show. We look forward to announcing the full agenda in June, and hope that you will join us in exciting Las Vegas this November.
In the meantime, why not learn from our experts at an AAA Live! Workshop here at Sunstar Paramedics on May 3, or at Superior Air-Ground Ambulance in Illinois in July? If you’re short on time, AAA is also proud to offer a wide variety of engaging webinarson human resources, reimbursement, compliance, and other topics.
It continues to be my pleasure to serve so many talented, dedicated health care professionals. Thank you for your service to your communities, and I wish you continued success in 2017!
Mark Postma
President
American Ambulance Association
“Representing EMS in America”
Happy New Year from the American Ambulance Association. 2017 promises to bring many changes to the health care landscape, and AAA will be there with you and your ambulance service the whole way. As we launch our 2017 initiatives, I wanted to share the updates below from AAA’s board and headquarters.
Advocacy Priorities
In 2017, we will continue to work tirelessly toward our primary advocacy goal: making the CMS temporary ambulance add-on payments permanent.
This effort fits seamlessly into our longer-term payment reform plan, which includes seeking a change in our CMS status from “Supplier” of services to “Provider” of health care. We plan to back this effort with cost data obtained through a rotating, statistically valid survey of ambulance providers, rather than burdensome universal annual reporting. This Provider status would open the door for future innovations in our field, including mobile integrated health (MIH).
Our Government Affairs, Medicare Regulatory, and Payment Reform Committees, along with our paid staff and consultants, have been extremely engaged and active on these issues. To add your voice to AAA’s, please visit our advocacy page to quickly and easily contact your elected officials.
Capital Campaign
I am proud to share that the $1 million capital campaign we kicked off at the 2016 Annual Conference & Trade Show is progressing nicely, with $150,000 raised to date. These funds will be restricted, and only used after a full board vote. I ask that you consider donating as we are in uncharted waters on Capitol Hill.
Committees and Task Forces
AAA thrives on the dedication of its committee chairs, vice-chairs, and members. We have seen a recent surge in volunteerism from our active members. One of my campaign goals was to get more participation from members, what a great thing to see this happening! If you would like to be considered for committee membership, please complete AAA’s short online form.
In addition to our standing committees, we have launched three mission-critical task forces: BLS Non-Emergency, Social Media/Communications, and Small Providers. A large group of ambulance services participated in a recent Chicago meeting for the Non-Emergency task force, with another meeting planned in the Northeast in the near future.
2017 Membership Renewal
Membership is the lifeblood of AAA. Dues are the fuel that powers our advocacy engine, and enables us to offer the innovative benefits your service has come to rely on. If you have already renewed, please accept our most sincere thanks for your continued support. If you have not yet submitted payment for this year’s membership, I encourage you to renew online or reach out to staff at info@ambulance.org for assistance. Again, AAA needs your support through membership to continue our industry-advancing work.
It continues to be my pleasure to serve so many talented, dedicated healthcare professionals. Thank you for your service to your communities, and we wish you a successful and productive 2017!
Mark Postma—President
AAA
Representing EMS in America
“Northwell Health’s Center for EMS is an active participant in the AAA and encourage every EMS agency in the U.S. to participate. Through this relationship, we receive insights, expert analysis and input into important industry issues that affect us all. Our membership has returned dividends in countless ways and therefore its value proposition is significant. From risk management, to financial reform, leadership development and industry best practice, the AAA has given us a platform from which to learn, share and grow as an organization and as leaders in our industry.”
Jonathan D. Washko, MBA, NREMT-P, AEMD
Assistant Vice President, Center for EMS at Northwell Health
Alternate Director, American Ambulance Association Board
