Podcast | Comms Chair Rob Lawrence on Inside EMS
On May 29’s Inside EMS podcast, AAA Communications Chair Rob Lawrence spoke with hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson about national EMS issues including reimbursement, ET3, and more.
EMS Week Message from President Reinert
On May 18, 2020, American Ambulance Association President Aarron Reinert shared a special message with EMS providers from across the nation.
Today, American Ambulance Association President Aarron Reinert shared a special message with #EMS providers from across…
Posted by American Ambulance Association on Monday, May 18, 2020
Happy EMS Week, and thank you for providing your communities with 24/7 on-demand mobile healthcare!
Seeking EMS Grantwriters!
The American Ambulance Association seeks member organization employees and consultants with grant-writing expertise who may be interested in writing or presenting to ambulance services. Ideally, we would like to develop a one-hour webinar for members that includes tips for finding and winning grants of all kinds ( Assistance to Firefighter Grants, SAMHSA/ SIREN Act, local, non-profit, etc). If you may be interested, please contact ariordan@ambulance.org! Thank you for your support and participation.
A Message of Hope From President Reinert
American Ambulance Association President Aarron Reinert sends a message of encouragement to our nation’s EMS providers. Thank you each for your service during these unprecedented and challenging times. #SupportEMS #AlwaysOpen #MobileHealthcare #NotJustaRide #COVID19
COVID-19 Message from President 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
President’s Perspective April 2019
President, AAA
Dear Fellow AAA Members,
Spring is in full bloom in Washington, D.C., and the American Ambulance Association is hard at work in our nation’s capital advocating for mobile healthcare providers. I am pleased to share with you several updates from your association.
Advocacy Progress
The AAA continues to forge ahead advocating for the legislative and regulatory priorities of our membership. Earlier this month, more than forty AAA volunteer leaders and members came to Washington, D.C., meeting with more than 100 congressional offices to advocate for Medicare policies and improved claims processing by the Department of Veterans Affairs for emergency ambulance services. (View photos on Facebook.)
The AAA has also taken an active role in responding to potentially harmful “surprise billing” legislation. The AAA has been urging Members of Congress to recognize the unique and essential nature of emergency ambulance services and ambulance interfacility mobile healthcare transports. Ambulance service suppliers and providers are already heavily regulated at the local level and struggle with receiving adequate reimbursement. The Congress should protect patient access to ground ambulance services and continue to allow us to balance bill.
The AAA is working closely with CMS and the RAND corporation on the development of the ambulance cost data collection system in order to ensure that the end survey and methodology is feasible for our industry. The AAA has established itself and our membership as an important stakeholder throughout the cost data collection development process, and we look forward to remaining involved this year.
On the legislative front, the AAA is eager to introduce a larger piece of Medicare legislation that will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the industry. This legislation will address issues such as inadequate reimbursement, the need for innovative payment models, the lack of equitable polices, rural zip code classifications, and more. Buy Diamox 250 mg https://www.rpspharmacy.com/product/diamox/
Legislation to restructure the offset included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to pay for the 5-year extension of Medicare add-on payments has been reintroduced in the Senate (S. 228) and should be re-introduced in the House soon. The AAA is also working on updating the Veterans Reimbursement for Emergency Ambulance Services Act (VREASA) to adequately address issues regarding reimbursement from the VA.
With many important legislative priorities, we will continue to lean on our members for their support and encourage you all to continue to build relationships with your Members of Congress.
Ambulance Cost Education (ACE)
Time is running out to prepare for the new federal cost data collection requirements for ambulance services which go into effect January 1, 2020. To help ambulance services ready themselves, our expert faculty has developed comprehensive Ambulance Cost Education (ACE) webinars, regional workshops, and online resources. With AAA ACE, your service will have all the tools needed to comply with federally mandated cost collection. An ACE subscription is the turn-key solution to prepare for ambulance cost collection. Learn more about our affordable packages today.
Stars of Life
Every year, the American Ambulance Association’s Stars of Life program showcases the value of mobile healthcare to legislators and the general public. I look forward to seeing many of you this June in Washington D.C., for the 2019 celebration. Follow the 2019 AAA Stars of Life on Facebook and Twitter in the coming months! Levitra generic http://www.gastonpharmacy.com/levitra.php
Annual Conference & Trade Show
Preparations are in full swing for the 2019 AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show in exciting Nashville, Tennessee. AAA Annual is the can’t-miss educational experience for ambulance leaders interested in bringing excellence in reimbursement, operations, and human resources to their services! I hope that you will join me and hundreds of our colleagues for networking, learning, and fun November 4-6. Early bird registration is open now!
Thank You, Members!
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 2019!
Aarron Reinert
President
American Ambulance Association
Message from President Reinert
Adapted from Aarron Reinert’s address at the
2018 American Ambulance Association
Membership Meeting & Awards
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.
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.
President’s Perspective: April 2018
Dear Fellow AAA Member,
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”
2017 AAA Election Calendar
2017 Election Timeline
- 8/31 | Nominations Close
- 9/14 | Approval of Candidates by AAA Board of Directors
- 10/11 | Voting Opens
Election will be paperless and held online. Ballots will be delivered to AAA Active Member primary contacts via email. - 11/2 | Voting Closes 11:59pm
- 11/14 | Election results announced at the 2017 AAA Annual Conference & Tradeshow.
The AAA’s 2017 Election will be for the following positions:
- Region I Director (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI & VT)
- Region II Director (AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
- Region III Director (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
Questions? Please contact acamas@ambulance.org for assistance.
Board of Director Nominations – Now Open!
Call For Nominations Now Open!
Submit Candidate Questionnaire
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 II Director (AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, VA, WV)
- Region III Director (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.
5. Be willing to comply with all governance policies of the association including, Conflict of Interest, Standards of Conduct, and Board Confidentiality, Public Comment and Lobbying Agreement (PDF).
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. - 11/2 | Voting Closes 11:59pm
- 11/14 | Election results announced at the 2017 AAA Annual Conference & Tradeshow.
Both forms must be submitted to by Thursday, August 31, 2017.
Step 1: Nomination Form Step 2: Candidate Questionnaire
Questions? Please contact acamas@ambulance.org for assistance.
President’s Perspective April 2017
Dear Fellow AAA Member,
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
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 website and 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 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 2017!
Mark Postma
President
American Ambulance Association
“Representing EMS in America”
New Membership Referral Program!
No one knows better than an AAA members the incredible value of membership. Consider sharing your AAA membership experience, and get rewarded for doing so!
Through our new Membership Referral Program, receive a free webinar registration for each new member organization you refer that successfully joins the association. Successfully sign up 6 new member organizations, and you’ll receive a free registration to the AAA Annual Conference & Trade Show! To participate, simply copy ariordan@ambulance.org on emails you send to colleagues inviting them to join. AAA staff will answer questions and help with follow up.
Not quite sure what to write? Here’s a sample email to get you started!
Dear Colleague’s Name,
I hope your year is off to a great start. I wanted to send a quick note to ask if Colleague’s Ambulance Servicemight be interested in membership to the American Ambulance Association?My service is a proud member of AAA, and the advocacy work they do on behalf of our industry is more important now than ever. In addition to working toward fair reimbursement, AAA now offers free counseling and CISM for your staff, access to experts on operations and Medicare, and much more. I especially enjoy the sessions and networking at Annual Conference, as well as the ability to recognize my top field staff at Stars of Life. I have copied AAA’s membership staff on this message in case you have any questions about benefits or dues.
I hope that you’ll consider supporting the American Ambulance Association. Thanks for considering, and have a great one.
Your Name
President’s Perspective January 2017
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
Free Post-Election Analysis Webinar for Members
Post-Election Analysis Webinar – Thursday, November 17th, 2:00pm EST
The recent elections resulted with Republicans taking control of the White House and retaining a majority in the House and Senate. In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, we will see a major shift from the policy positions of the current administration. It is likely that there will be immediate efforts toward the repeal, amendment, and replacement of the Affordable Care Act as well as tax reform and infrastructure improvement. Join us for this free webinar, and hear former Members of Congress Bill Paxon (R-NY) and Vic Fazio (D-CA), whom both served in their respective party leadership, give their analysis of the elections and of where the new Administration and Congress go from here.
Unable to Attend?
No problem! All webinars will be recorded and available to stream On-Demand. Register now and watch on your own time!
Questions?
Please contact Colleen Crowley at ccrowley@ambulance.org.
AAA 2016 Election Update
The 2016 AAA Election is going paperless! This year’s election will be held entirely online.
AAA 2016 Election Dates to Know
- 8/31 – Nominations Close
- 9/9 – AAA Board Meeting in Washington, D.C. – Floor nominations submitted and the board will approve slate of candidates. Candidates will be notified that they have been approved.
- 9/30 – Voting Opens, Ballots Delivered to AAA Active Member Voting Contacts.
- ** Need to update who the voter is for your association? Use this form.
- 10/28 – Voting Closes
- 11/8 – Election Results announced at 2016 AAA Annual Conference & Tradeshow.
More Ways to Get Involved
Please contact Aidan Camas at acamas@ambulance.org with any questions.
Staff Visit to Richmond Ambulance Authority
Last week, American Ambulance Association staff took a road trip south to tour the Richmond Ambulance Authority. Known across the country and around the world for their innovative approach to EMS, RAA certainly did not disappoint.
Thank you to Chip Decker, Rob Lawrence, Dan Fellows, Elizabeth Papelino, Danny Garrison, Dempsey Whit, Jason Roach, and the whole RAA team for the hospitality and generosity with their time!
Spotlight: Kathy Lester
Kathy Lester, MPH, JD
Washington, DC
Healthcare Consultant to AAA
Tell us a little about yourself, please.
I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I graduated from Warren Central High School, best known for being the high school of Jane Pauley and Jeff George. My undergraduate degree is from DePauw University. I had a double major in biology and English literature, with a minor in violin performance. I also loved philosophy and political science course and was the editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. I received my JD from Georgetown University Law Center and my Master of Public Health (MPH) from The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene, now known as the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
After law school, I clerked on for The Honorable Michael S. Kanne on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. I have also worked in all three branches of government. In addition to the courts, I worked on the Hill for Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and in the General Counsel’s Office at the Department of Health and Human Services.
My husband and I met while both working for Senator Lugar. He retired from the Senate after 20+ years. We have two children and are trying to succeed in having tropical fish survive for more than a few months.
When and how did you get involved with AAA?
I began working with the AAA several years ago when we began developed recommendations for a quality program. I believe my first meeting with the group was in Las Vegas.
How do you help AAA?
Currently, I assist on the public policy issues. This includes working with the Congress to protect the add-ons, as well as develop payment reforms to create stability for Medicare rates. I help to draft materials for the Hill and legislative language. As part of this effort, I help with developing more comprehensive Medicare reform recommendations. I also assist with the regulatory agenda and engage with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other federal agencies. In addition, I continue to work on quality structural and measurement issues.
What is your typical day like?
Unpredictable and fun! My days vary greatly. I can find myself on the Hill or driving to Baltimore to meet with CMS. I also spend a lot of time talking with AAA members and the staff team.
What are the biggest challenges you foresee for our industry?Any tips or last thoughts?
[quote_right]
It is more important than ever to understand the cost of services and to be able to articulate why these services are necessary.
[/quote_left]All of healthcare is at a crossroads. While federal policymakers have successfully reduced spending in the Medicare program, the focus for the foreseeable future will be how to reduce the cost of providing services. It is more important than ever to understand the cost of services and to be able to articulate why these services are necessary.
For ambulance providers and suppliers in particular, there is great promise in the innovative payment models, because they would most likely recognize the high quality of health care services provided by ambulance providers and suppliers. However, there is also the potential that ambulance services could become subordinate to larger provider organizations. As this debate unfolds, it is critically important that data drive any reforms and that the industry look carefully at how programs such as value-based purchasing, the Medicare quality reporting programs (facility compare websites and the five star rating programs), and coordinated/integrated care models have worked for other Medicare providers. At the end of the day, ambulance providers and suppliers need to understand their care and cost models and articulate use these data points to develop meaningful and sustainable reform options.
The AAA is Calling for Nominations
The AAA has officially released its 2015 call for nominations. This year, the AAA is looking for candidates to fill the position of Regional Director. All 5 regions currently have at least one opening.
Katrina & Rita: Share Your Story
As we approach the ten year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, AAA is working to gather the stories of the many members who rallied to assist in these crises.
Do you have a memory, photo, or video you would like to share with the ambulance service community? If so, please complete the brief form below, and we will add your story to our retrospective.
All content contributors will be entered into a raffle for a free registration to AAA’s 2016 Stars of Life.
Never Miss an Email
AAA recently upgraded our email system to enable us to send even more powerful and engaging member newsletters. Don’t miss out on this great content covering best practices, government advocacy, and operational excellence for ambulance services.
Please add info@ambulance.org to your safe senders list. Usually, this is as easy as adding us to your address book.
In case you have stricter security settings, here are additional instructions from Constant Contact for some popular email programs: