An EMS Vision for the New Year

The phrase, "This is an exciting time for EMS,” kept popping up in conversations I had at EMS World Expo a couple of months ago. There was a sense that there were better times ahead finally and that sentiment was coming from both attendees and exhibitors. So on the heels of that best attended EMS event since 2011, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) boldly issued their 2015–17 strategic plan, which we proudly endorse and include below:

2015–2017 NAEMT Strategic Plan

Our Mission

The mission of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) is to represent and serve emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners including emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians, emergency medical responders, paramedics, advanced practice paramedics, critical care paramedics, flight paramedics, community paramedics, and mobile integrated healthcare practitioners.

Our Values

• We believe that emergency and mobile healthcare is a distinct and essential service to the public and a fundamental component of our nation’s healthcare system.
• We believe that all patients deserve high-quality and safe medical care delivered by qualified emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners.
• We believe that all emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners deserve a safe, healthy and respectful work environment.
• We believe that all emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners deserve adequate and equitable compensation.
• We believe that professional education, national education standards and research are essential to the consistent delivery of high-quality, evidence-based emergency and mobile medical care.
• We believe that each community should determine the emergency and mobile healthcare delivery model(s) that best meets their needs and resources.
• We believe that collaboration within the emergency and mobile healthcare profession and within the larger healthcare community is essential to addressing the key challenges in delivering high quality emergency and mobile healthcare.
• We shall represent the views and concerns of all emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners regardless of delivery model.
• We shall conduct all NAEMT business with integrity and transparency, and adhere to the ethical standards of our profession.

Our Vision

NAEMT is the recognized leader in advancing the profession of emergency and mobile healthcare

Our Strategic Goals

1. Membership

• Recruit and retain 13,000 full members.
• Develop and implement new strategies to attract a diverse range of members.
• Develop and promote new networking and engagement opportunities for members.

2. Transformation

• Facilitate the transformation of the emergency and mobile healthcare profession as an essential, data-driven, patient-centered, integrated component of our nation’s healthcare system.

3. Education

• Identify the evolving education needs of emergency and mobile healthcare practitioners and develop and implement education programs that meet these needs.
• Expand access to all NAEMT education programs to new domestic and international localities.

4. Advocacy

• Lead the effort to pass the Field EMS Bill by obtaining at least 145 co-sponsors in the House and 30 co-sponsors in the Senate.
• Increase the impact of EMS On The Hill Day by doubling the number of annual attendees and ensuring representation from every state and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
• Educate elected officials about the anticipated impact of pending federal legislation on emergency and mobile healthcare.
• Build relationships with all emergency and mobile healthcare stakeholders.

5. Growth

• Strengthen the full range of organizational resources—including human and financial—to support the forward momentum of our association.

I think this is a mission and vision all EMS practitioners can embrace, including the passage of the Field EMS Bill that will be re-introduced in both houses in January. This bill is supported by over 50 different state and national associations, including the major EMS physician groups of the American College of Emergency Physicians and National Association of EMS Physicians. A complete list can be found at https://www.naemt.org/advocacy/FieldEMSBill/SupportingOrgs.aspx. 

Please reach out to your federal representatives and encourage them to support the companion bills. It’s time to take advantage of the momentum in the EMS community to push through legislation that represents the professional interests of all EMS practitioners. And join us in Washington D.C. on April 28–29 for EMS on the Hill Day immediately preceded by the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Summit. For more information go to NAEMT.org.