Re: Thoughts about the secret Paramedic Shortage

[Guest guest]

No you aren't alone. It is nationwide and pretty bad. There is a

survey at merginet (http://www.merginet.com/) that is attempting to

gauge how bad the system itself, and numerous letters to state and

federal politicians at the " emergency grapevine " , ruralmedics.com, and

emsvillage, all of which underscore the numbers of EMS providers

leaving the field. They are all available to download and hopefully

provide a template for letters to the editor, politicans, and other

interested parties. I believe the healthcare crisis, which includes

the paramedic and nursing shortages, the diversions, the overloaded

system in general is the reprecussions to badly wrought " healthcare

reform " . The public needs to know how bad it is; we need them to

demand the changes necessary to keep the system going.

Does TDH track the numbers of providers that leave?

> WARNING, THIS EMAIL IS NOT TO BASH, BELITTLE OR ATTACK ANYONE,

(THEREFORE

> YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP IT)

>

> I could be wrong, but there sure seems to be lot of emphasis on the

> " nursing " shortage and hardly any on the paramedic shortage. It

seems that

> it makes it hard for hospital based services to petition for higher

wages

> trying to cite " paramedic " shortage when all over the papers and

news is

> " nursing shortage. " The only result I have seen is a pay raise in

our area

> for nurses, but not for medics. If all the commisioners, councilmen,

board

> members and tax payers hear how bad the shortage for nurses are,

then they

> react, I guess it likes the " squeeky wheel gets the oil " syndrome.

OR it

> could be that maybe its just me thinking there is a Paramedic

shortage.

>

> So my questions guys and gals are:

> Is it me, or do the rest of you feel there is a Paramedic shortage?

>

> Do we need to be a squeeky wheel? Its like we are fighting for the

spotlight

> to get noticed.

>

> Could TDH assemble factual data to support a statement made to the

> Governor's office that basically says " There are not enough

PARAMEDICS! What

> do you want TDH to do about it? " (not sure how helpful this would

be, but

> maybe the press would pick up on it and report it to the public, so

maybe

> the boards, councils and courts would acknowledge the problem. (you

since

> all politics are local, right?)

>

>

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

[Guest guest]

,

I don't mean to aim this rant at you personally; it's to those in the EMS

Profession on this list.

Every time I read a post like this I want to gag. Don't y'all know that

we've had a professional organization to represent us for the last several

years but Emts and Paramedics won't join it? It is called the Emergency

Medical Service Association of Texas (EMSAT) and I'm on the Board. It's a

non-profit organization with lobbying powers and a paid legislative watchdog

(G. K. Sprinkle) to let us know what's creeping up on us. We don't have

enough money to pay her to actually lobby bills for us because at last count

we had less than 1,000 members out of 42,000 licensed/certified individuals

in the State of Texas. If we had enough members we could have a great

lobbyiest to look out for us and push bills through. Know how much money

that takes? $25,000 to $35,000 would be a good start. Care to guess how

much money the Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas

Nursing Association, the Texas Bar Association, The Texas Chiropractic

Association, the Texas Municipal League, the County Commissioners, and

private industry spend? Well, you could buy your own private island with it

and fly there daily on your own 737 daily.

The President of EMSAT, , spends most of his life working on

our behalf (without pay) and, together with some of the other board members

and friends, has done a magnificent job of promoting our interests by

attending legislative hearings and testifying. Yes, I mean going to Austin,

hanging out at the Capitol, and being there to testify in person about bills

that we support.

Bet y'all don't even know that do you? We can all whine about the number of

posts Ron puts on here in an attempt to let us know, free of charge, what's

about to happen to us, but we don't care enough to actually become involved

ourselves.

Before we whine about having nobody to look out for us, let's consider

paying the $35.00 annual membership fee to EMSAT (bet you didn't even know

they had a website) and getting a strong organization. $35.00 is cheap.

That's less than a first-run movie + popcorn and Dr. Peppers for four at a

theater.

Also, how many have sent a letter, email, or phone call to a state

representative or senator this session? Huh? Huh? How many of you can even

NAME your state representative or senator?

Did you call your reps about the EMS license plates? Huh? Did you call

about the runding of rural EMS? Huh? Huh?

We need to grow up as a profession.

gene

E. Gandy, JD, LP

EMS Professions Program

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX

[Guest guest]

Gotta agree with you here. I actually joined EMSAT when it first

started and am going to renew things soon with this paycheck. I have

had far more feedback on a national level than I have had from the

Texas people..which is sad when you consider what is at risk. I wish

more people would get involved. If they can't do that..maybe they

would like to volunteer a week in Presidio and see frontier EMS at its

best. It will be eyeopening!

> The President of EMSAT, , spends most of his life

working on

> our behalf (without pay) and, together with some of the other board

members

> and friends, has done a magnificent job of promoting our interests

by

> attending legislative hearings and testifying. Yes, I mean going to

Austin,

> hanging out at the Capitol, and being there to testify in person

about bills

> that we support.

>

> Bet y'all don't even know that do you? We can all whine about the

number of

> posts Ron puts on here in an attempt to let us know, free of charge,

what's

> about to happen to us, but we don't care enough to actually become

involved

> ourselves.

>

> Before we whine about having nobody to look out for us, let's

consider

> paying the $35.00 annual membership fee to EMSAT (bet you didn't

even know

> they had a website) and getting a strong organization. $35.00 is

cheap.

> That's less than a first-run movie + popcorn and Dr. Peppers for

four at a

> theater.

>

> Also, how many have sent a letter, email, or phone call to a state

> representative or senator this session? Huh? Huh? How many of you

can even

> NAME your state representative or senator?

>

> Did you call your reps about the EMS license plates? Huh? Did you

call

> about the runding of rural EMS? Huh? Huh?

>

> We need to grow up as a profession.

> gene

>

> E. Gandy, JD, LP

> EMS Professions Program

> Tyler Junior College

> Tyler, TX

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hey Jeff and others,

The Paramedic shortage is real. Trust me. Over 18 month ago in

Florida...there were OVER 500 open Paramedic positions....and we don't come

close to comparing to that much larger, better, more gooder state a little to

the west of us....

Dudley

[Guest guest]

Gene,

I'm not a card carrying member of EMSAT, but I have sent letters and nurmeous

e-mails not only to my senator and state rep this session, but to other senators

and state reps out of my district ask them to support not only the License Plate

bill but others such as HB 2446, HB 2308 and HB 7. There for awhile I was

sending e-mails at least twice a week reminding them to support these bills.

Just wanted to point this out.

Wayne

Re: Thoughts about the secret " Paramedic Shortage "

,

I don't mean to aim this rant at you personally; it's to those in the EMS

Profession on this list.

Every time I read a post like this I want to gag. Don't y'all know that

we've had a professional organization to represent us for the last several

years but Emts and Paramedics won't join it? It is called the Emergency

Medical Service Association of Texas (EMSAT) and I'm on the Board. It's a

non-profit organization with lobbying powers and a paid legislative watchdog

(G. K. Sprinkle) to let us know what's creeping up on us. We don't have

enough money to pay her to actually lobby bills for us because at last count

we had less than 1,000 members out of 42,000 licensed/certified individuals

in the State of Texas. If we had enough members we could have a great

lobbyiest to look out for us and push bills through. Know how much money

that takes? $25,000 to $35,000 would be a good start. Care to guess how

much money the Texas Hospital Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas

Nursing Association, the Texas Bar Association, The Texas Chiropractic

Association, the Texas Municipal League, the County Commissioners, and

private industry spend? Well, you could buy your own private island with

it

and fly there daily on your own 737 daily.

The President of EMSAT, , spends most of his life working on

our behalf (without pay) and, together with some of the other board members

and friends, has done a magnificent job of promoting our interests by

attending legislative hearings and testifying. Yes, I mean going to Austin,

hanging out at the Capitol, and being there to testify in person about bills

that we support.

Bet y'all don't even know that do you? We can all whine about the number of

posts Ron puts on here in an attempt to let us know, free of charge, what's

about to happen to us, but we don't care enough to actually become involved

ourselves.

Before we whine about having nobody to look out for us, let's consider

paying the $35.00 annual membership fee to EMSAT (bet you didn't even know

they had a website) and getting a strong organization. $35.00 is cheap.

That's less than a first-run movie + popcorn and Dr. Peppers for four at a

theater.

Also, how many have sent a letter, email, or phone call to a state

representative or senator this session? Huh? Huh? How many of you can

even

NAME your state representative or senator?

Did you call your reps about the EMS license plates? Huh? Did you call

about the runding of rural EMS? Huh? Huh?

We need to grow up as a profession.

gene

E. Gandy, JD, LP

EMS Professions Program

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX

[Guest guest]

Howdy Dud!

I certainly didn't mean to imply that there wasn't. I merely pointed out

that, with 40,000 open nursing positions in Texas alone, is what the media

will likely focus on.

Take care,

Jeff

Re: Thoughts about the secret " Paramedic Shortage "

> Hey Jeff and others,

>

> The Paramedic shortage is real. Trust me. Over 18 month ago in

> Florida...there were OVER 500 open Paramedic positions....and we don't

come

> close to comparing to that much larger, better, more gooder state a little

to

> the west of us....

>

> Dudley

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Please, everyone in Texas remember that EMSAT is the Texas affiliate for

NAEMT. We have two members who sit on the national committee as Texas reps.

Yet we have very few people in Texas who belong either to EMSAT or to NAEMT.

Let's get going as a profession and join the organizations that can help us.

There is strength in numbers. Just ask the nurses, lawyers, and doctors.

gene

E. Gandy, JD, LP

EMS Professions Program

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX

[Guest guest]

Is EMSAT the same as what the Texas Assoc. of EMTs use to be called. Found a

TAEMT patch the other day while cleaning out some old stuff I had stored.

Re: Thoughts about the secret " Paramedic Shortage "

Please, everyone in Texas remember that EMSAT is the Texas affiliate for

NAEMT. We have two members who sit on the national committee as Texas reps.

Yet we have very few people in Texas who belong either to EMSAT or to NAEMT.

Let's get going as a profession and join the organizations that can help us.

There is strength in numbers. Just ask the nurses, lawyers, and doctors.

gene

E. Gandy, JD, LP

EMS Professions Program

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX

[Guest guest]

There was the Texas Association of EMT's (TAEMT) they are a 501 (c 3) , and we

are a (c 6), so we can lobby per our lawyers, where a (c 3) can't or at least is

a fine line at best. I contact the last know President of TAEMT and offered to

transfer their members to EMSAT the first year free if they would merge with us.

I sent many emails and never received a answer. There was also the Texas Society

of EMT's which I found their website way down under buried in about 10 other

websites. The best I can tell about them is that they are a hand full of folks

that sell C.E. from West Texas, they didn't start that way. I was a member of

TAEMT many years ago as well as all of our EMS personnel, and it was a fun

association. At one time I know one of the Presidents brought it out of debt to

supposedly $50,000 in the bank. I had high hopes then, but that President went

on, and they faded into the sunset. I can't PROMISE that will never happen to

EMSAT. I can only tell you as long as I'm involved I will never give up trying

to make it the #1 EMS State Association in the Country. I can't only fail if I

don't try!!!!!! The hardest part I've faced with EMSAT is we all are very busy

people and there is so much to do. I have found the EMS ENEMY, it's EMS

displaying it's disagreements to all the other health professions, and elected

officials instead of quietly between ourselves. I learned most the time someone

has a different view about EMS we display it to all the other Health

Professions, so we are seen unprofessional, and kid like. EMS is the youngest

emergency service, so we are still a kid that is going through growing pains,

which like kids we throw our tantrums. I am guilty as anyone if not more, but

I've learned I need to change my ways. I will take MY positions, but respect

others as well. At the end of the day I believe the majority should rule in the

democracy we live, as long as I never hear of a dimple chad again.

Thanks,

Ron

Re: Thoughts about the secret " Paramedic Shortage "

Please, everyone in Texas remember that EMSAT is the Texas affiliate for

NAEMT. We have two members who sit on the national committee as Texas

reps.

Yet we have very few people in Texas who belong either to EMSAT or to

NAEMT.

Let's get going as a profession and join the organizations that can help

us.

There is strength in numbers. Just ask the nurses, lawyers, and doctors.

gene

E. Gandy, JD, LP

EMS Professions Program

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX