On education

[Guest guest]

Regarding education. It is good. It is required. The more the better.

Why?

Education helps to improve critical thinking. The more education, the more

concepts one is exposed to in life, the more things one has practice in

analyzing, the better.

When I applied to law school, I had an education degree, with emphasis on

music education. I was sure that I would not get into law school. But I did.

Later I found out that the best preparation for law school is to get the

broadest education possible. A liberal arts education is far better for law

than a technical education. Law requires assembly of facts, analysis and

critical thinking, formulation of a plan, and execution. So does Paramedicine.

That having been said, perhaps I ought to clarify my position on the degree

requirement for Paramedics and EMTs. It's not that I don't think it's needed.

It is. The more you know about everything, the better you are at

everything. Sometimes the connections are subtle, but they are there.

But the facts are that prehospital medicine does not reward a degree with

economic stability. I wish with all my heart that everybody in EMS could have

at least a BA/BS degree. The profession would benefit materially. There is

nothing on the horizon that I see, however, that will improve EMS pay and

benefits to make that feasible.

We should do what we can to promote education, but we must not cut off our

collective noses to spite our faces. We should continue to have a mechanism

for allowing Paramedics to do what needs to be done, as determined by an

INVOLVED and QUALIFIED medical director.

I have no objections to some sort of a credentialing system for services that

need advanced care and cannot hire degreed medics, so long as it is an

unbiased, objective, and fair system.

I have no objection to a credentialing system for EMS medical directors, if

it is designed to fairly evaluate the qualifications, involvement, and EMS

knowledge of the practitioner. We should not have doctors functioning as

medical

directors who are simply rubber stamps. On the other hand, good physicians

don't have time, usually, to devote to being an active medical director

without pay. Where will that pay come from when some cities and counties

cannot

even support an EMS system to begin with?

Education is a great thing to have, but upping education requirements will

never work unless pay is increased to a level that will retain in EMS those who

get the degrees. In the meantime, we must maintain the service levels that

we have, even when they're being provided by qualified non-degreed personnel.

The flaw with the current NSoP model is that it does not take into account

the economic realities of requiring degrees.

Appropriate modifications of the NSoP model can fix that and other flaws.

Now folks are beginning to construct alternative plans. That is good. Keep

drafting, folks. Remember that the deadline for comments is January 30.

Please do not fail to make your position heard. Each and every person on this

list has the mandate to comment. Do not fail if you truly love EMS.

GG

E.(Gene) Gandy

POB 1651

Albany, TX 76430

wegandy1938@...

[Guest guest]

Gene,

I really did try not to respond. I even went so far as to log off

the computer. But, I gave in to the dark side and I must challenge

you on a couple of issues....

>>> When I applied to law school, I had an education degree, with

emphasis on music education. <<<

Wow. A musical lawyer. So, " The Bar " has a double meaning for you.

>>> But the facts are that prehospital medicine does not reward a

degree with economic stability. <<<

Maybe not yet, but the NEMSSoP is more about the next generation of

EMS providers than it is about you or I.

>>> I have no objections to some sort of a credentialing system for

services that need advanced care and cannot hire degreed medics, so

long as it is an unbiased, objective, and fair system. <<<

I could live with that - as long as the " need " (not the " want " ) has

been demonstrated and an adequate oversight mechanism is in place at

that local level.

>>> I have no objection to a credentialing system for EMS medical

directors, if it is designed to fairly evaluate the qualifications,

involvement, and EMS knowledge of the practitioner. <<<<

I have no major objection to that either - but I do find it

comical. You support standardized credentialing for the EMS Medical

Director but not for the EMS provider. Why wouldn't we want to

insure the qualifications and EMS knowledge of EMS providers? It

sure would help those responsible Medical Director's to keep them

from having to re-invent the wheel locally.

>>> We should not have doctors functioning as medical directors who

are simply rubber stamps. On the other hand, good physicians don't

have time, usually, to devote to being an active medical director

without pay. <<<

But if the responsible Medical Director won't give us the sexy toys

advertised at the Conference, we'll just get rid of him and get us a

rubber stamp. At least with a SoP there is some standardization at

the provider level.

>>> The flaw with the current NSoP model is that it does not take

into account the economic realities of requiring degrees. <<<

Gene, that isn't a flaw. The NEMSSoP is not designed to address the

issue of funding. Does any healthcare provider's SoP address

funding? Those are two separate issues.

>>> Appropriate modifications of the NSoP model can fix that and

other flaws. Now folks are beginning to construct alternative

plans. That is good. Remember that the deadline for comments is

January 30. <<<

Now you're talking. Is EMSAT going to have an alternative plan

completed and supported by then? If not, then the organization

supposedly representing EMS providers in the state will not be

participating as you are encouraging the individuals to do.

Hugs and Kisses,

Kenny Navarro

[Guest guest]

Gene,

I really did try not to respond. I even went so far as to log off

the computer. But, I gave in to the dark side and I must challenge

you on a couple of issues....

>>> When I applied to law school, I had an education degree, with

emphasis on music education. <<<

Wow. A musical lawyer. So, " The Bar " has a double meaning for you.

>>> But the facts are that prehospital medicine does not reward a

degree with economic stability. <<<

Maybe not yet, but the NEMSSoP is more about the next generation of

EMS providers than it is about you or I.

>>> I have no objections to some sort of a credentialing system for

services that need advanced care and cannot hire degreed medics, so

long as it is an unbiased, objective, and fair system. <<<

I could live with that - as long as the " need " (not the " want " ) has

been demonstrated and an adequate oversight mechanism is in place at

that local level.

>>> I have no objection to a credentialing system for EMS medical

directors, if it is designed to fairly evaluate the qualifications,

involvement, and EMS knowledge of the practitioner. <<<<

I have no major objection to that either - but I do find it

comical. You support standardized credentialing for the EMS Medical

Director but not for the EMS provider. Why wouldn't we want to

insure the qualifications and EMS knowledge of EMS providers? It

sure would help those responsible Medical Director's to keep them

from having to re-invent the wheel locally.

>>> We should not have doctors functioning as medical directors who

are simply rubber stamps. On the other hand, good physicians don't

have time, usually, to devote to being an active medical director

without pay. <<<

But if the responsible Medical Director won't give us the sexy toys

advertised at the Conference, we'll just get rid of him and get us a

rubber stamp. At least with a SoP there is some standardization at

the provider level.

>>> The flaw with the current NSoP model is that it does not take

into account the economic realities of requiring degrees. <<<

Gene, that isn't a flaw. The NEMSSoP is not designed to address the

issue of funding. Does any healthcare provider's SoP address

funding? Those are two separate issues.

>>> Appropriate modifications of the NSoP model can fix that and

other flaws. Now folks are beginning to construct alternative

plans. That is good. Remember that the deadline for comments is

January 30. <<<

Now you're talking. Is EMSAT going to have an alternative plan

completed and supported by then? If not, then the organization

supposedly representing EMS providers in the state will not be

participating as you are encouraging the individuals to do.

Hugs and Kisses,

Kenny Navarro

[Guest guest]

Gene,

I really did try not to respond. I even went so far as to log off

the computer. But, I gave in to the dark side and I must challenge

you on a couple of issues....

>>> When I applied to law school, I had an education degree, with

emphasis on music education. <<<

Wow. A musical lawyer. So, " The Bar " has a double meaning for you.

>>> But the facts are that prehospital medicine does not reward a

degree with economic stability. <<<

Maybe not yet, but the NEMSSoP is more about the next generation of

EMS providers than it is about you or I.

>>> I have no objections to some sort of a credentialing system for

services that need advanced care and cannot hire degreed medics, so

long as it is an unbiased, objective, and fair system. <<<

I could live with that - as long as the " need " (not the " want " ) has

been demonstrated and an adequate oversight mechanism is in place at

that local level.

>>> I have no objection to a credentialing system for EMS medical

directors, if it is designed to fairly evaluate the qualifications,

involvement, and EMS knowledge of the practitioner. <<<<

I have no major objection to that either - but I do find it

comical. You support standardized credentialing for the EMS Medical

Director but not for the EMS provider. Why wouldn't we want to

insure the qualifications and EMS knowledge of EMS providers? It

sure would help those responsible Medical Director's to keep them

from having to re-invent the wheel locally.

>>> We should not have doctors functioning as medical directors who

are simply rubber stamps. On the other hand, good physicians don't

have time, usually, to devote to being an active medical director

without pay. <<<

But if the responsible Medical Director won't give us the sexy toys

advertised at the Conference, we'll just get rid of him and get us a

rubber stamp. At least with a SoP there is some standardization at

the provider level.

>>> The flaw with the current NSoP model is that it does not take

into account the economic realities of requiring degrees. <<<

Gene, that isn't a flaw. The NEMSSoP is not designed to address the

issue of funding. Does any healthcare provider's SoP address

funding? Those are two separate issues.

>>> Appropriate modifications of the NSoP model can fix that and

other flaws. Now folks are beginning to construct alternative

plans. That is good. Remember that the deadline for comments is

January 30. <<<

Now you're talking. Is EMSAT going to have an alternative plan

completed and supported by then? If not, then the organization

supposedly representing EMS providers in the state will not be

participating as you are encouraging the individuals to do.

Hugs and Kisses,

Kenny Navarro

[Guest guest]

As a member of the Board of Directors of EMSAT, I would like to say that we

probably will not have an alternative to the NSop, But we could.

Are you a member of EMSAT?

Kenny Navarro wrote:

Gene,

I really did try not to respond. I even went so far as to log off

the computer. But, I gave in to the dark side and I must challenge

you on a couple of issues....

>>> When I applied to law school, I had an education degree, with

emphasis on music education. <<<

Wow. A musical lawyer. So, " The Bar " has a double meaning for you.

>>> But the facts are that prehospital medicine does not reward a

degree with economic stability. <<<

Maybe not yet, but the NEMSSoP is more about the next generation of

EMS providers than it is about you or I.

>>> I have no objections to some sort of a credentialing system for

services that need advanced care and cannot hire degreed medics, so

long as it is an unbiased, objective, and fair system. <<<

I could live with that - as long as the " need " (not the " want " ) has

been demonstrated and an adequate oversight mechanism is in place at

that local level.

>>> I have no objection to a credentialing system for EMS medical

directors, if it is designed to fairly evaluate the qualifications,

involvement, and EMS knowledge of the practitioner. <<<<

I have no major objection to that either - but I do find it

comical. You support standardized credentialing for the EMS Medical

Director but not for the EMS provider. Why wouldn't we want to

insure the qualifications and EMS knowledge of EMS providers? It

sure would help those responsible Medical Director's to keep them

from having to re-invent the wheel locally.

>>> We should not have doctors functioning as medical directors who

are simply rubber stamps. On the other hand, good physicians don't

have time, usually, to devote to being an active medical director

without pay. <<<

But if the responsible Medical Director won't give us the sexy toys

advertised at the Conference, we'll just get rid of him and get us a

rubber stamp. At least with a SoP there is some standardization at

the provider level.

>>> The flaw with the current NSoP model is that it does not take

into account the economic realities of requiring degrees. <<<

Gene, that isn't a flaw. The NEMSSoP is not designed to address the

issue of funding. Does any healthcare provider's SoP address

funding? Those are two separate issues.

>>> Appropriate modifications of the NSoP model can fix that and

other flaws. Now folks are beginning to construct alternative

plans. That is good. Remember that the deadline for comments is

January 30. <<<

Now you're talking. Is EMSAT going to have an alternative plan

completed and supported by then? If not, then the organization

supposedly representing EMS providers in the state will not be

participating as you are encouraging the individuals to do.

Hugs and Kisses,

Kenny Navarro