State trying to stabilize ambulance services

By Jeff Raymond

Published: May 22, 2008

This legislative session has been historic for its attention to emergency medical services in Oklahoma, but pending legislation must succeed for rural ambulance operators to keep from closing, state health officials said Wednesday.

Speaking to a crowd of emergency medical responders gathered at the state capitol as part of EMS Week, state health Commissioner Dr. Mike Crutcher said their work saves money and improves health care quality.

Crutcher said the Legislature has been wrestling with how to change the state's "antiquated rural ambulance system.” He called the current legislative session, which ends Friday, the most significant in 18 years in terms of EMS services.

"We need more funding, better pay, better benefits and higher standards for our EMTs,” Crutcher said.

Recommendations from the Governor's EMS Readiness Task Force are in various stages of the legislative process: Gov. Brad Henry last month signed legislation to provide a $5,000 benefit to beneficiaries of emergency medical technicians killed in the line of duty.

Pending legislation would establish an EMS reorganization/development fund, using expected growth in tobacco tax revenue, and allow voters to create rural EMS districts and dedicate a greater amount of money to ambulance services there.

Since 2000, 50 rural ambulance agencies have closed, leaving 13 areas "orphaned” or without service, said Shawn Rogers, EMS director for the state Health Department.

"The good old days of mom-and-pop ambulance services in every little town are not going to come back,” he said, describing how cuts in federal Medicare funds have "pulled the rug” from under EMS agencies nationwide.

If pending legislation survives, Rogers said, the outlook for the state's rural ambulance services likely will improve.

Rogers predicted a more regional system, based on the shifting of population from many rural areas, would provide better care and quicker response times.

However, he said, "We don't want to push people to do anything.”

Richard Robinson, director of McClain-Grady County EMS in Blanchard, said one of the biggest problems facing rural ambulance services is the shortage of paramedics. Pay and benefits are much better as firefighters, and working in cities is busier.

"There's very few paramedics who are coming out of school who go straight into EMS,” he said. "Really, if you're just a sole EMS service, there aren't that many people available.”

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