Paramedic Shortage

By PJ Martin

Editor

The Herald-News

 

The Barren-Metcalfe County Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors met on October 23^rd at the TJ Samson Community Hospital board room. A quorum was present with five of six members in attendance.

 

Finance Report

The August and September financial reports were presented by Executive Treasurer/Secretary Shawn Estes.

In August, the total adjusted receipts equaled $500,696 with total adjusted expenses equaling $497,675 which left August with $3,021 net income. The August financials were approved.

In September, total adjusted receipts equaled $571,992 with total adjusted expenses equaling $525,152 leaving September with $46,841 net income. The year-to-date net income is $75,585. The September financials were also approved.

As of September 30, 2024, the total operating funds balance was $323,909.30 and the total CD value was $1,076,998.85. That gives a cash available balance of $1,400,908.15.

 

Operations Reports

Executive Director Joe Middleton began with the daily run logs. August had a total of 895 runs while September had 1,002 runs with 855 of those in Barren County and 147 in Metcalfe County. The 2024 YTD run total is 8,389 with 7,150 in Barren and 1,239 in Metcalfe.

Director Middleton then discussed the average run times. Average scene time is 14 minutes and 53 seconds while the average transport time is 13 minutes and 5 seconds. Middleton stated, “One of the things that troubles me there is we’re spending more time on the scene than we’re transporting patients.”

“Our average turnaround time, this is the time that once we get to the emergency department and that ambulance leaves the emergency department, we’re at 28 minutes. That number is significant due to us having longer turnaround times in the emergency department due to wait times…When the emergency department is busy and beds are tied up, it takes a little longer to actually get those patients to a bed.”

The hospital is working on a new process of getting patients up to the floor to free up beds in the ER which will shorten the turnaround time.

Middleton also presented the response report sorted by Fire Dept. District and volume by BMEMS Station for

Old and New Business

Middleton explained that in Kentucky there are Critical Care Paramedics, Paramedics, Advanced EMTs, and EMT Basics. With the ambulance shift schedule viewed on the screen, he added, “This is what we would like to see the 24-hour trucks (ambulance) staffed with a Paramedic and an EMT. We would like to see the 12-hour A list trucks staffed with a Paramedic and an EMT, and we would like to have the BLS 12-hour truck, we would like to have that staffed with two EMT basics.”

Garland Gilliam asked if all the supervisors were on ambulances and Middleton responded with, “Yes”. Gilliam asked, “When did we move from supervisors in pick-up trucks to supervisors on ambulances?”

Middleton and Estes replied, “A year and a half ago, if not longer.”

Middleton introduced KY Board of EMS Executive Director Eddie Sloan and KY Board of EMS Chairman Jeff Holder who agree that not only is there a Paramedic and EMT shortage locally, it is a state-wide issue. “We have about 2,400 Paramedics across the state,” said Sloan. After reducing that number by the larger cities, “We’re talking about 16 or 1,700 to do about 110 counties.”

Sloan went on to explain that they are appearing before local and state governments trying to increase funding for education to train Paramedics and EMTs. “If we don’t do something to increase these numbers, it’s going to continue to get worse.”

“When someone reaches about 40-45 years of age in this line of work, they leave this field of work,” explained Sloan. Holder added. “The state-wide attrition rate right now is 21% …2 out of every 10 providers won’t come back to the job next year.”

He encouraged the local Workforce Committee and the hybrid Paramedic Program and it may be picked up in other parts of the state, because it is one of the successful training programs. “As it is Paramedics are getting hard to come by, AEMTs are getting hard to come by, and even EMTs,” stated Sloan.

Barren County Judge/Executive Jamie Byrd asked, “Is it pay? Is it not ability to get the training?”

Sloan replied, “Pay is one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle. There’s a bunch of pieces obviously.”

Middleton presented an update on the training program stating a Paramedic is currently in the testing process, an Advanced EMT is in the testing process, and two Paramedics are in the program. “We are slated to enroll 4-5 Advanced EMTs in the Paramedic Program in January through our satellite and our affiliate relationship with Hopkinsville Fire.”

The CPS funds applied for were approved and will receive $45,000 as match money and will give the program $90,000 of funding to train the 4-5 Paramedic students in the 10-month program. The training is continuing for the EMT Immersion Program and 2 new students beginning Basic EMT training.

Gilliam asked, “What are we doing to keep these people here?”

“We’re working on the recruitment and retention through what we can do,” stated Middleton. Adding he is working on a benefits package and the Fit For Life Program and Employee Assistance Program for mental health provided for 100% of the employees.”

Middleton announced, “I’m here today, what do we need? We need more pay. Bottom line we need more pay. So, I ask the board to authorize me to give a 10% across-the-board pay raise effective immediately to all employees…It’s 275,000 dollars. We’ve saved $129,000 already in the year and we have 1.4 million dollars in the bank that Mr. Estes and I have worked diligently to be sure that we have money in the bank. We reduced the budget to the partners by multiple thousands of dollars this year. I’m just asking you to let me use the resources that I’ve worked to obtain.”

Gilliam asked Chairman Holder if the pay scale was equivalent to others in the state and Holder stated that it was on point with others. Middleton expressed concern that, “We have given pay raises here and there. We have been chasing everybody else. We have been trying to keep up with everybody else. What I’m asking you to do is give me the opportunity to recruit people to be the cutting edge.”

Currently, the lowest pay rate is a Basic EMT at $15.25 an hour and the highest pay rate is a Critical Care Paramedic at $23.90, who just received their anniversary step increase.

Karisa Peterson advised, “We cannot continue to talk and move forward and building a building, or moving, or doing anything else until we are in a position of being fully staffed. This is a first step that has to happen before we can ever continue those conversations,”

Judge/Executive Larry Wilson commented, “When I looked at your pay scale, I like to fell out. In Metcalfe County, all are way above that. My county workers, everybody. These are skilled people…You’re talking about skilled people that have training and a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.”

After a great many questions and a lot of discussions, the vote was taken. The immediate 10% pay scale increase was approved by a vote of 4 – 1 with Gilliam voting no. He stated that he was in favor of a raise of 5 or 6 percent, but not a 10 percent raise.

 

Other Business

The next meeting is scheduled for December 11, 2024, at 4 p.m. at