There are no easy answers when it comes to figuring out Clarion County’s emergency medical system (EMS) crisis but there is a group of individuals working on trying to fix it.
Clarion County Career Center Director Traci Wildeson and Career Center Instructor Chris Richardson put forth a career ladder plan for Career Center students and training for adult students which could help replenish the county’s dwindling EMS personnel at the Clarion County EMS Task Force meeting held Jan 23 at the Clarion County Administration building.
Richardson and Wildeson outlined how the Career Center could develop EMS personnel.
Wildeson explained that if students get hands-on experience with something, they are more likely to pursue it.
“Sometimes that internship is what will kind of clinch them,” Wildeson said. “If they can actually see what it’s like out there then that we get them more motivated to continue.”
An initiative the Career Center proposed is for the EMS service pay for an adult or high school students EMS training courses and in return, the student would sign a contract agreeing to work for the EMS service for a term of two years. The cost for an adult student to take the course is $1,200 per student while the cost for a high school student is $550 per student.
One hurdle in getting potential EMS recruits to become either Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) or Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) is the certification test through the National Registry. According to Richardson, many of those who complete the training classes are unable to pass the certification test and many give up after two or three attempts because the cost to take the test is around $100.
Richardson said one of his best students took the National Registry test three times and wasn’t able to pass it.
The Shippenville-Elk Ambulance Service is scheduled to close Jan. 31 leaving Clarion County with four EMS services; Knox, Clarion Hospital, Southern Clarion County and East Brady.
Even though the lack of trained EMS personnel is the crisis facing the county, Corcetti believes it is a money issue.
“Money is always an issue,” Corcetti said. “You’re probably not willing to go through the training, if the price isn’t as good at the end.”
The group held a deep discussion about the reason the area’s ambulance services were underfunded. Much of the problem is that the services do not receive their fair share from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for ambulance runs.
Allison attended over 75-percent of the county’s township and borough meetings through the month of December informing those communities about the impending crisis. One of the suggestions Allison gave to municipalities to help fund the ambulance service is to approve a half-mill tax increase for its residents to help pay for the services (a half-mill increase for EMS services is all that is allowed in Pennsylvania). Allison also said the townships and boroughs should encourage their residents to become members of the ambulance service and pay the annual fee.
During the task force meeting, Goff offered a possible solution to the issue as he recommended the local municipalities team together to form a larger ambulance service. He said a community near Pittsburgh had teamed five of its ambulance services together with encouraging results.
Goff also discussed that the whole EMS system needs revamped. EMS services started as a volunteer service in many communities but over time the ambulance services adjusted to paying employees.
The Clarion County EMS Task Force has another meeting scheduled for February.