EMS Agencies Must Learn to Adapt to New Challenges

  My job as Editor-in-Chief requires a lot air travel, where I get to visit with the individuals that keep EMS rolling. People are always proud to tell me what’s working for their agencies and systems. More importantly, they often open up to me about the problems and challenges they face. Some ask for solutions from those who have faced similar challenges. I’m often able to help them, but sometimes I can’t. Regardless of the challenge, I have plenty of time in the air to think about and synthesize their issues. As I fly, I often look out the airplane window at the mountains, rivers, snow and deserts below and wonder how the early settlers in these vastly different landscapes coped with the challenges ahead of them. I wonder how the Conestoga wagons, with their limited water supply, wooden wheels and no air conditioning, traversed the territory and allowed them to survive and prosper in uncharted areas. The fact is, they did. They learned to adapt, analyze their problems, and develop innovative solutions like water towers, telephone systems, tunnels, railroads and airplanes. I consider it my job to synthesize what I observe and learn, and present information and concepts to you, along with the success stories, science and references to best describe it. What you, your colleagues and administrators do with it is beyond my control. Here are just a few of the challenges I see on the horizon, as well as information that can assist you in addressing some common problems ...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Columns Operations Source Type: news