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EMS Agenda 2050 Will Improve EMS Services Nationwide

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By Allison G. S. Knox
Contributor, EDM Digest

There has been a lot of discussion in scholarly literature regarding organizations and organizational culture. Social scientists have explored different aspects of this concept, positing that organizations and their culture are brought together by fundamental elements within the organization.

One such element is a corporate mission statement because it helps to unify groups of people into one distinct mindset. Having a central mission statement to unify employees is one of the most important components of any large company.

Emergency medical services are a large body of professionals in every town and city in the United States. Countless ambulance agencies across the country collectively answer the same types of 911 calls or provide similar transport services to patients.

However, experts argue that emergency medical services are fractured at the core of their protocols, which vary from town to town. Some agencies offer paid positions, while others are composed of volunteers.

There have been attempts to correct these issues and to unify emergency medical services nationally. The latest development in this respect is the newly published EMS Agenda 2050, which will act as a mission statement and help bring EMS agencies into the future.

EMS Agenda 2050 Will Help Organizations to Bridge Gaps

Certification is a way to unify communities and organizations. In many respects, states use EMS certifications to put emergency medical technicians and paramedics on the same page.

The creation of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians has been that unifying force. The new EMS Agenda 2050 will follow up on these initiatives and create another method of bridging gaps in emergency medical services across the country.

EMS Agenda 2050 Designed around Six Guiding Principles

One of the most important aspects of this agenda for the future is its six guiding principles that create a unifying plan. According to EMS. gov, the goal is to have “EMS systems [by 2050] designed to provide the best possible outcomes for patients and communities – every day and during major disasters.”

The six guiding principles for the new EMS plan are:

  • Adaptable and innovative
  • Inherently safe and efficient
  • Sustainable and efficient
  • Integrated and seamless
  • Socially equitable
  • Reliable and prepared

In practice, however, these principles can be complicated and difficult to achieve. That’s why having this plan incorporated by 2050 is not only important but potentially achievable. One goal, for instance, is to bring ambulance agencies throughout the country into alignment with each other. More importantly, having a centralized objective as outlined in the EMS Agenda 2050 will give ambulance agencies throughout the country a goal to work toward.

Allison G.S. Knox

Allison G. S. Knox teaches in the fire science and emergency management departments at the University. Focusing on emergency management and emergency medical services policy, she often writes and advocates about these issues. Allison works as an Intermittent Emergency Management Specialist in the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. She also serves as the At-Large Director of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, Chancellor of the Southeast Region on the Board of Trustees with Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences, chair of Pi Gamma Mu’s Leadership Development Program and Assistant Editor for the International Journal of Paramedicine. Prior to teaching, Allison worked for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. and in a Level One trauma center emergency department. She is an emergency medical technician and holds five master’s degrees.

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