Editor’s note: Welcome to the What Paramedics Want podcast series of Inside EMS, sponsored by Pulsara. The state of the industry What Paramedics Want Report explores issues tied to provider recruitment and retention; safety, health and wellness support; technology adoption; and career development, produced in partnership with Fitch & Associates and the National EMS Management Association. Learn more and download your copy.
EMS pay and retention – or the lack thereof – is at the heart of this week’s episode of Inside EMS. Hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson tackle a news item out of Dougherty County, Georgia, where a recent exodus of EMS professionals spurred long-overdue pay raises and bonuses.
The discussion then shifts to Pickens County, Alabama, where a lack of funding led to a total EMS shutdown. Chris and Kelly explore how underfunded systems collapse under the weight of low reimbursement rates, poor public understanding of EMS …