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Bill in Harrisburg would allow EMS personnel a ‘privilege to practice’ out of state

By Jon Andreassi newsroom@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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Jon Andreassi

EMT Kimber Rogers and Paramedic Taylor Hampshire prepare a stretcher in the back of an Ambulance and Chair ambulance.

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Jon Andreassi

Advanced EMT Austin Shawley cleans an ambulance Tuesday morning.

A law going through Pennsylvania’s legislature would see the state join 21 others in an EMS compact allowing for EMTs and paramedics to practice out of state.

Local agencies, however, do not expect it to make much of an impact.

State Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, is sponsoring Senate Bill 861, which unanimously passed through the senate last week. It now awaits a vote in the state House of Representatives.

Stefano’s district covers Fayette and Somerset counties, as well as part of Westmoreland County.

“Pennsylvania is having an exceedingly difficult time in recruiting and retaining licensed EMS providers as put forth in the SR 6 Report of 2018,” said Stefano, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, in a news release issued last week. “The EMS Compact would help enhance our Emergency Medical Services system by providing qualified EMS personnel a ‘privilege to practice’ in participating states during times of need.”

According to the release, anyone licensed as an EMT, advanced EMT or a paramedic would be granted a privilege to practice in other states in the compact on a short-term basis.

There are 21 states in the EMS Compact. Several border Pennsylvania, including Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

The compact is governed by the Interstate Commission for EMS Personnel Practice, which consists of one member from each participating state.

In Stefano’s home district, the local ambulance service does not see much need for the proposal.

“I’ve heard about it. I haven’t followed it very closely,” said Matt McKnight, Fayette EMS assistant chief. “It doesn’t really affect us.”

Across the country, there is a shortage of EMS personnel. The American Ambulance Association called the shortage “crippling” in a letter to congressional leaders, and said the annual turnover among EMTs and paramedics ranges from 20% to 30%.

However, McKnight said so far, that has not been his department’s experience. While there was added stress over the holidays with staff being out with COVID-19, he said the agency has managed “fairly well.”

“We’ve been fortunate we have not had to shut down any stations or trucks, and we have not had to turn any calls over based off of staffing issues,” McKnight said.

Larry Pollock, director of Washington Ambulance and Chair EMS, also said he had limited knowledge of the bill, but does not see the compact as long term solution to staffing shortages.

“A lot of times we’re just moving the problem from one area to another. We need to look at increased training efforts,” Pollock said, adding Ambulance and Chair puts on EMT and paramedic classes. “We think that’s the real solution.”

According to Pollock, the national EMS staff shortage has also not hit Washington County as hard as other communities.

“We tend not to be the worst or the best with the shortage,” Pollock said.

Taylor Hampshire is a paramedic at Ambulance and Chair, and has been working in EMS for seven years. She agreed staffing has not been an issue locally, but the job has grown more demanding in other ways during the pandemic.

“It’s not a shortage, it’s that the call volume is higher. We’ve just been busier in that aspect,” Hampshire said.

According to Hampshire, they are responding to 40 to 50 calls a day. She said this is a sharp increase from before the pandemic.

COVID-19 has also made responding to those calls more stressful.

“I feel like COVID really puts you at a cautious stance on our patients” Hampshire said. “COVID could always be the answer for why someone is not feeling well. That’s always, always, always on our brains.”

Hampshire added there is always stress about catching COVID-19 and spreading it to loved ones.

“I’d like to tell people to try and stay healthy. Get vaccinated if you can. Wash your hands and be careful around other people,” Hampshire said.

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