April 28 - May 1, 2025 | Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort

REGISTER TODAY! 

Hotel booking information can be found on the EMS Expo page. 

Stay tuned for the official 2025 Expo agenda 

Stay In The Know

Arkansas Legislative Updates

DBH Management Week 5 Legislative Report 

Week 5 has come and gone, and the pace has definitely picked up. As one member said yesterday afternoon, “it has felt like the last couple of weeks of Session, this week”! Most committee agendas are filling up, but as it has been the past few sessions, the Revenue and Tax committees are hardly meeting. It appears they are not willing to consider any bill that has a general revenue impact, until they are further along on the budget. A few more of the Governor’s bills began moving this week, of course, those do have general revenue impacts, but are not going through Revenue and Tax!! This week also saw the movement of code revision bills. While not exciting to read or listen to, these bills are very important. With a package of them filed in both the House and the Senate, these bills make all of the technical corrections to the code from the past Session. The House and Senate Public Health committees are moving into what we all just call “Scope Week”. They will for the next few meetings, be dealing primarily with bills that impact the scope of practice act of some type of medical provider.  These bills usually fall into one of two categories, they are agreed to by all parties and fly through, or they are not agreed to, and require lots of testimony!

As a follow up to our reporting last week, Senator Breanne Davis appeared with Rep. Deann Vaught before the House State Agencies Committee this week to present SB102. While the first couple of questions she received were about the bill, Representatives Beaty and Wardlaw had questions about the “ice cream incident”. If you would like to watch, it is only about 45 seconds and starts at the 10:20:50 mark here. Additionally, it appears that at least on the House end, the duck controversy has been resolved, as the Mallard received 77 votes in favor of HB1417 on the floor yesterday afternoon. It has been assigned to the Senate State Agencies Committee, so we will see how quickly it takes off next week. 

On other follow up from a couple of weeks ago. While it does not appear to be hostile, and does appear to be to happening on both ends of the Capitol, members of one chamber do not appear to be able to just walk onto the floor of the other chamber. We saw multiple Senators sending in notes to members on the House floor this week as well as House members either texting or sending in notes to their Senators. Again, it was clear they knew what the “rules” were, and did not seem to be upset about it, but for those of us who have been around the Capitol for a long time, it just seems a bit strange. 

Max is officially on board! We are thrilled to be working with her, and she is very excited to be helping you all! Rep. Schulz had another lengthy meeting with Col Hagar this week, as he and Rep. Johnson continue to work on our behalf to see that an EMS Board is established. HB1286, the initial clean up language for Treat, Triage, moved off the House floor with 97 votes this week. 

We remain grateful that you have put your trust in us to represent you at the Arkansas Capitol. Your track is below, and please remember, things are starting to move, so let us know your thoughts and concerns!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Bruce, Camie, Lee Ann, Michael & Holly

On the Horizon

The ArAA is sponsoring a booth at the County Judges Association of Arkansas meeting from February 26–28, 2025, at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock.

The Stars of Life Celebration will be held at the State Capitol on March 12, 2025. Sponsor, attend, & help shape the industry's future while gaining valuable recognition for your team and organization.

Industry Insights

JEMS: EMS Staffing White Paper Released by NAEMT

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) play a critical role in saving lives and protecting communities. While traditional models focus on rapid response and ALS staffing, research shows that most EMS calls don’t require lifesaving interventions. This presents an opportunity to optimize resources while continuing to deliver high-quality care.

Key Challenges Faced by EMS:

• Workforce Shortages: Despite an increase in certified EMTs and paramedics, EMS agencies struggle to fill field positions due to low wages, burnout, and competition from other healthcare sectors.
• Financial Strain: EMS agencies often operate under financial pressure, with reimbursement rates falling short of covering operational costs, leading to service cuts and staff reductions.
• Unrealistic Expectations: While fast response times are important in critical cases, studies show that for most calls, patient outcomes are not impacted by rapid arrival times, allowing for smarter deployment strategies.

Solutions to Empower EMS:

• Tiered Response Models: Implementing a combination of ALS and BLS responses ensures critical patients receive advanced care while maintaining system efficiency.
• Evidence-Based Response Times: Aligning response time goals with clinical needs prioritizes patient outcomes and reduces unnecessary strain on EMS resources.
• Innovative Dispatch Strategies: Utilizing triage systems, telemedicine, and non-ambulance personnel for low-acuity calls ensures ambulances remain available for life-threatening emergencies.

Conclusion:
EMS providers are the backbone of community health and safety. By embracing data-driven strategies and flexible response models, we can strengthen EMS systems, support frontline providers, and ensure high-quality care for every patient. Investing in EMS means investing in safer, healthier communities.

EMS1: Cultivating EMS Educators

EMS1: Why emergency medical services are vital to our healthcare system

Arkansas Health Update

Respiratory Virus - % of Emergency Department Visits - CDC Data

The data is updated by the CDC weekly and can be accessed here.

Upcoming Events

February 26 - 28, 2025: Arkansas Winter County Judges Conference

March 5 - 9, 2025: NWA Fire EMS Conference

March 12, 2025: Arkansas Stars of Life

April 29, 30, & May 1, 2025: 2025 Southern Regional EMS Expo

Resources

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