WELL, ANN ZENK, THANKS VERY
MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THE STATE'S NETWORK OF
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IS
CRUMBLING AND DANGEROUSLY
UNRELIABLE.
THAT'S ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT
FROM THE OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH.
"HERE AND NOW" REPORTER STEVE
POTTER LOOKS AT THE GROWING
PROBLEMS AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS.
>> THIS IS A HEARTBREAK.
THIS IS A TRAGEDY.
>> BECAUSE WHEN YOU CALL 9-1-1,
YOU EXPECT AN AMBULANCE TO SHOW
UP AND SHOW UP SOON.
(Siren).
>> BUT FOR SOME COMMUNITIES
AROUND THE STATE, PARTICULARLY
RURAL ONES, THERE'S A GROWING
CONCERN THAT EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICES WON'T BE THERE TO
ANSWER CALLS.
THE PROBLEM, A STAFFING
SHORTAGE.
>> WE HAVE A CRISIS NOT UNLIKE
OTHER INDUSTRIES, LIKE RETAIL
AND OTHERWISE, BUT STAFFING FOR
E.M.S. MEANS LIFE AND DEATH.
IT MEANS SOMEBODY NOT SHOWING UP
TO A CALL, AN AMBULANCE NOT
ARRIVING.
WHAT WE STARTED TO SEE IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS,
DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSING,
AND SOMETIMES THERE'S A MUTUAL
AID AGREEMENT FOR ANOTHER
DEPARTMENT TO COME IN AND HELP
OUT, BUT MANY TIMES, TOWNS,
CITIES, VILLAGES ARE WITHOUT
E.M.S.
THEY HAVE NOBODY.
>> A NEW SUPPER FROM THE UW
MADISON OF RURAL HEALTH SHOWS
THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS.
MORE THAN 40% OF STATE E.M.S.
AGENCIES HAD STAFFING GAPS WHERE
NO AMBULANCE WAS AVAILABLE FOR
EMERGENCY CALLS.
AND ALMOST 80% OF E.M.S.
AGENCIES WERE CALLED TO COVER AN
EMERGENCY IN A NEIGHBORING
COMMUNITY.
>> WE SAW THAT IN 10
COMMUNITIES, THERE WERE SERVICES
THAT REPORTED THAT AN AMBULANCE
NEVER GOT TO A CALL AT ALL, THAT
THERE WAS 9-1-1 CALLS REQUESTING
AMBULANCES.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE STAFFING
AVAILABLE AND THEY NEVER HAD AN
AMBULANCE MAKE IT TO A CALL.
>> AT THE HEART OF THE CURRENT
STAFFING STRUGGLES IS THE FACT
THAT, FOR DECADES, WISCONSIN'S
E.M.S. OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN
BUILT UPON AND ALMOST
EXCLUSIVELY BEEN SUPPORTED BY
VOLUNTEERS.
>> RIGHT NOW, 79% OF OUR STATE
ACTUALLY RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO
STAFF THEIR 9/11 CALLS, WHICH IS
A HUGE AMOUNT IF YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT MAJORITY OF THE STATE
RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS, SOME THAT
MIGHT GET PAID A STIPEND, MIGHT
NOT GET PAID AT ALL, A LOT OF
TIMES HAVING TO PAY OUT OF THEIR
OWN POCKET, SO WE HAVE MANY
RURAL AREAS THAT ARE USING
VOLUNTEERS TO KIND OF SUBSIDIZE
THE COST OF E.M.S.
>> PAUL BLOUNT IS THE CHIEF OF
THE E.M.S. OPERATIONS FOR THE
CAMBRIDGE AREA.
THE COMBINATION MODEL HAS BECOME
A POPULAR SOLUTION.
WE HAVE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS THAT
WORK HERE FULL TIME, THIS IS
THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, AND THEN
SOME PART-TIME MEMBERS AND THEN
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER PAID ON-CALL
MEMBERS, AND THAT IS A PRETTY
POPULAR STAFFING STRATEGY AND
WHAT IT DOES IS HELP ADDRESS THE
NEED FOR 24/7/365 AMBULANCE
COVERAGE.
>> CHIEF BLOUNT STARTED AS AN
E.M.S. VOLUNTEER HIMSELF YEARS
AGO.
HE UNDERSTANDS WHY IT'S HARD TO
KEEP ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO STAFF
AMBULANCES.
>> FAMILY DEMANDS, WORK DEMANDS,
AND THEN JUST A STRUGGLE TO JUST
FIND PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB AND TO
VOLUNTEER ESPECIALLY TO DO THE
JOB.
>> THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE
E.M.S. STAFFING SHORTAGE IS
HAPPENING THEIR IN LAKE MILLS IN
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, A BIT OVER A
YEAR AGO, WE REALIZED THAT WE
WERE NOT BEING SUCCESSFUL AT
RECRUITING AND RETAINING PEOPLE.
WE WERE ALSO HAVING SOME
FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES WITH ALL
OF THAT GOING ON BASICALLY, WE
HAVE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION
THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE CLOSING
OUR DOORS HERE ON JUNE 30th.
BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN SERVING
THIS COMMUNITY, OUR FRIENDS, OUR
NEIGHBORS FOR CLOSE TO 50 YEARS,
THAT IN ITSELF IS THE -- CLOSING
THE DOORS IS JUST TRAGIC.
>> WHETHER YOU'RE A PAID
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN OR
EVEN AN E.M.S. VOLUNTEER,
EXTENSIVE TRAINING, EDUCATION
AND CERTIFICATION FROM THE STATE
IS REQUIRED.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, JIM
COLEGROVE NOTES, THE WORK ISN'T
FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
>> THIS IS A DIRTY JOB.
THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT.
YOU ARE DEALING WITH HUMAN
BEINGS IN SOME OF THEIR WORST
POSSIBLE TIMES AND YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY FOR THOSE
PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE TO BE
WILLING BE WORKING IN AN
ENVIRONMENT WHERE SOMEBODY IS
THROWING UP ON YOU.
YOU ARE WORKING A CODE AND YOU
ARE DOING C.P.R. ON SOMEBODY
THAT YOU KNOW WHO LIVES JUST
DOWN THE STREET, THAT TYPE OF
THING, AND SO IT IS VERY
EMOTIONALLY CHARGED, BUT IT IS
GENERALLY VERY MUCH A SENSE OF
WANTING TO GIVE BACK TO A
COMMUNITY.
>> LAKE MILLS IS NOW IN THE
PROCESS OF JOINING THE CAMBRIDGE
AREA E.M.S. GROUP.
A NUMBER OF E.M.S. AGENCIES
AROUND THE STATE HAVE ENTERED
INTO SIMILAR CONSOLIDATION
AGREEMENTS WITH NEIGHBORHOODS
COMMUNITIES.
A TEMPORARILY SOLUTION IS ASKING
RESIDENTS, THROUGH BALLOT
REFERENDUMS, FOR MORE MONEY, BUT
FOR A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, E.M.S.
OFFICIALS ARE SEEKING MORE
STABLE FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
>> THE STATE REALLY, RIGHT NOW,
NEEDS TO STEP N-NEEDS TO PROVIDE
PERMANENT FUNDING.
>> DEYOUNG SAYS SUCH FUNDING
WILL NEED TO BE SUBSTANTIAL AND
SUSTAINABLE.
>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $500
MILLION IN A BUDGET EMERGENCY
MANAHOPEFULLYFOR A TWO-YEAR BUDE
EVERY DEPARTMENT ABOUT WHAT THEY
NEED.
SOME WILL GET LESS, SOME MORE,
BASED ON ON HOW RURAL THEY ARE.
>> TO MAKE THAT FUNDING DREAM A
REALITY, E.M.S. OPERATORS HAVE
BEGAN KNOCKING ON LAWMAKERS'
DOORS AT THE CAPITOL.
>> AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,
POLICE, FIRE EXPEMS, E.M.S. IS
THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
>> OH EAU CLAIRE AREA STATE
SENATOR JESSE JAMES HAS WORKED
HAND IN HAND ON EMERGENCY CALLS
AS A FORMER POLICE AND FIRE
CHEER IN ALTONA.
HE SAYS HE KNOWS HOW NECESSARY
THESE SERVICES ARE.
>> IT'S ESSENTIAL FOR ALL OF US,
WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE URBAN AREA
OR RURAL AREA, WE NEED TO HAVE
THESE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO
SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> SENATOR JAMES SAYS HE WANTS
TO EXPLORE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FOR SMALLER COMMUNITIES TO
CONSOLIDATE THEIR E.M.S.
OPERATIONS, BUT HE'S UNSURE HOW
MUCH REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS ARE
WILLING TO GIVE TO E.M.S.
AGENCIES IN THEIR STATE BUDGET.
>> THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MONEY
PUT INTO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WOULD REACH
THAT $500 MILLION MARK, THOUGH.
>> E.M.S. OFFICIALS SAY THEY
ALSO NEED MORE MONEY FOR
RECRUITMENTS EFFORTS TO HELP
ATTRACT MORE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES
TO THE FIELD.
ACCORDING TO THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES,
OVER THE LAST DECADE, AMBULANCE
PATIENT NUMBERS HAVE NEARLY
DOUBLED FROM ABOUT 500,000
PATIENTS PER YEAR TO MORE THAN
900,000.
OVER THAT SAME 10 YEARS,
HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF E.M.S.
PROVIDERS HAS GONE FROM 20,000
TO JUST 21,000, AN INCREASE OF
ONLY 5%.
AND, DEYOUNG SAYS, THOSE FIGURES
ARE ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE.
>> WE ARE ACTUALLY ESTIMATING
ABOUT 25, 26% OF ALL LICENSED
E.M.S. PROVIDERS ARE PROBABLY
GOING TO LET THEIR LICENSE LAPSE
THIS RENEWAL YEAR.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WORKFORCE
CUTTING IT DOWN BY A QUARTER.
>> E.M.S. LEADERS HOLD OUT HOPE
THAT STATE LAWMAKERS WILL
RESPOND TO THE NEED.
>> I THINK THAT THERAPIES --
THAT THERE IS INTENT IN THE
LEGISLATURE TO TRY TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE.
IT SEEMS TO BE VERY HIGH
PRIORITY.
I'M GETTING CONTACTED BY
LEGISLATORS NUMEROUS TIMES A
WEEK WANTING INFORMATION ON THE
SYSTEM, WANTING TO KNOW SOME OF
THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY AND SO
ON.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT E.M.S. 2.0 IS
GOING TO LOOK LIKE, BUT WE KNOW
THAT E.M.S. 1.0 HAS RUN ITS