Deadline to register for third annual event is Feb. 15
Registrations are being accepted for the third annual EMS on the Hill Day, hosted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). The 2012 event takes place on March 20—21, 2012, in Washington, D.C. In order for appointments to be scheduled with congressional leaders, participants must register by Feb. 15, 2012.
EMS on the Hill Day is the nation’s only national EMS advocacy event, providing professionals from all sectors of the emergency medical community the opportunity to advocate for specific EMS legislation. According to NAEMT Executive Director Pamela Lane, EMS on the Hill Day sends a consistent message to elected leaders regarding critical issues facing EMS throughout the nation and builds important relationships with Senate and House leaders and their staff.
Meeting with Congressional leaders also has a direct impact on individual EMS agencies and practitioners.
“There’s a direct relationship between what we do in Washington and how EMS is provided locally,” Lane says. “The more [legislators] in Washington who understand the challenges to providing quality EMS, the greater the possibility that they will craft policies that address
those challenges.”
This past year, 145 participants from 39 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, representing a number of national EMS organizations and other related agencies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, visited members of the 112th Congress to advocate for EMS issues. Attendees were organized into approximately 40 groups, allowing them to meet with 217 Senators and members of the House of Representatives–an increase of more than 25% in the number of visits compared to the previous year.
“This is a great example of EMS putting aside different perspectives “¦ to show Congress we are united on the issues that matter most for EMS in our country,” says Lane.
This year, the American Ambulance Association has decided that, rather than holding its own lobby day, it will become a champion sponsor of EMS on the Hill Day and its members will participate in the event. In addition, this year’s EMS on the Hill Day attendees are invited to participate in AAA’s reimbursement task force meeting on Monday afternoon, March 20, at the Washington Plaza Hotel, the official headquarters for the event. The meeting, typically only open to AAA members, addresses reimbursement issues affecting EMS agencies, including health care reform, Medicare ambulance relief and other hot topics. “This is a tremendous bonus,” Lane says.
Also for the first time, the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Emergency Physicians have joined as EMS on the Hill Day sponsors. Lane expects increased participation from their membership as well.
The schedule for the 2012 EMS on the Hill Day includes:
March 20: Participants will meet with other participants and attend a pre-Hill visit briefing, followed by a networking reception.
March 21: Participants will attend scheduled appointments with their Senate and House leaders and their staff, followed by an evening reception.
Participants can register at www.naemt.org/advocacy/emsonthehillday/EMSontheHillDay.aspx.
To assist those for whom finances are a consideration, NAEMT will provide grants of up to $1,200 each to four active NAEMT members. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2012. Interested members must complete a brief, online application form available on the NAEMT website.
Those who are seeking outside funding for their participation in EMS on the Hill Day will find a guide for requesting donations from corporations and community groups, developed by NAEMT. It is also available on the NAEMT website, www.naemt.org.
