Improving Our EMS Systems

     In September, the EMS state directors met in Tacoma, WA, for their annual meeting and trade show. The NASEMSO (National Association of State EMS Officials) goals are to promote orderly development of coordinated EMS systems across the nation in partnership, and to improve the quality and efficiency of state EMS program administration.

     Federal partners attend this meeting, as well as representatives from the DHS Office of Health Affairs, U.S. DOT NHTSA Office of EMS, CDC Division of Injury Response and HHS HRSA EMS for Children Program, but most of the attendees' time is spent in their assigned council/committee meetings: Medical Directors, Data Managers, Trauma Managers, Rural EMS, Training Coordinators, Domestic Preparedness, EMS Coordinators.

     Among other things, the association issued three resolutions at the end of the meeting, which included:

1. NASEMSO requested that NREMT join with the association to assist its member states to develop plans to achieve NREMT's goal of universal paramedic education program accreditation by 2013.
2. Since funding through REMSTTAC (Rural Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Technical Assistance Center) has ceased, NASEMSO is calling upon the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Trauma and EMS Program, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to make funding for REMSTTAC a high priority.

     This year's meeting welcomed a new president. Steve Blessing is taking over the president role as Fergus Laughridge moves into the position of immediate past president. Shawn Rogers is president-elect. For more information on NASEMSO, visit www.nasemso.org.