1. NEMSMA Survey: Lead Federal Agency for EMS

NEMSMA has been invited to respond to a number of questions about efforts to establish a lead federal agency for Emergency Medical Services. Please respond to the following questions:

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* 1. Please provide your contact information in case we have any questions.

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* 2. Do you feel that an appropriate authority should establish a lead federal agency for EMS matters?

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* 3. Please indicate your opinion on appropriate roles for the federal government, through its lead EMS agency.

  Strongly agree that the lead federal agency should play this role. Agree that the lead federal agency should play this role. Neutral as to whether the lead federal agency should play this role. Disagree that the lead federal agency should play this role. Strongly disagree that the lead federal agency should play this role.
Coordinate EMS issue between federal agencies involved in EMS.
Implement the recommendations of FICEMS and assist with the development and coordination of state EMS programs.
Establish federal licensure for EMS providers.
Promote a single standard for credentialing of EMS providers by individual states.
Establish federal mandates for EMS educational programs.
Promote and encourage compliance with national accreditation standards for EMS programs.
Provide technical assistance to state EMS offices and programs.
Direct CMS to revise Medicare and Medicaid payments for EMS away from transportation-based and toward treatment-based.
Establish a National EMS Academy.
Establish programs to foster research in to operational, clinical, and administrative EMS best practices.
Promote leadership development opportunities such as scholarships and fellowships.
Maintain a National EMS Information System and publish reports about the state of EMS in the United States.
Monitor trends in the EMS workforce.
Develop evidence-based indicators of EMS system performance.
Establish demonstration programs to evaluate and promote regionaized, coordinated, and accountable emergency medical care systems.
Develop evidence-based approaches to reduce errors in emergency medical care delivery.
Advocate for, develop, and fund interoperable communications systems.
Administer grant programs to improve the education of EMS providers.
Administer grant programs to improve the education of EMS supervisors, managers, and executives.
Administer grant programs to allow EMS agencies to hire more personnel.
Establish evidence-based standards for ambulance vehicle design and construction.

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* 4. What other functions/issues do you think a lead federal agency for EMS should perform or address?

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* 5. What other functions or issues do you think a lead federal agency for EMS should NOT perform or address?

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* 6. Other comments or suggestions for NEMSMA as we work through this issue with our national partners?

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