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NEWS NETWORK WHAT DO TOP EMS leaders talk about when they get together to discuss the future of the profession? Sure, there are the usual deliberations about system design, budget limitations and leader- ship strategies, but the conversation has gotten a lot more interesting since healthcare reform. These days, mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) programs, reimbursement and patient experience dominate the discussions. For nearly 10 years, the place EMS leaders have gone to share their experi- ences, network and discuss the future has been the Pinnacle EMS Leader- ship Forum. Several key issues emerged at the most recent gathering in Scotts- dale, AZ. Not surprisingly, MIH took center stage. More than 700 senior chiefs and executives learned about some successful MIH and commu- nity paramedic programs around the country, but they also received ample warnings about jumping into the "solution of the day." "[MIH programs] must be moved forward with care, caution and due regard for implications," said Jay Fitch, PhD, president of the emergency services consulting frm Fitch & Associates and host of the event. Before a program is launched, a community needs assessment and healthy collaboration with other healthcare partners must be under- taken. That takes a signifcant amount of preparation, said Andrew Rand, CEO of Advanced Medical Transport, a multistate not-for-proft EMS system in the Midwest. Even if an agency isn't ready to launch a program, there are building- block strategies to prepare. In addition to a needs assessment and collabo- ration, these include engaging the community, preparing EMS crews for nontraditional work and preloading the technology. "You don't need to get a seat at the table—you need to earn a seat at the table," Rand said. A common thread in nearly every session was the importance of data. "Data is driving healthcare reform," said Brenda Staffan, healthcare innovation project director for the Regional EMS Authority (REMSA) in Reno, NV. She provided prelimi- nary results for projects funded by her organization's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Care Innovation Grant. REMSA was one of the original 107 organizations (out of the more than 3,000 applicants) to receive a coveted Round 1 innova- tion grant. Staffan said that although the results are preliminary, the projects have been a success. "We are increasing access to quality care in a safe and reliable way. We are defnitely making progress to achieve our goals. As we continue to put systems in place, we expect even better results," she said. PATIENT EXPERIENCE By far the hottest topic was the issue of patient experience. It's not unusual for EMS leaders to look to other health- care professions for examples of how a profession can evolve—or at least to avoid the same pitfalls. Hospitals have been the leaders in this area. In their world, said Brian LaCroix, Presi- dent of Allina Health EMS, a Minne- sota hospital-based EMS system, the patient experience is measured by a Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Although for years many hospitals conducted their own patient satisfaction surveys, there were no common metrics or national standards for collecting and publicly reporting this information. Since 2008, HCAHPS (pronounced "H-caps") has allowed valid compar- isons to be made across hospitals locally, regionally and nationally. Patients can research hospitals the same way they can research restau- rants. Speaker after speaker noted that similar types of research would be coming to EMS, especially since patient experience is part of the Triple Aim for measuring healthcare quality. "There's skin in the game for the frst time with regard to the patient experience," LaCroix said. He warned that EMS should be proactive and build a similar system before someone else builds one for it. "We ought to drive that," he said. GROWING LEVERAGE No discussion of EMS is complete without a deep conversation about fnancial margins. As Medicare funding is reduced and fee-for- service is rapidly dismantled in favor of episodic care, EMS leaders have I ByTeresa McCallion, EMT When EMS Leaders Talk What will it take to lead the profession into the future? Brian LaCroix, president of Allina Health EMS, delivers a power session on the patient experience—and why it matters now more than ever. 16 DECEMBER 2014 | EMSWORLD.com