COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates need for workers at Ohio's emergency medical services

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Almost a third of Ohio's EMS workforce has left since the pandemic, devastating private ambulance companies that don't receive government aid.

NEWARK — Job applications spilling over a side table greet every visitor buzzed through the front door ofCourtesy, like many private ambulance companies, is struggling to hire and retain staff.

Psychiatric calls are up, the “Great Resignation” is at play and staffing shortages across private EMS in Ohio have skyrocketed. Ohio Ambulance and Medical Transportation AssociationWhen Carver started at Courtesy eight years ago, there were eight to 10 people taking around 100 calls a day. These days, two to four people manage 30 to 50 calls a day, he said.

According to the state's Division of Emergency Medical Services, active EMS provider certifications have held steady at around 40,000 since 2019.Superior Ambulance Service in Ohio"There's definitely been a steady decrease of people who would have been applying," said Nathaniel Lee, who handles orientations for Superior's new hires. "And then there's a lot of people that apply, come in to do one or two days of orientation, and then they don't show back up again.

The notice informs the 65-year-old man that if Courtesy Ambulance is not a preferred or in-network provider, the patient will be held responsible for the bill — the result of an Ohio law created to respond to surprise billing, which happens when an insured patient thinks they are using an in-network provider.

The cost of an ambulance ride with non-emergency medical support is around $1,300 plus $17 per mile. For example, the run Carver made from Newark to a patient's doctor's appointment in Columbus and back cost Courtesy over $2,600."When my father died in 2017, he wanted this business to continue on," Scarett-Dudgeon said."And I always thought of longevity. But I don't know if I'm going to be here in five years, let alone the next couple.

"Every hour that a patient is in a bed is another hour that another sick patient can't get moved to that bed," Cantzler said. the labor shortage and allowed EMS agencies to send out ambulances below minimum staffing as long as a report is filled out.

 

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