BETTER THAN HEARSAY - 10 May 2024

To EMS Be or Not To EMS Be

By Michael Ryan

CATSKILL - The next couple of weeks could transform the emergency medical services landscape or leave it stuck in the mud.

Greene County Legislature members have approved a resolution calling upon their counterparts in Albany to pass a series of bills that would advance ambulance response into the 21st Century.

Those bills were mystifyingly left out of the recent State budget after local lawmakers, along with many municipal officials and EMS personnel statewide, had been led to believe they were a slam dunk.

There is a related story in our Legislature Stuff column, this week, revealing mostly that no one seems to know what happened or why.

A plea has gone out to State decision-makers to enact the same measures, apart from the budget, prior to going home for the summer.

Greene County administrator Shaun Groden, who is generally in the know on these kinds of things says, “I don’t understand why they didn’t pass.”

Legislature chairman Patrick Linger, who likewise usually has a clue, has none, saying, “for some reason, they just disappeared.”

Many fingers are being pointed at how the perpetually late State budget is finalized, locking the Governor and leaders of each House in a room, not coming out until a deal is done.

Whatever the chain of events may be, the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) has authored a letter, beseeching Albany big wigs to  come to their EMS senses.

It remains to be seen how successful the appeal is although there may be a glimmer of hope, based upon statements made by State Senator Michelle Hinchey in response to the question…”what happened and why?”

Hinchey has a reputation for not playing politics and sponsored one of the bills NYSAC wants pushed through by the Senate and Assembly.

She was asked for any insight on the fate of the bills - which could still be passed before June 2 - and about a special Task Force she helped establish, two years ago, to study EMS across the State.

Hinchey didn’t provide the behind-the-scenes background being sought here but perhaps dropped a hint as to what is on the horizon.

“EMS is the frontline of healthcare in rural and medically underserved communities, especially in Greene County which doesn’t have a local hospital,” Hinchey said.

“We’ve seen firsthand how long-term underfunding, inadequate reimbursement rates, workforce shortages, and geographic challenges have pushed many of our EMS providers to the brink of closure.

“That’s why I created the first-ever Rural Ambulance Services Task Force made up of some of New York’s most experienced EMS professionals, including Greene County’s very own Aidan O’Connor,” Hinchey said.

O’Connor is a former county legislature and a helicopter paramedic, being both well-connected and highly-respected in the EMS field.

I bumped into him at the recent EMS fundraiser in the town of Ashland, pumping him for information about the Task Force.

He played it close to the vest, saying only that their report is close to being made public. Local officials are hopeful Albany is planning a big splash surrounding the EMS bills and that report, tying them together.

Hinchey, meanwhile, says the Task Force was created specifically, “so the. State Legislature can take action on solutions identified by the providers who serve our communities.

“We’re working to pass a comprehensive legislative package of solutions, many of which are based on Task Force recommendations, and we’re pushing to get it done before session ends.

“That includes legislation I sponsor to ensure EMS providers are finally reimbursed for providing treatment on the scene, facilitating telemedicine, and that providers have the flexibility of transporting patients to other healthcare settings, like urgent care or a mental health facility.

“It's also imperative we take action this year to recognize EMS as an Essential Service, a bill I co-sponsor and look forward to passing.

“It is incumbent we do everything we can to keep lifesaving EMS available and ensure a sustainable future for these essential rural healthcare services,” Hinchey said.

Assemblyman Chris Tague was characteristically colorful when asked the same question as Hinchey, saying in a phone interview, “all l I can say is this is something I’ve been pushing since I was first elected in 2018.

“Somebody high up in Albany doesn’t want to get it done,” Tague said, not naming names. “It’s very discouraging and what’s really troubling is these bills have support on both sides of the aisle.

“We seem to have no problem spending $2.4 billion on people living in our country illegally but we can’t seem to prioritize spending that same money on EMS, volunteer firefighters or on our roads and bridges for that matter.

“It is getting to the point in rural, upstate New York that if you call 911 for fire or EMS, they might not show up because there are no personnel or there is no equipment to be able to respond.”

Tague, a Republican, rued political realities in Albany (ruled by Democrats) as the root cause of the rejection, saying, “the majority controls everything. 

“Is it an Upstate, Downstate thing? Ninety percent of legislation is New York City driven. They couldn’t care less about rural, Upstate New York.  

“These emergency medical services bills are the greatest bills in the world. They would help every person. It makes no sense they didn’t get through.”