No more "You call, we haul."

Why is "Prehospital" not the ideal name for EMS?

The answer comes down to the trend in EMS that has followed the 

signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. 

Before you check out because you realize we entered the world of legislation, just give me two paragraphs to explain why the name "prehospital services" freaks out hospital administrators.  

As part of the Act, the Hospital Readmission Reduction Project was created. 

It says that if too many patients cared for by a hospital are readmitted, that hospital is penalized. 

The penalty? Medicare payments to the hospitals are reduced. Big money. 

What surfaced from the fear of penalties were hospitals seeking alliances with local EMS services. 

It was their innovative idea that paramedics make house calls and thereby prevent readmissions. 

The "you call, we haul" mentality has come to a screeching halt. 

Nationwide, this trend is taking on two competing names: MIH (Mobile Integrated Healthcare) and CP (Community Paramedicine).  The National Association of EMTs calls it MIH-CP. I like Community Paramedicine or even better just "Paramedicine" because it emphasizes Paramedics. AMR is in the game and they have jobs posted for "MIH Nurses." See job postings below for Envision Healthcare which is in business with AMR. 

In addition to triaging when patients do need to go to the hospital and how fast, 

EMS is now in the new business of keeping patients OUT of the hospital.  

This is why "prehospital" would not be the name that would suit the current climate. 

The paramedics I've educated have the critical thinking, assessment tools, and pathophysiological foundation to make these decisions. And, as I'll explain soon, MIH-CP is going to be key to EMS job satisfaction.

Stand by for more.