June 9th, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 11
Medic Minute A Challenge Fiscal year 2014 is rapidly coming to a close (June 30). It has been a very eventful and successful year for Medic due to the hard work of every employee in this Agency. We are facing a challenge as we approach the end of the year and I want everyone to be aware of where we are, how we got here, and what Agency leadership is doing about it. The Agency has a financial target of revenue exceeding expenses by >1%. There is a slight risk that we could miss this target, which would impact Performance Pay. There have been a few contributing factors to the problem:
The significant drop in call volume to start the fiscal year The slow rebound in call volume throughout the year A shift in the pay mix of our patients from what we have seen historically; the result is lower reimbursement rates than originally forecasted We have made adjustments throughout the year to ensure we hit our budget goals to date, as is evidenced by the two performance payouts that have already occurred. We have a strong plan in place to accomplish the same results in this final tracking period of the year, and I believe we will be successful.
Expenses are being actively managed; Please rest assured that NOTHING related to patient care, equipment, or the schedule has been impacted. Claims and denials are being actively pursued in an effort to maximize all available revenue. As of today the green check mark next to financial standing on the performance pay chart has become yellow; it will change to green or red when we know our final numbers. Lastly, leadership is very aware that call volume rebounded strongly this past month and appears to be sustaining. We have built in shifts to accommodate for this and will continue to manage the schedule to meet demand. Check out eCore online for available shifts if you would like to pick something up, and please be mindful of the impact to your co-workers when you drop a shift late. We are tracking our expenses and revenue vs. plan and will report out on this to employees every week until the tracking period closes. Please feel free to connect with your Supervisor in the interim should you have any questions. Sincerely, Joe
IMPORTANT DATES June Corporate Compliance Trainings: Wed, 6/4 from 0800—1200 Wed, 6/11 from 0800—1200 Sat, 6/14 from 1600—2000 Fri, 6/20 from 1300—1700 Tues, 6/24 from 1300—1700 June Scope of Practice: Mon, 6/2 Thurs, 6/5 Thurs, 6/12
June 9th, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 11
Medic Minute EMS Vehicle Safety Review Your personal safety and the security of the EMS vehicles are of utmost importance. As a reminder, please review the following protective measures that are in place to keep you and your vehicle safe:
IMPORTANT DATES June Corporate Compliance Trainings: Wed, 6/4 from
Unattended EMS vehicles will be locked at all times unless the crew is working in the immediate vicinity (within approx. 100 feet) of the vehicle and the vehicle is under direct observation. The vehicle’s electric door locks should be locked at any time it is unoccupied.
0800—1200 Wed, 6/11 from 0800—1200 Sat, 6/14 from 1600—2000
Any vehicle parked in a busy street or situation requiring emergency lighting or scene lights to remain on for safety reasons will be running with high idle engaged, transmission in park, and parking brake applied. Electric door locks shall be used when the vehicle is unattended and not under direct observation.
Fri, 6/20 from 1300—1700 Tues, 6/24 from 1300—1700
EMS vehicles equipped with shoreline connections will be plugged into a shoreline whenever such lines are available at posts. Personnel will confirm that the shoreline and unit systems are functioning properly. Please notify the operations supervisor if you find your vehicle’s shore power system not working or you find access to a post shore line blocked. When shoreline connections are unavailable, personnel will ensure unit systems are maintained at the proper temperature by running and/or idling the vehicle. Vehicles having access to shoreline power should be connected and not idled unnecessarily.
All medical supplies (medications, medication administration) shall be kept in a secured drug box inside the ambulance. The drug box itself will be secured by tamper evident seals which are placed by the Operations Support Technician prior to each shift. It is important to maintain the tamper evident seal for medications, IV fluids and medication administration supplies until they are needed for patient care. Please do not spike IV bags and pre-hang at the beginning of your shift for use later on.
For your safety and the safety of your patient, all equipment shall be secured while the vehicle is in motion.
June Scope of Practice: Mon, 6/2 Thurs, 6/5 Thurs, 6/12
June 9th, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 11
Medic Minute Attendance/Scheduling Policy Updates With the approval of Agency Leadership, several updates have recently been made to Medic's Attendance & Scheduling Policy. All employees are asked to review the following Attendance & Scheduling Policy updates and bring any questions to their immediate supervisor. Attendance Policy Revisions Cancellation Absence To provide more notice for shifts that open as a result of overtime or part time shift cancellations, the three day cancellation absence has been revised to seven days. Employees who cancel an overtime shift within seven days (168 hours) will be assessed an attendance point. Incentive Shifts When incentive shifts are offered, employees who have previously signed up for adjacent overtime shifts will also receive the incentive. All shifts included in the incentive will be identified on the schedule at the discretion of the scheduling supervisor. Scheduling Policy Revisions Shift Swaps Addition – Both employees must remain active on the schedule for the dates of the swap, otherwise the swap will no longer be valid. Shift Bid The shift bid is being moved up one month earlier to give employees more notice for their new assignments. The shift bid will take place in October this year in place of November in previous years. New shifts will continue to be effective for the first pay period in January. To view the updated policy in its entirety, please log onto the Extranet and click on New Attendance Policy Changes under the Operations section of the homepage.
IMPORTANT DATES June Corporate Compliance Trainings: Wed, 6/4 from 0800—1200 Wed, 6/11 from 0800—1200 Sat, 6/14 from 1600—2000 Fri, 6/20 from 1300—1700 Tues, 6/24 from 1300—1700
June Scope of Practice: Mon, 6/2 Thurs, 6/5 Thurs, 6/12