Janie Ward, one of the Directors of Air Evac Life Team, spoke to the committee on the Joint Government Accountability, Transparency and Efficiency on her opinion of the regulation of emergency services, or EMS, in West Virginia.
Ward was accompanied with former nurse Steve McLure and the Chairman of Kentucky’s Emergency Medical Services Joe Bradshaw.
The group of speakers voiced there own concerns with the autonamy of West Virginia’s EMS systems with issues ranging from decisions that are made by EMS, without public approval, to how West Virginia’s demanding criteria for paramedics could be creating a short supply of certified paramedics.
Speaking on behalf of West Virginia’s EMS services was Mike Mills. Mills spoke out against the accusations saying that West Virginia’s EMS services was not autonamous and that many of the issues that were being addressed during the meeting were either already fixed or in the proccess of being changed.
A committee will be created to further explore options with West Virginia’s EMS services in the near future.
