What being “essential” means
Author: Tim Nowak Being essential is not a golden ticket. It’s also not a silver bullet. At best, it’s an unfunded mandate, but that’s the start that many EMS agencies need in order to begin getting the recognition and funding they deserve. Being classified as an “essential service” through …
Grant Opportunities
PCG understands that departments are in need of additional funding to support operations. We have also bared witness to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that go unclaimed each year in grant opportunities. What is the disconnect? What are the hardships in applying for grants? That is what PCG would …
PCG’s Webinar “For Comparison’s Sake” In Review
PCG’s Public Safety Consulting Service (PSCS) team presented the webinar “For Comparison’s Sake!”, which takes a case example approach toward identifying data metrics, operational factors, financial impacts, and policy elements that could all be utilized as relative comparable points from within – and outside of – fire and EMS departments …
Federal Behavioral Health Plan Released
Originally Posted on PCG’s Health Policy News on March 30, 2022. Author: Lisa Kaplan Howe This month, the Biden administration released a plan for tackling the nationwide behavioral health crisis. Challenges related to behavioral health are not new, but have only worsened during the now two-year COVID-19 pandemic. According …
The American Medical Association Releases a Report Urging Healthcare Stakeholders to Enhance Behavioral Health Integration Through Digital Tools
Originally Posted on PCG’s Health Policy News on March 30, 2022. Author: Raneem Rayes The American Medical Association (AMA) released a report defining opportunities to incorporate technology to advance behavioral health integration (BHI) and outlining a framework to measure BHI models. This report, which was informed by a diverse working group, …
Is Your Department Ready for a Medicaid Audit?
Many of PCG’s ambulance clients across the country are familiar with state Medicaid agency desk reviews. These pre-payment reviews help identify reporting errors that could result in overpayment of supplemental Medicaid revenues to providers. Recently, supplemental payment programs in several states have implemented more in-depth audits, generally post-payment, that require …
Safety Stand Down 2022
The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Safety, Health and Survival Section, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and the National Fire Protection Association have announced the theme for the 2022 Safety Stand Down is Situational Awareness: The Foundation for Good Decision-Making. The week will be broken down into five daily focus …
American Rescue Plan has Broad Impact on Health Policy
Originally Posted on PCG’s Health Policy News on March 26th, 2021. Author: Lisa Kaplan Howe The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Act) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. This sweeping law provides funding to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, public health, state …
The Hidden Costs of COVID-19
Originally Posted on PCG’s Health Policy News on January 26th, 2022. Author: Alec Whipple As we enter 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic is surging through the United States yet again, this time fueled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Although the symptoms of this variant appear to be more mild …
Comparable Differences: Apples and Oranges When Comparing Fire Departments
Author: Tim Nowak *Published to the International Association of Fire Chiefs on February 2nd, 2022* My department, your department, and another neighboring department — are we all comparable to one another, or are we truly different (and how)? Is your fire department an apple or an orange? Where do …