GETAC

[Guest guest]

As many of you know, I have been involved in Texas EMS for about the last 30

years, and have served on many ad hoc committees such as the ones that used to

write exam questions, that developed the skill checkoff sheets that were used

prior to NREMT, and was a member and once vice-chair of TEMSAC, the

predecessor to GETAC.

For the last few years I have been on the sidelines, watching the progress of

EMS in Texas.

Texas EMS is among the very best in the world, if not the best. Since I

have been a denizen of Arizona for almost a year, I am more aware of that than

ever before. I am proud to have been a part of the growth of EMS in Texas,

and I believe that EMS in Texas is far better than it is in most of the other

states.

But now I have some questions about where Texas EMS is going, and those

questions concern the effectiveness of GETAC.

So I ask you to respond to these questions, and you may do so privately if

you wish. However, I would like to get a dialog going, if possible, so if you

can possibly respond to the list, that would be great.

1. Does GETAC effectively represent the interests of all parties in Texas

EMS?

2. Is GETAC a necessary part of the regulatory system?

3. Does GETAC operate efficiently and expediently to address current issues

in EMS?

4. Has GETAC been a positive or a negative force in Texas EMS?

5. Are the appointed members of GETAC the folks who ought to be on GETAC,

and do you know who the members of GETAC are?

6. Do the subcommittees of GETAC operate effectively?

7. If GETAC were abolished, would Texas EMS be better off or worse off?

8. What, in your mind, is the role of GETAC?

9. Did you know about GETAC prior to this post?

10. Have you ever communicated with " GETAC " and if so, how?

11. Do you know who the Chair of GETAC is and how to communicate with him

or her?

12. If you have communicated with the Chair, did he/she respond to you in a

timely manner?

13. If you have communicated with the Chair, were you satisfied with the

answer you received?

14. Have you communicated with a member of GETAC other than the Chair, and

if so, were you satisfied with the response?

15. Is GETAC needed?

Gene Gandy

**************

Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking

with Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & amp;NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

[Guest guest]

Comments imbedded within. Maybe this needs to be mailed to all EMS Providers

and Education Programs.

________________________________

From: texasems-l [texasems-l ] On Behalf Of

wegandy1938@... [wegandy1938@...]

Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:50 PM

To: texasems-l

Subject: GETAC

1. Does GETAC effectively represent the interests of all parties in Texas EMS?

Those that have time and travel money to go to Austin 4+ tiems a year.

2. Is GETAC a necessary part of the regulatory system?

Use to be a good check and balance, now it seems it's dito of DSHS.

3. Does GETAC operate efficiently and expediently to address current issues in

EMS?

I could have taped a GETAC session 3 years ago, record a recent GETAC session.

Play one after the other, and very little difference could be made.

4. Has GETAC been a positive or a negative force in Texas EMS?

Generally positive - a lot of good folks on GETAC.

5. Are the appointed members of GETAC the folks who ought to be on GETAC,

and do you know who the members of GETAC are?

Seems like those who go to the meetings and do the meeting work are rightly the

ones appointed. Need more diversification. Know/know of most of them.

6. Do the subcommittees of GETAC operate effectively?

Depends, some seem to be stuck in the same old problems.

7. If GETAC were abolished, would Texas EMS be better off or worse off?

Worse - much worse.....

8. What, in your mind, is the role of GETAC?

Ideaeuphoria, consensus, ombudsman, patient advocacy, DSHS reality check.

9. Did you know about GETAC prior to this post?

Yep

10. Have you ever communicated with " GETAC " and if so, how?

-This list, which I was told by GETAC members not to, at GETAC meetings,

privately.

11. Do you know who the Chair of GETAC is and how to communicate with him

or her?

Yep

12. If you have communicated with the Chair, did he/she respond to you in a

timely manner?

Always here " got your message " . But no feedback or outcome.

13. If you have communicated with the Chair, were you satisfied with the

answer you received?

What answer-

14. Have you communicated with a member of GETAC other than the Chair, and

if so, were you satisfied with the response?

Rarely

15. Is GETAC needed?

Yes

Gene Gandy

**************

Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking

with Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4? & amp;NCID=aolfod00030000000002)

[Guest guest]

Gene,

I'll put my reply next to your questions.

Wayne

Subject: GETAC

To: texasems-l

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 11:50 PM

As many of you know, I have been involved in Texas EMS for about the last 30

years, and have served on many ad hoc committees such as the ones that used to

write exam questions, that developed the skill checkoff sheets that were used

prior to NREMT, and was a member and once vice-chair of TEMSAC, the

predecessor to GETAC.

For the last few years I have been on the sidelines, watching the progress of

EMS in Texas.

Texas EMS is among the very best in the world, if not the best. Since I

have been a denizen of Arizona for almost a year, I am more aware of that than

ever before. I am proud to have been a part of the growth of EMS in Texas,

and I believe that EMS in Texas is far better than it is in most of the other

states.

But now I have some questions about where Texas EMS is going, and those

questions concern the effectiveness of GETAC.

So I ask you to respond to these questions, and you may do so privately if

you wish. However, I would like to get a dialog going, if possible, so if you

can possibly respond to the list, that would be great.

1. Does GETAC effectively represent the interests of all parties in Texas

EMS? In some ways it does and in some ways it don't. In certain ways, or

times, it seems that it sides with those who represent the larger or well known

providers in Texas or those with well known people running them. It seems that

the small rural providers, those that do provide input are not as important as

the " big fish " . GETAC should listen to EVERYONE!!

2. Is GETAC a necessary part of the regulatory system? Yes

3. Does GETAC operate efficiently and expediently to address current issues

in EMS? Not anymore efficiently or expendiently than any other council. It

took how long to get the air medical issue resolved??

4. Has GETAC been a positive or a negative force in Texas EMS? Positive

5. Are the appointed members of GETAC the folks who ought to be on GETAC,

and do you know who the members of GETAC are? Yes & No. Yes, know a few of

them.

6. Do the subcommittees of GETAC operate effectively? I think that most do,

But again, these should be made up of people from ALL areas and ALL types of

providers. There should be more people from rural areas, including rural

educators and not all from college/university based programs. Here again, the

" BIG FISH " overrule or have more say than the small fish.

7. If GETAC were abolished, would Texas EMS be better off or worse off? Worse -

there needs to be checks and balances

8. What, in your mind, is the role of GETAC? To advise DSHS and to make sure

that rules and changes needed to move Texas EMS forward are accomplished.

9. Did you know about GETAC prior to this post? Yes. Former member of Rural

EMS Task Force and current member of Injury Prevention Committee.

10. Have you ever communicated with " GETAC " and if so, how? Yes, email

11. Do you know who the Chair of GETAC is and how to communicate with him

or her? Yes, email

12. If you have communicated with the Chair, did he/she respond to you in a

timely manner? Yes. Actually no..still waiting. Had concerns over the

" reorganization " of GETAC and committee's...still waiting for reply from them

and another person.

13. If you have communicated with the Chair, were you satisfied with the

answer you received? Still waiting.

14. Have you communicated with a member of GETAC other than the Chair, and

if so, were you satisfied with the response? Still waiting.

15. Is GETAC needed? Yes, but with new people. Texas is made up of all types

of providers, with the rural area the most important, I think. Thus, they

should have a solid voice in Texas EMS. But the " big fish " are again the

louder, so everyone sides with them.

Gene Gandy

************ **

Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch " Cooking

with Tyler Florence " on AOL Food.

(http://food. aol.com/tyler- florence? video=4? & amp;NCID= aolfod0003000000

0002)

[Guest guest]

1. Yes they should represent us all but i wonder about that. How much attention

do they pay to the privets and other none ambulance areas of EMS.

2. Hard to say. Are they any better than the way it used to be? I have not

seen a difference.

3. I refer to the above answer for question 3 and 4.

4. I like to think so but I do not. There is not enough representation of a

solid cross section of EMS.

5. Do they make a difference? Are effecitient, well it all depends on GETAC

and do they listen to them so any good ideas they may havesimply depends on

GETAC.

6. Well, are we better off with them? It would depend on what replaces them.

I like the old sytem before GETAC, then you could talk to people now, you have

to email and never get a reply because to GETAC, a single medic who name is not

on a text book or something simply does not register on their radar. GETAC is

first and foremost a polictical body and that is how they act. They want to

protect what is theirs and the regular medic on the street has no voice to them.

7. The role should be to advise and come up with ideas and submit them to DSHS

as long as they listen to the people those proposed changes would effect, the

grunt medic on the street.

8. Yes i served on a task force in the past.

9. Yes at one of their meetings and did get an answer but only because I asked

it right then.

10. Yes I know who he is and met him in the past and do know how to get

intouch with him.

11. Yes have communicated with one other member who was the Chair of my task

force and he always responded.

12. Is it needed? Not sure.

Lawrence G. Verrett EMT-P

[Guest guest]

As many of you know, I have been involved in Texas EMS for about the

last 30

years, and have served on many ad hoc committees such as the ones that

used to

write exam questions, that developed the skill checkoff sheets that were

used

prior to NREMT, and was a member and once vice-chair of TEMSAC, the

predecessor to GETAC.

For the last few years I have been on the sidelines, watching the

progress of

EMS in Texas.

Texas EMS is among the very best in the world, if not the best. Since I

have been a denizen of Arizona for almost a year, I am more aware of

that than

ever before. I am proud to have been a part of the growth of EMS in

Texas,

and I believe that EMS in Texas is far better than it is in most of the

other

states.

But now I have some questions about where Texas EMS is going, and those

questions concern the effectiveness of GETAC.

So I ask you to respond to these questions, and you may do so privately

if

you wish. However, I would like to get a dialog going, if possible, so

if you

can possibly respond to the list, that would be great.

1. Does GETAC effectively represent the interests of all parties in

Texas

EMS? EW: No, but I believe that is due to the lack of interest on

personnel in EMS.

2. Is GETAC a necessary part of the regulatory system? EW: GETAC is a

necessary part of the regulatory system as long as they are in the

advisory role and not regulatory role.

3. Does GETAC operate efficiently and expediently to address current

issues

in EMS? EW: I think GETAC does. At times items may not move as quickly

as we would like but that is the nature of the beast. Proposed rule

changes take quite a while to become adopted.

4. Has GETAC been a positive or a negative force in Texas EMS? EW:

Positive.

5. Are the appointed members of GETAC the folks who ought to be on

GETAC,

and do you know who the members of GETAC are? EW: I believe some have

been on committees too long.

6. Do the subcommittees of GETAC operate effectively? EW: Most of the

time.

7. If GETAC were abolished, would Texas EMS be better off or worse off?

EW: Worse.

8. What, in your mind, is the role of GETAC? EW: To be a listening ear

to, and advocate for, Texas EMS. Take concerns to the regulatory agency.

Help shape and lead Texas EMS into the future.

9. Did you know about GETAC prior to this post? EW: Yes

10. Have you ever communicated with " GETAC " and if so, how? EW: Yes.

Email, phone, and personal contact.

11. Do you know who the Chair of GETAC is and how to communicate with

him

or her? EW: Yes

12. If you have communicated with the Chair, did he/she respond to you

in a

timely manner? EW: Yes.

13. If you have communicated with the Chair, were you satisfied with the

answer you received? EW: Yes.

14. Have you communicated with a member of GETAC other than the Chair,

and

if so, were you satisfied with the response? EW: Yes

15. Is GETAC needed? EW: GETAC or another body with like function is

very much needed.

Eddie , EMT-P

Education Coordinator

National EMS Academy-Texas

Acadian Ambulance Service, Inc.

4100 Ed Bluestein Blvd., Suite 100

Austin, TX 78721

office:

cell:

ewalker@...

" Nullis Ovis "

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The information contained in this communication is confidential and proprietary

information intended only for the individual or entity to whom it is addressed.

Any unauthorized use, distribution, copying, or disclosure of this communication

is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,

please contact the sender immediately. If you believe this communication is

inappropriate or offensive, please contact the Acadian Ambulance Information

Systems Department at .