Low wages chase away EMTs

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Low wages chase away EMTs

Some medics make as little as $7 an hour, experts say

November 24, 2008 - 7:54 AM

McEver

Valley Freedom Newspapers

BROWNSVILLE — Goodrich decided to become a paramedic for the

sheer thrill of it — of trying to administer CPR in the back of a

fast-moving ambulance, of opening someone's airway so the person can

breathe, of helping to save a life

But he doubts he'll stay in the profession for good.

" I'm giving it a good five years, at least, " said Goodrich, 24, who is

in the basic emergency-medical technician class at The University of

Texas at Brownsville-Texas Southmost College. " Eventually, I'll need

to make more money … but right now, my motivation is fulfillment.

Saving a life is fulfilling. "

Goodrich has three more semesters to go — and a national exam to pass

— before he becomes a certified paramedic. But in the region's

training programs, most students drop out before reaching that point.

Because of low pay and numerous opportunities to work as a basic

emergencymedical technician, the Rio Grande Valley is graduating fewer

paramedics and some local emergency services are seeing a shortage as

a result.

" It's a cyclical thing — there are times when there are more openings

and times when we're fully staffed, " said Rene , director of

transport services at South Texas Emergency Care Foundation, which

provides emergency service to Harlingen and several cities in Cameron

County. " Overall, there is a shortage of paramedics in the industry

because not enough people are graduating. "

At UTB-TSC, about half of the students who enroll in the basic EMT

course move on to take the paramedic course. And only a handful of

those students complete the paramedic course, said Adiel ,

program director for the emergency-medical science program.

About one-third of students quit because they find the program too

challenging; another third drop out because with a basic

certification, they already can work for an EMS organization, said.

" Sometimes, there's no incentive (to continue), " said. " You

have all that extra responsibility and an extra year of school, and at

some places you only make another $1 an hour. "

But paramedics are needed on the region's ambulances, he said.

Paramedics have extra training in using medical equipment, can

administer medicines and read heart monitors, which basic EMTs do not.

" We're still referred to as ambulance drivers and it's not like that

anymore, " said Pete Moreno, coordinator of the EMT program at Texas

State Technical College-Harlingen. " It's an ER on wheels. "

LOW PAY KEEPS THEM AWAY

Basic EMTs in the south central U.S. make a median of about $23,000 a

year, and paramedics, $34,000, according to a national survey on EMT

and paramedic pay that appears in the October issue of the Journal of

Emergency Medical Services. In Texas, the hourly median wage for EMTs

and paramedics combined is $12.84 per hour, according to statistics

from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Nurses, respiratory therapists and other health professions make

significantly more than EMTs and paramedics — registered nurses make a

median of $57,000 per year, according to the Department of Labor.

Respiratory therapists' median pay is about $47,000. Licensed

vocational nurses make about $37,000.

" When you compare (pay) to other medical professions, it's low, "

Moreno said.

In the Mc-Edinburg-Mission metropolitan area, EMTs and

paramedics' hourly median pay is $11.67 per hour. Some basic EMTs make

as low as $7 an hour and paramedics less than $9, local officials said.

Those numbers can be slightly misleading, though, because EMTs and

paramedics log numerous hours of overtime, Moreno said.

Many factors drive pay scales for EMTs and paramedics, including

market forces and the low Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements EMS

providers receive, said.

NEEDING MORE MEDICS

As demand for nurses and other health-care professionals increases,

local schools are seeing enrollment in EMT and paramedic courses

dwindling.

At South Texas College, 42 students completed the basic EMT program in

2006. The following year, about 30 students finished. Even fewer have

completed the paramedic program — nine in 2006 and four the following

year, said EMT program coordinator .

" We get calls (from services) asking for more paramedics, but we don't

have them right now, " said.

STC also has a one-year program that allows paramedics to become

registered nurses, so some students who complete the program never go

to work as paramedics, he said.

Some EMS providers say they haven't had trouble filling job openings —

yet. But that could change, they said.

" Right now, we have enough to put two paramedics on each ambulance, "

of South Texas Emergency Care Foundation said. " But some

services just don't have enough. "

The state requires all emergency vehicles to have at least two people

certified in emergency care on board, but whether paramedics are

required varies by the type of service the EMS organization provides,

officials said.