T-minus 9 days for Alberta "take over"

[HellsBells]

I'm still here, but start work at 6pm, maybe there will be new locks on the doors. As for a gag order? never heard anything about that. I'd like to see them try it though.

[tniuqs]

Did the world end???

For some, and yes jobs were ended so maybe ask those fellas or gals in management positions that had a good history of going to bat for their emplyees, I bet they would be most pleased to answer your question.

What ended on Aprils Fools day was the democratic right to choose who will represent you in labour, and next comes the Integrated service break up, go ahead and laugh ... I will laugh longest.

After recieving my "Dialog" it becomes quite clear that "ACoP' is no longer a "self directing" health discipline either, appears the council is not bound by legally passed motions at AGMs, so we have been informed.

Word has it many benifits that were hard fought for by CUPE have been lost to the tune of .5 million, maybe ask the Edmonton guys how happy they are about that ?

I bet Calgary is doing the Happy Dance too ... but I am not privy to that.

Looking into my crystal ball, next you will be seeing a throw back to 25 years ago when an 80 hour course and you too can be an "Ambulance Driver" or more like some immigrant that graduated as an MD in some very far away place (that doesnt even have indoor plumbing) in just 24 weeks will be calling themselves "Paramedics" and you that pay taxes in other provinces are footing the bill.

The most disapointing thing is that the People and Taxpayers lost any possible advancement in improvement in level of care it will take 10 years to get back on track (if we are lucky) ... so send my regards to the court jester aka Liepert because working conditions will get way worse (mark my words) and just wait for the improved "utilization" implimentation tactics to kick in with the new Dispatch systems.

(oh yes job losses their too)

Any mention of standardization?

Any mention of improved equiptment or long term investment?

Any mention of Improved "Standing Orders" or improved latitude in level of care ?

Any mention of early retirement packages?

(its now years served plus age) = 85 factor ... pfft you will be dead first, do the math.

Any mention of increase funding to approved schools?

Do you wish to hear my thoughts on the entire Health Care System in Alberta.

Well you dont have too, as Liepert has already announced that "its to scary to talk about" wtf ?

Yah know I think BCAS has it right ... they are in starting job action, I believe starting tomorrow ? Good luck my brothers and sisters.

cheers

ps I dont think you want to mess with Freak about the "Gag Order" I take her for face value , and I believe their pay got cut too ? Maybe the term Postal will be replaced by the term getting "Paramedic on your ass" one can only hope.

[rock_shoes]

Yah know I think BCAS has it right ... they are in starting job action, I believe starting tomorrow ? Good luck my brothers and sisters.

We are officially on strike as of 0001 this morning. Not that it's going apply a whole lot of pressure in the short term. The BC Labour Relations Board essential service order has seen to that. The order states that "All full-time staff are to submit to overtime as per normal and all part-time staff are to continue submitting their typical amount of availability." The biggest impact we are going to be able to make in the short term is drastically delaying billing by not scanning our PCR's into the digital record. The real pressure is going to come as the olympics approach. BCAS has promised an additional 55 ambulances, 1 dedicated air ambulance, and ALS at every major venue. Good luck finding the staff if we're still on strike. The Labour Relations Board has no jurisdictional right to force us into the overtime that will be required to make these additional resources available for "Special Event Coverage". Looks like BC and Alta. are both in for a real roller-coaster ride in the upcoming months.

Edited April 1, 2009 by rock_shoes

[akroeze]

So now I shouldn't consider Alberta OR BC? My options keep shrinking!

No AB or BC

NB, the territories and NF (I think) don't have ALS.

Not many options left.

What is it with all these EMS problems happening at the same time?? Is this economy related or just coincidence?

Edited April 1, 2009 by akroeze

[Dustdevil]

BCAS has promised an additional 55 ambulances, 1 dedicated air ambulance, and ALS at every major venue. Good luck finding the staff if we're still on strike.

Could they muster that many ACPs, even if you aren't on strike, without depleting ALS in the rest of the province?

[akroeze]

I doubt it. From what I understand ALS in BC is nearly non-existent. And I doubt they'd allow out of province ACPs to practice there to fill in the gaps.

[rock_shoes]

Could they muster that many ACPs, even if you aren't on strike, without depleting ALS in the rest of the province?

Possibly, but only if people are willing to work a horrendous amount of overtime to make it happen. I'm talking 12-14 days of 10-14 hour shifts just getting hammered for nearly every ACP in the province. The normal full time rotation for paramedics in BC is 4 days of 12 hour shifts followed by 4 days off, averaging 84 hours per 2 week pay period.

I doubt it. From what I understand ALS in BC is nearly non-existent. And I doubt they'd allow out of province ACPs to practice there to fill in the gaps.

Not entirely true. ALS is existent in the larger centres. The Lower Mainland, Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, and oddly enough Trail all have ALS providers. The number of providers is short even in the mentioned locations though. The BC residents who are really getting the shaft are in the rural areas where if you're lucky you will get a CCP flight crew but most likely you will only get the local PCP crew. The situation in BC is still exactly what I've mentioned before. We have some excellent ALS providers. We just don't have anywhere near enough of them. If I'm not mistaken one of only 2 CMA accredited CCP programs is located in BC and is provided by the British Columbia Institute of Technology (don't be fooled by the name it's actually one of the best schools in the province and includes a number of other programs such as a BSN in nursing). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only other such program is run by ORANGE.

Rest assured Alex you would be welcomed warmly here in BC should you decide to make the move. Not to worry there is plenty of room for more ALS providers here. I will warn you though that obtaining an unrestricted license here is a bit of a drawn out process. The positive side is that you are paid at the starting ACP rate the entire time you are working under a restricted license.

Edited April 2, 2009 by rock_shoes

[tniuqs]

Province takes over ambulance services, changes still to come

Last Updated: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 | 11:09 AM MT Comments9Recommend9CBC News

The Alberta government officially takes over ambulance services from the municipalities on Wednesday, but it said there will be no visible changes right away.

"In terms of the care, the priority, the phone call, the reliance of EMS being there it is all business as usual," Alberta Health Services spokesperson Sheila Rogeau said.

"Nothing will change and our overarching priority throughout this entire transition has been to make it as seamless as possible."

Changes to service will be phased in over the next 18 to 24 months and include consolidating dispatch services from 30 centres to three.

The consolidation will mean there will be a better use and co-ordination of resources across the province, said Jim Garland, director of dispatch services for Alberta Health Services.

Ambulances that come into the city to drop off a patient from communities around the region can be utilized, he said.

"As they're moving around between regions and in and out of the city we can utilize those resources to respond if they're the closest ambulance to a call."

In the Edmonton region, there are EMS dispatch centres in Strathcona County, St. Albert, Parkland County and Redwater, Garland said. Once the transition is complete, those areas will be handled by a central EMS dispatch in Edmonton.

There have been criticisms that out-of-town ambulances and dispatchers will have trouble with unfamiliar addresses and landmarks, but Garland dismissed those suggestions.

Ambulances will be equipped with GPS, if they don't have them already, he said, and dispatchers pass on the same information no matter where they are located.

"The dispatcher in Camrose gives that information to the crew that's responding," Garland said. "If that same information is given to a dispatcher in Edmonton they're still going to give that information to the crew that's responding."

The transition will also mean rural paramedics will provide services in their communities and be dispatched to nearby urban areas if necessary.

A team in the community

"I can see paramedics partnering up with other health-care providers like respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners so they are really a team going out into the community," said Joe Acker, who is in charge of EMS for the Edmonton region with Alberta Health Services.

Paramedics and the public should learn more about the changes in the next three months, Acker said.

Things will change for paramedics but more information still needs to come from the province, said Chris Murphy, a paramedic with Parkland County, west of Edmonton, and president of his CUPE union local.

"They're getting very, very anxious and very, very nervous to find out what's going to happen," he said. "They still realize that they will have jobs. They still will be employed but how the day-to-day operations are going to be ... we don't know yet."

Murphy is still disappointed about the province's recent decision to have all paramedics in the province be represented by the Health Sciences Association of Alberta without allowing staff the chance to vote on the issue.

I wish I was smoking the same quality "herb" as Garland and Acker !

[Dustdevil]

If I'm not mistaken one of only 2 CMA accredited CCP programs is located in BC and is provided by the British Columbia Institute of Technology (don't be fooled by the name it's actually one of the best schools in the province and includes a number of other programs such as a BSN in nursing). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only other such program is run by ORANGE.

Fooled by the name? BCIT sounds a lot more professional than JIBC or ORNGE do! Judging by name alone, I'd choose BCIT. I'm just surprised that JIBC isn't Bogarting the programme. I guess real education is beyond their capabilities.

[fortsmithman]

So now I shouldn't consider Alberta OR BC? My options keep shrinking!

No AB or BC

NB, the territories and NF (I think) don't have ALS.

Not many options left.

What is it with all these EMS problems happening at the same time?? Is this economy related or just coincidence?

Here in the NWT we would have ALS for ground ambulance if we had EMTPs we only have EMTs and EMRs. The only ALS is medic north they are the air medivac providers for the NWT. The only paid EMS are in 2 municipalities one is run by a private contractor in Inuvik and the other is the Yellowknife City Fire Department and both of those are just EMTs.