The much-anticipated Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) is scheduled for November 4-6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Following a strong rebound in attendance last year, AMTC organizers anticipate an even busier show this time around, with a focus on adding value to attendees and addressing key industry challenges. are.
“We are really excited about this year’s AMTC,” said Jana Williams, president of the Association of Aviation Medical Services (AAMS). “Salt Lake City is a great venue and our three local programs, Airlife Utah, Intermountain Health and the University of Utah, are eager to showcase their accomplishments.”
Williams noted that AMTC is on pace to surpass last year’s attendance, which attracted 1,200 attendees, as the industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We hope to reach pre-pandemic numbers this year, and the response from the industry has been tremendous,” she said.
One of the driving forces for this year’s AMTC is the goal of adding value to participants. The conference will feature more than 100 educational sessions over three full days, with an additional half-day added to the schedule.
“We wanted to provide as much content and learning opportunities as possible,” Williams explained. A new addition to AMTC’s lineup is Insight Circle. This is a curated roundtable discussion designed to take advantage of in-person networking opportunities.
“So much of our work these days is done remotely, so we wanted to create a space where industry leaders could come together, have tough conversations, and really interact face-to-face,” Williams said.
Another highlight is the Executive Leadership Forum. At this forum, executives from major aviation medical programs, operators, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will discuss industry challenges.
“Workforce continues to be a big issue and we have at least five sessions focused on improving that area,” Williams said. One particularly innovative program is the National Medical Pilot Career Initiation Program of the National Emergency Medical Professional Association (NEMSPA). This program provides pilots interested in transitioning into the aeromedical field with hands-on experience and an introduction to EMS operators.
In addition to educational and networking opportunities, AMTC will also bring back popular events such as the “Mash Bash” closing ceremony. This year, the event has been rebranded as “Reboot,” paying homage to the origins of air medical transport with “MASH,” and featuring medical themes like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “ER,” and “Chicago.” We will also be celebrating the influence of the TV show. Med. ”
“Whether you’re wearing camouflage or not, this is a great example of how our industry and its people, and our real-life work, have been influenced by Hollywood for decades and how We’ll be toasting the opposite,” Williams said.
Underlying the excitement at AMTC are several important issues and challenges that attendees will discuss on the show floor. The biggest factor is the ongoing struggle over medical reimbursement and rising air medical transportation costs.
“Costs continue to rise and payment delays are becoming longer, with some programs waiting more than 200 days for reimbursement for more than a quarter of transportation costs,” Williams explained. “This impacts cash flow and has a ripple effect across the industry.”
Williams emphasized the need to revise Medicare reimbursement rates, saying they are “well below cost.” She advocated a move beyond the current base fee and loaded mile model, arguing that air medical programs should be compensated not only for transporting patients, but also for preparing a response.
“Study after study shows the value of air medical transport across the care continuum, resulting in better outcomes and lower total costs per visit,” Williams said. “We need to work with payers to help them understand the value of this, and we need to work together as an industry to ask Congress for new funding, rather than just shuffling money between different buckets. .”
The days of people lining up to join the aviation medical profession are long gone, and workforce challenges remain a significant concern. Williams praised the creativity of programs like the NEMSPA Pilot Career Program and said, “We need to be more innovative in our recruitment and retention efforts to attract people to this noble profession.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Williams has several key priorities for the organization. First on her list is making AAMS financially stable and increasing membership transparency.
“Our small but strong team and dedicated board of directors have worked hard to put AAMS on solid footing,” she said.
Building on that foundation, Williams is focused on growing AAMS membership, including bringing back former members.
“A lot of our members are rejoining, and I think it’s because they see the significant change and value that AAMS once again provides,” she said.
Closely related to this is Williams’ commitment to continually add value to AAMS members.
“Providing conferences and educational sessions is no longer enough. Our members want more, and we need to find ways to offset costs while providing even greater value. ”
One way Williams plans to do so is to give AAMS state and regional committees more power. These groups have created a robust online “toolbox” of resources, including ordinance templates and safe standby day best practices. They also serve as mentors to help other regions and states collaborate.
“Two-way communication between national efforts and the state and local levels is critical,” Williams said. “We want to make it easy for our members to access the support and ideas they need without having to reinvent the wheel.”
Building and strengthening industry collaborations is another key focus for Williams. He credited the power of industry coalitions, pointing to AAMS’ recent success in delaying the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) plan to tie reimbursements to Medicare rates.
“For too long, we’ve been divided, and I think that’s hurt our advocacy and workforce efforts,” Williams said. “The collaborations we have built are making a huge difference, and I am committed to expanding that partnership even further.”
