Question

How do you think as an EMS manager you would deal with conflict or disagreement within an EMS organization?

How do you feel is the best way to discuss conflicts when it relates to financial operations of the organization?

Does there need to be an organizational approach to discussing requirements on training and medical equipment?

What happens when there is a significant change in the regulatory requirements and the organization has not budgeted for it?

How can this conflict be handled?

Answer 1

Emergency medical service (EMS) provides acute care outside the hospital and is involved in the transportation of patients in emergency illness/injuries to definitive care. EMS includes public health, public safety, and healthcare. EMS organizations are always well prepared as first responders to medical emergencies in the community 24x7 with professionals, equipment, and vehicles. These professionals transport patients to the hospital and work in coordination with other healthcare professionals. Without EMS organizations and professionals, medical emergencies like heart attacks, accidents, injuries, etc would end up in more fatalities. EMS manager manages and coordinates all these to ensure a better quality of life. It is the manager’s duty to develop and manage the organization’s annual budgets by monitoring expenses, forecasting funds, and identifying grant sources. Other functions include investigating performance issues, allocation of emergency vehicles/equipments, and conducting compliance checks, etc. Dealing with conflict or disagreement within an EMS organization requires tactical handling based on facts. Any disagreement can be dealt with or managed when handled tactically based on the available information. The best way to discuss conflicts when it relates to financial operations of the organization is by checking the available details, which should be done in a proficient manner to get maximum efficiency. There needs to be an organizational approach to discussing requirements on training and medical equipment, as it is all about medical emergencies and saving lives. A slight error or mishandling would result in irreversible fatalities, which is possible only with proper training and medical equipment. When there is a significant change in the regulatory requirements and the organization has not budgeted for it, it would give rise to a conflict within the organization causing irreparable damages. This conflict can be handled by proper allocation of funds and other resources, which requires the efficiency of an EMS manager.