PHI Sponsored Information

Human Trafficking and the Blue Lightning Initiative

Partnership with the Dept of Homeland Security

PHI Health/PHI Air Medical has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security and their Blue Lightning Initiative to end human trafficking. We are encouraging our fellow air medical providers to join in the fight and establish their own partnership with DHS

• Human trafficking is a tragic, daily reality – but there is something we can do about it. As first responders going in and out of airports and FBOs, air medical teams are in a unique position to spot the signs of human trafficking and report to authorities

• The most important thing we can do when we see signs of human trafficking, is to report it to federal law enforcement by calling this number:
1. 866. 347.2423

Partnering with DHS

• If your program is interested in learning what they can do to assist in the fight to end human trafficking, contact:

Michael Camal, COR III
DHS Office of Partnership and Engagement
eMail:  michael.camal@hq.dhs.gov
phone:  1. 202.853.5633

• Follow this link:  www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/blue-lightning-initiative to view the DHS webpage to learn how to participate as well as view training modules

Advocacy & Key Issues

Your Advocate

Please note that access to many of the publications below requires that you log in to the site as an AAMS member. Send your suggestions of publications or products that you think would add to our current offerings.

With A Hands On Approachto shaping the legislative and regulatory policies for our community, supporting appropriate reimbursement of medical transports, fighting for the right to provide services as allowed under Federal legislation, and advocating for a unique level of patient care, Cal-AAMS ensures that its members have a voice in what is happening in our industry..

If you have a questions regarding advocacy, policies and/or key issues, please feel free to contact us...  info@calaams.org

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Industry Key Issues

Unified Optional Scope of Practice for California within Qualified Transport Programs

In collaboration with Cal-AAMS, the state EMS Authority (EMSA), Emergency Medical Directors Association of California (EMDAC), and Emergency Medical Services Administrators Association of California (EMSAAC), have agreed that transport medics may be permitted to practice under an expanded scope of practice. The details are noted in the actual document on this page.

This development is noteworthy in that all three of these regulatory agencies recognized special circumstances surrounding extended transports, and worked together to establish a policy and practice program to serve the needs of affected patients. Cal-AAMS continues to work with these agencies to develop an information and data compilation program to evaluate and QA the process. . .a critical requirement to validate the decision, and to set a precedent for future cooperation. Our members will be contacted and updated by Vice-President Erin Cox as the reporting system is rolled out.

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Letter From The President,
June 3, 2019

Commentary from CALmatters: Guest Commentary | June 3, 2019

Christian Giller, President of California Association of Air Medical Services.

New Budget Omits An Important Piece Of California’s Disaster Preparedness

"California’s 70 emergency air ambulance helicopters and airplanes cover nearly 164,000 square miles and serve more than 37 million Californians in their time of need.

To protect newborns and their mothers, air ambulances evacuated an entire neonatal unit at a Redding Hospital and transported the patients to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento during devastating Carr Fire in 2018. Air ambulances fly injured firefighters and residents to burn centers to receive the urgent, life-saving care they needed. Inexplicably, the state budget process has left out support for air ambulance. The emergency services provided by air ambulances could disappear if a funding stream that expires at the end of this year is not replaced in the pending state budget.

Imagine no air ambulances available as a resource to firefighters who are on the front lines, or to hospitals facing evacuation when threatened with a coming wall of fire, or to critical patients in rural or remote areas who suffer a heart attack or stroke. Access to life-saving rapid air ambulance transport may be their only hope.

Last year, the Legislature unanimously approved funding for air ambulances. Health Access, the Western Center on Law & Poverty, the Rural County Representatives of California, the California Children’s Hospital Association, the California Hospital Association, the California Fire Chiefs Association all supported that legislation.

Funding comes from a fee on certain traffic tickets. But that fee that will cease at the end of December. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the 2018 legislation and requested that funding be addressed in the 2019-2020 state budget being negotiated now.

Yet here we are, in the final days of budget hearings before the next spending plan takes effect on July 1, and new funding has not been appropriated. Unless air ambulance is added to the state budget, we will have no choice but to pursue legislation, the very route rejected by our previous governor.

The cost of updating the 25 year old rates to something closer to the cost of providing the service would be about $17 million. This cost is not insignificant, but these services are essential, and must be accessible to all Californians.

If the Legislature does not act to assure a supplemental funding source, air medical bases across the state will face some tough decisions on how to stay in operation with insufficient, reduced capabilities - Worse, some rural bases may be forced to close.

As climate change-related disasters worsen, we need to be doing more–not less–to ensure our communities are prepared for emergencies.

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency to get California prepared for coming natural disasters, such as fire. How could life-saving air ambulances not be part of that future?”