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In less than 48 hours we will be posting the gap analysis for the transition project.  This, of course, leads me to consider gaps. Visual images of the Grand Canyon or Canyonlands appear in my mind. Such gaps make it appear that the place where we want to be is unreachable from where we are. In fact, the feedback data includes some who hold the belief that the other side is unreachable.

Reaching the other side cannot be accomplished magically. No super hero will fly us across the gap. Yet to descend into the gap would put us in over our heads, which is a very uncomfortable and potentially dangerous place to be. So, the task is to build a bridge across the gap, creating a path from where we are now to the other side.

As course developers we will continue down the bridge building path – through task analysis, task list building, and on through the course development process. We invite you to continue to give us feedback, sharing your ideas and concerns as we engage in the process. But perhaps even more, we encourage you to lay the foundation for the bridge in your own community: talking about what will be expected, getting training dates on your calendars, and building buy-in among stakeholders.

As I’ve traveled around Kansas in the past few years with this project and Jon’s photography projects, I’ve appreciated hearing many stories. There are stories of EMS services who provide all types of medical service to their communities that go beyond “emergency” services. There are stories of educators who have created unique learning opportunities that exist nowhere outside of Kansas. There are stories of dedicated people who run calls 24/7 in their communities, because they are the few willing to volunteer. And I’ve met spouses and children who support the commitment to service by their spouses, parents, and grandparents.

Our stories help us to make sense of the world. Stories allow us to pass along our understanding of how the world works to our family and friends. Stories move us to the past and to the future. Stories can move us in new directions when we see how past cycles repeat and we choose to get ‘unstuck’.

Most of all, stories connect us to each other. They help to create a shared Map of the World. I count it a privilege to enter into the world of Kansas EMS. I have great hope as we enter this transition process, hope that it will become part of the story of Kansas EMS.

Photographers often ask people to say, “Cheese.” The result is that everyone looks at the camera and smiles as they think about the silly tradition. Then, everyone says, “Cheese.” And, click goes the button, whir goes the focus, snap goes the shutter, and the image is captured.

We’re hoping that Kansas EMS providers will join us for the Curriculum Transition Focus Groups. This is our way of asking everyone to say, “Cheese,” to join others in the EMS community to focus on the curriculum needs and capture as much information as possible for the needs assessment phase of the project.

Currently there are Focus Groups scheduled for Hoxie, Ellsworth, Overland Park, and Wichita. So please join us. We’re interested in your experiences and ideas about EMS curriculum needs.

About 10 years ago, Scott Adams put these words into the mouth of Dilbert and captured the sentiments of most everyone. If change is good and necessary to growth and life, why do we human beings regularly resist it?

There are many directions this post could take from looking at how our brains react to the stress of change, the impact of change and transformation on organizations, or the three key elements of successfully navigating change. But, I’d like to answer the first question with a second, “Do we know what should change and what should remain constant?”

I would argue that our core values and principles should remain constant. In my observation, EMS providers, whether service director or attendant, are committed to exceptional patient care and to supporting their communities through delivering 365/7/24 care. As a community member, I hope that this commitment remains constant and is passed from generation to generation in the State of Kansas.

So what should adapt and change? Our day-to-day practices adapt and change . . . sometimes by decade and sometimes by the hour. When I was growing up, the local funeral home director provided transportation to the hospital in a vehicle that doubled as an ambulance and a hearse. This vehicle was the only one in town where a person could be loaded up in the back and rushed to the hospital with a whirling light atop. In fact, my mother was was taken to the hospital in the hearse/ambulance following a vehicle accident. In the late 1970′s, the town purchased an ambulance, staffed by trained volunteers. Then, in the mid-1990′s a full-time, 365/7/24, paramedic service appeared on the scene . . . big and significant changes.

Now in 2009, I’m observing the scope of practice for Kansas EMS changing and adapting to the circumstances across the state, to current research, and to better align with the national scope of practice. While I am involved in the curriculum development process, at some level, I will remain an outsider who sincerely hopes that in the midst of growth and transition of day-to-day practices, the core values and principles of Kansas EMS will remain constant, strong, and evident.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

The rules of the game are changing and the future is not only unfamiliar, but feels unpredictable. What has worked in the past may or may not work in the future. What can we do when we feel overwhelmed?

In my experience, the one thing I do is try to step away from the immediate challenge and remember what I care about most. As a member of a community served by EMS and as I interact with EMS providers across the state, I experience EMS providers as people who are committed to providing the best health care possible for their communities. They deliver medical care to vehicle accident victims or a heart attack sufferer. They are also the people who hold someone’s hand on the way to the hospital or tuck a panicked spouse into the front seat for the ride into the ER. Their care and compassion make a difference that outlasts the ambulance ride.

Remembering the EMS calling and mission cannot change the challenges ahead, but telling stories about the immediate impact, shared values, commitment to the community, and long-term positive effect EMS providers have in the community can change the equation. When we start telling stories about what works and what we can build on, we begin to believe that we can do it and that it matters that we can do it.

…. and we’re right!

In the next few days, a survey will be opened for user input on the transition curriculum process.  We are asking for all stakeholders in this transition process to get involved with teh curriculum development and complete the survey.

In addition to the on-line survey, we are in the process of setting up several curriculum focus groups around the state. Focus group participants will have an opportunity to meet us in person and participate in a facilitated discussion about the transition curriculum.

As we’ve said in the past, we recognize that this is important work. We are committed to getting it done — through involving all stakeholders, being creative, and delivering on time.