Air Methods Kentucky

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August 1, 2009

AMKY Puts On EMS Financial Management Event

Sixty-six Kentucky EMS managers and supervisors attended a course in EMS Financial Management on July 8 at Murray State University . The course content was developed by Air Methods Kentucky.

The course was free to all those attending, paid for by a Kentucky Office of Rural Health grant that had been awarded to the Kentucky Ambulance Providers Association. Rural Health primarily works with rural hospitals but contacted KAPA three years ago offering to assist EMS also.

“This grant opportunity is what resulted from our meetings, and the grant award is usually between $10,000 and $12,000,” said KAPA President Mark Harrison. “They send a check to KAPA, and we pay the bills directly. The initial intent was to provide three one-day workshops each year in different parts of the state.”

"Eastern Kentucky University was the first to get involved, but decided to drop it last year,” Harrison said. “ Murray State University agreed to pick up and work with us.”

Initially, the financial management course was presented by finance professors from the University. With the move to Murray State University , KAPA decided to create its own EMS financial management course.

The revised course focuses on three areas: reading and understanding financial reports, identifying department operating expenses, and preparing an EMS operations budget. The course covers both private, hospital, and municipal operations in both a for-profit and not-for-profit setting.

The first course was presented by Air Methods Kentucky’s John Hultgren, Medical Center EMS Director Randy Fathbruckner, and Ohio County EMS Administrator Jim Duke. All three are KAPA board members.

“So many EMS managers were promoted because they were good EMTs or paramedics, but unfortunately many haven’t had the opportunity to attend formal management training,” said Air Methods Kentucky District Business Manager John Hultgren, who worked for 10 years as a municipal EMS manager before moving into air medical operations. “We are excited that KAPA has stepped in to address this need and appreciate this opportunity to help and to work directly with our customers.”

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About Air Methods Kentucky

Air Methods Kentucky is a full-service air medical transport system covering Kentucky and southern Indiana. Founded in 1982 as the first civilian air medical program in Kentucky, in 1995 it became the first air medical program in the state to earn CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems) accreditation. It operates 10 helicopter ambulances and one fixed wing ambulance throughout its region, with state offices headquartered in Lexington. With a mission of safety, quality, and integrity, Air Methods Kentucky is committed to providing its patients and medical and emergency service partners with a high level of care and professionalism. For more information about Air Methods Kentucky, visit http://www.airmethodsky.com.

About Air Methods Corporation

Air Methods Kentucky is owned by Air Methods Corporation (NASDAQ: AIRM), the nation’s largest provider of air medical emergency transport services and systems. The company is dedicated exclusively to air medical transport, focusing on the quality of care to patients, and safety in aviation operations. With 27 years of experience, the company transports more than 84,000 patients annually who require intensive medical care from either the scene of an accident or general care hospitals to highly skilled trauma centers or tertiary care centers. For more information about Air Methods Corporation, visit http://www.airmethods.com.