Wisconsin EMS Association

Strategic Plan For

2007-2008

By The

Wisconsin EMS Association

Board of Directors

Adopted: 7 October 2006

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Wisconsin EMS Association (WEMSA) is Your voice for EMS in the State of Wisconsin. Its mission is to represent and support the views and interests of its membership in Wisconsin communities by promoting education, sharing information, and facilitating legislative action. WEMSA is committed to continuous improvement in meeting the needs of the EMS community as well as the citizens it serves. One of the greatest needs for EMS providers will be at the local level, and WEMSA will continue its leadership position in being an advocate for local EMS organizations, fire departments and individual EMS providers of all levels.

WEMSA realizes its mission by working as the premier source of EMS information and advocacy in the State of Wisconsin. By working with its board of directors, state technical & community colleges, and partnering with the State of Wisconsin EMS office, WEMSA represents, protects, and promotes the interest of EMS professionals throughout the state. 

The WEMSA Board of Directors meets four times each year to review Association priorities including current, emerging, and future interests of the EMS profession. The resulting strategic plan is designed to meet and exceed those needs, and is a living document that will be modified as needs dictate.

CUSTOMER NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS

People’s lives depend on quick reactions and competent care by EMS personnel at all levels of licensure. With changes in scope of practice, training & educational requirements, legislative activities, rural & urban challenges, and local funding issues, WEMSA serves on the frontline of ensuring the profession has the resources required to meet the needs of their respective communities.

WEMSA also conducts and hosts one of the largest annual EMS conferences in the nation which provides information, education, and resources to over 2,700 EMS professionals from throughout the Midwest. The conference provides the opportunity for EMS personnel to share best practices, share ideas, and consequently improve their service delivery. The conference also features nationally recognized experts, speakers, and vendors who provide resources and tools for first responders, fire department personnel and Emergency Medical Technicians of all licensure levels.

METHODOLOGY

In order to determine the success-to-date from the 2005-2006 strategic plan, and to determine the priority activities for the 2007-2008 strategic plan, the board utilized a number of techniques. An “internal audit” was conducted to determine whether activities and related results complied with the goals of the 2005-2006 strategic plan. Opportunities for improvement, achieved successes, internal strengths, and potential threats to success were reviewed. 

Structured group brainstorming was used to generate ideas in a nonjudgmental environment, and to create action items for the 2007-2008 timeframe. Led by an independent facilitator, the tool was used to generate a large amount of ideas that can be actualized in meeting the goals and priorities of the 2007-2008 strategic plan. A cause and effect review of those ideas illustrated the relationship between a given outcome and the factors that influence the outcome. This in turn, led to the creation of checklists that determined the importance, value, and prioritization of the 2007-2008 strategic plan objectives.

HISTORY

The original strategic plan, adopted in October of 2002 for implementation in 2003-2004, included five core areas and two additional areas of interest. Each core area was given an achievement and satisfaction rating by the board of directors. 

The original five core areas, in order of priority were:

1.)        State of Wisconsin EMS Office Accountability and Efficiency

            Achievement rating:  6

2.)        Annual Conference Growth, Location, Staff Requirements

            Achievement rating:  9

3.)        Growth in Association Membership and Revenue

            Achievement rating:  7

4.)        Association Board of Directors Operations

            Achievement rating:  2

5.)        Technical College and VOTEC System

            Achievement rating: 1

The two areas of additional interest were EMS Leadership and State EMS Advisory Board.

These core areas, along with a directive for the WEMSA Executive Director to create a core business plan, served as the baseline for the development of the 2005-2006 strategic plan.

The priorities, in order of importance, for the 2005-2006 Strategic Plan were:

1.)        Expand Association Space to Meet Growth Needs

2.)        Continue to Expand Work and Relationship with State Level EMS Administration

3.)        Promote and Foster EMS Leadership at a Local Level

4.)        Explore and Evaluate Alternative Education Opportunities

5.)        Formalize the WEMSA Board of Director Expectations, Standards, and Philosophy

An area of interest and need that carried over from the original plan is the Delivery of EMS Education by the Wisconsin Technical College System.

2007-2008 STRATEGIC PLAN

An inherent goal for WEMSA is to sustain the community and environment for EMS professionals. The resulting strategic goals and action items came from a final analysis of WEMSA successes to date, and opportunities yet available.

The greatest areas of opportunity (based on prior strategic plans) include: improving the quality and delivery of EMS education as provided by state community and technical colleges; improving collaboration and effectiveness of WEMSA’s relationship with the State of Wisconsin EMS Office; and growing WEMSA membership and revenue.

The goals and priorities for the 2007-2008 Strategic Plan, in order of importance, are:

1.)        Review Licensing and Renewal Process(es) for EMS in the State of Wisconsin

            This priority encompasses extending the licensing period to four years, and changing the

            Renewal criteria on or before July 1, 2008.

2.)        Promote and Foster EMS Leadership at the Local Level

            This priority encompasses developing programs for local EMS service providers in order

            to foster quality leadership and to communicate state-level EMS issues.

3.)        Delivery of EMS Education by Certified EMS Training Centers

This priority encompasses evaluating the lack of uniformity and varying degrees of quality between various State of Wisconsin Certified EMS Training Centers.

4.)        Provide Support to Local Level Volunteer Services to Promote and Foster their

            Continued Viability

            This ongoing priority encompasses WEMSA’s continuing belief that the viability of the

            volunteer-based service is critical to the growth of EMS in the State of Wisconsin.

5.)        Continue to Expand the Relationship(s) with State Level EMS Administration

            This ongoing priority encompasses the continued monitoring, interaction, and

            collaboration with the State of Wisconsin EMS office through clear and consistent

            communication.

6.)        Explore and Evaluate Opportunities to Expand WEMSA Membership through

            Specialized Areas of Practice

            This priority encompasses continuous strengthening of WEMSA’s infrastructure by

            continually developing processes and actions that benefit the Association as well as the

            membership.

7.)        Explore and Evaluate Alternative Educational Opportunities

            This priority encompasses researching available opportunities to meet the educational

            needs and requirements of the membership, and to determine the viability of meeting

            those needs and requirements.

8.)        Expansion of WEMSA Office

            The Association continues to have the need to obtain a centralized office location with

            the ability to rent/lease out unused portions until expansion is required. This goal

            encompasses the need to continue exploring options for the construction of a 3,000           

            square foot office space.

RISK ASSESSMENT AND LAUNCH SCHEDULE

While the priorities and goals for 2007-2008 are numerous, they are necessary for the continued advancement of the EMS profession and the Association. Launch schedules and completion times are fluid based on legislative or industry changes, membership levels, WEMSA resources, State EMS Office staffing, and the EMS association marketplace. At this juncture, there are not significant risks that would prohibit WEMSA from making significant progress in reaching these goals and plans.

SUMMARY

The WEMSA Board of Directors realizes and acknowledges that eight strategic goals is an ambitious plan. However, they feel strongly that each of these goals and accompanying action items are critical in order to meet the mission of the Association. The dedication and subject matter expertise available via WEMSA’s membership will play a critical role in achieving these priorities. The Board is confident that many of the metrics and accompanying action items will be met in the prescribed timelines and that progress will me made.

Because the 2007-2008 Strategic Plan is a living document, the Board of Directors has agreed to review it on an ongoing, periodic basis to determine accomplishments and potential needs for modification. Feedback and best-practice discussions will be held on an ongoing basis with all stakeholders in order to ensure WEMSA remains the first and foremost voice for EMS in the State of Wisconsin.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Each of the determined strategic goals for 2007-2008 has an accompanying definition, a listing of metrics, or action items, and an anticipated timeline. 

For detailed information, discussion points, and progress specific to the Strategic Plans from prior years, please visit www.wisconsinems.com

Note: The following table graphically illustrates the 2006-2007 WEMSA Strategic Plan: