EMSNext: Cultivating the Next Generation of EMS Leadership

This installment of Registry Insider features a conversation between Bill Seifarth and Samantha Hilker, Vice President of Programs and Services at the American Ambulance Association, regarding the critical role of leadership development within the profession. Samantha shares the history and vision behind the EMSNext Program, an initiative designed to empower emerging leaders and ensure the future of the industry is in capable hands. They also explore the vital distinction between specialized leadership tracks and broader mentorship opportunities available to the EMS community. This discussion offers a unique look at how these programs address workforce needs and provide Clinicians with the support necessary to take the next step in their professional journeys.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Welcome to the Registry Insider. I'm Bill Seiferth from the National Registry of EMTs. And on today's episode, we're going to talk a little bit about the American Amulets Association's EMS Next as well as mentorship programs. And joining me from the AAA or American Amulets Association is Samantha Hilker. She is the Vice President for Programs and Services at the American Amulets Association. So, Samantha, thank you for uh taking this time to join me while we're at the EMS Association Summit in Kansas City, Kansas.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Yes, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

So if you wouldn't mind, tell our listeners and viewers a little bit about the AAA's um EMS Next as well as mentorship programs, because two sometimes people confuse them as the same, but clearly they're not. But a little bit of history and a little bit about what's entailed with both those programs.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Absolutely. So our EMS Next program really started in 2023. Our president at the time, Randy Strozick, one of his initiatives he wanted to focus on was succession planning, right? The future of the board, the future of association. He wanted to fill the back row with um potential leaders. So, you know, the president in 2030, who that might be, get them in the back of the room and get them involved with the organization now. And we had previously had a 40 under-40 award category that we were looking to transition. And so that all rolled into what we now call the EMS Next Program. Um, it is a, instead of just an award category, it is a program for emerging leaders in EMS under 40 or from a diverse background who are on that leadership track. They're looking to take that next step. Um they're making an impact in their organization, in their community, maybe with their state association, and they're ready for that next level of development and next level of involvement in EMS beyond the four walls of their organization. Um, so every year, this will be this is our fourth year in 2026. Actually, we just announced our fourth cohort. We do a call for nominations, and organizations nominate their emerging leaders. And once we receive those, there's a group of us that kind of look through and scrub them. And typically we stick to around 20 individuals per cohort. This year we actually approved 26 of the nominations, so it's our largest cohort yet. Um, but it's just a wonderful program where we take them through roughly a year long of professional development, networking opportunities. They get to see kind of behind the curtain of national associations, and that other side of EMS and EMS leadership that isn't necessarily apparent or broadly advertised as part of EMS as you're growing up through the ranks in an organization.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

And the the impact that I think this program can have is really significant because I believe it was uh American Amulets Association survey a few years ago that said one of the key reasons for leaving EMS was because of a lack of poor management or a lack of leadership within the ranks. So certainly meeting a clearly defined need with this program. So that's pretty cool. So um as it relates to the mentorship, were those two related? If because I believe at one point they were or Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

So when we were kind of designing the EMS Next program, one of the key components had to be mentorship, like you just said. Um kind of that tradition of you're really great at being a paramedic, so try out being a supervisor, kind of that leadership progression, um, where people generally feel a little bit unsupported or underdeveloped, and you get a little bit nervous taking on those new responsibilities. We knew that if we're taking people, emerging leaders, looking to grow in their careers, grow in EMS leadership, we needed to have a mentorship component to it. Not only for that general growth and advice, but also when you go to national conferences, when you attend board meetings, it can feel a little intimidating to not know anyone else in the room. So we wanted to try to close that gap. So mentorship was a core component of the EMS Next program. We'll very quickly realize that there's potential for mentorship programs beyond just the 20 or so individuals each cohort year in EMS Next and had the opportunity to build out a broader mentorship program that's available to any member of any or any staff person of any of our member organizations can sign up for the mentorship program. So whether it's a frontline EMT who's interested in being a supervisor in a few years, a mid-manager, a director, executive director, or senior leader is welcome to sign up for the program either as a mentee, a mentor, or both. And we currently have over a hundred active participants, and I make sure to say active participants, um, because we have you know others in the program, but some are a lot more engaged than the others. Um and we are just over one year of that program. We've had over 800 interactions and engagements between the mentors and mentees. It spans across 27 states, I think, so far. Um so clearly this is a demonstrated need. We've seen it in workforce surveys, and um, I mean, you just go on social media, you go to a classroom or an agency and you talk to any of their frontline workers, and you can very quickly hear how meaningful mentorship can be, and when you have a good mentor, um, how much more comfortable you are and confident you are in your abilities to do your job.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

So, uh, where can people go to find out more, either about volunteering or being screened to become a mentor, but also to be a mentee or to get involved with the mentorship program? And then, of course, the EMS next, where can they go to find out about that?

SPEAKER_00 6:16

So you can find it all on our website, www.ambulance.org. Um, if you type in the little um search feature, mentorship, it will bring you to the mentorship page. That does require a membership login to see the full details of that program information and fill out the application. Um, our EMS Next program, again, ambulance.org slash EMS Next, and you will see all of the information. That one is not behind a login or paywall or anything. Um, you can see all of the information about our EMS Next program. Um, our press release was just sent out, I believe, last week, on the current um class of EMS Next, so you can Google that as well and see all of our previous classes as well as the current class.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Phenomenal. Well, uh, thank you for what the AAA is doing for um mentoring the future generations paying it forward, essentially, and uh the EMS Next uh program because they are desperately needed based on our data, and uh AAA stepping up and and meeting the need. So thank you for doing that.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Happy to be have the opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

And thanks for uh sharing time with me today to talk a little bit about these programs and their importance and and why you're doing them. So that's uh resourceful and quite quite beneficial. So thank you.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Thank you as well for joining us, and as always, stay safe.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

And one more thing. This program is important, so old geezers like Maria Bianchi, get out of the way.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

I'm not gonna comment on that. All right, okay. Thank you for joining us for this episode. If you wouldn't mind, please click the like and subscribe buttons as well as the notifications so you can get notifications about the coming episodes. Also, for the latest and greatest happenings out of the National Registry, feel free to go to nrmt.org. Thank you very much, and again, stay safe.