WCU professor to lead study on paramedic shortage

WCU professor to lead study on paramedic shortage

Michael Hubble, director of the emergency medical care program at Western Carolina University, recently received a $91,510 grant to conduct an assessment and analysis of North Carolina’s emergency medical services workforce and provide recommendations to improve recruitment and retention, according the university.

The North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services, which is funding and assisting with the project, asked Hubble to lead the study.

“There is a growing consensus that there is a shortage of paramedics nationwide, but there is very little data available to quantify the extent of the shortage or how to address it,” said Hubble. “There isn’t a rule of thumb for the number of ambulances needed to serve a community.”

Considerations include calls for service per hour, the amount of time required to respond to each call, the location of hospitals and other factors.

Hubble will gather information about the workforce and develop a survey. The study will include meeting with EMS administrators and personnel at summits to be held in the eastern, central and western regions of North Carolina. Interviews will be conducted with students and educators. Hubble will present his findings to the EMS Advisory Council in May and a final report at the EMS Administrators Association meeting in July.