HomeMy WebLinkAboutParamedic Program Business Plan 2Madison Fire Department
Paramedic Program
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
The Madison Fire Department (MFD) has been serving Madison County since the early 1900’s. The department merged with Madison County Ambulance in 1999. Since that time, Paramedic service
has been offered to the county and the surrounding areas. In 2012 the decision was made to enhance the service to the critical care level.
In 2016, the department needed additional EMS funding. The EMS budget was running in a deficit. A moratorium on capital purchases was in place and extreme cost saving measures were
being implemented. At this same time BYUI decided to end its Paramedic Program which included its Paramedic certification and degree, its EMT certification course, and its Firefighter
I (FFI) course.
As a result, MFD decided to begin offering its own EMT certification course to fill a need in the community as well as provide revenue for the department. In the following years, the
EMT certification course has grown to the point where six sessions are being offered annually with at least 120 students being trained each year. This program has been very successful
and is now generating revenues of $75,000.00/year. Other classes have also been added, which include FFI, Hazmat Operations, and Wildland Red Card. These classes have also worked
their way towards sustainability and profitability.
Another consequence of the loss of BYUI’s Paramedic Program was the loss of a constant flow of Paramedics available to MFD. MFD has combatted this by paying a company (NMETC) in Boston,
MA, to train our personnel to the Paramedic level. This comes at a cost of between $16-18,000.00 per student. The MFD has been sending 2-6 students a year to NMETC to keep up with
our need for trained paramedics.
The MFD has both the expertise and the need to pursue implementation of a Paramedic Certification program. The expertise has been demonstrated in the successful implementation of its
EMT certification courses. The need is demonstrated by the number of students being sent to NMETC as well as requests from the community. Other departments, in Idaho, are also utilizing
NMETC for their paramedic needs. These departments are searching for a local option.
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
A Paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system.
This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide
patient care and transportation. Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions with the basic and advanced equipment
typically found on an ambulance. The Paramedic is a link from the scene into the health care system. [From the: National EMS Scope of Practice Model]
MFD’s Paramedic Program would include the following:
Approximately 1200 hours of training, instruction, and supervised clinical and field experiences
Possible didactic delivery methods are:
Online live lectures
Online pre-recorded lectures
In person / on campus lectures
Possible skills training delivery methods are:
In person bootcamp at the completion of the didactic portion of the program
Hybrid training which includes distance instruction during the didactic portion of the program and then a shorter bootcamp after didactics are completed
Clinical internships are completed in the individual student’s locale after the program secures a clinical agreement with a suitable clinical facility
Field internships are completed anywhere in the United States where a field internship agreement can be secured
Take approximately 16-18 months to complete
Prepare all successful program graduates to take the National Registry exam
MARKET ANALYSIS
Paramedic programs must be accredited and offer college credit to those who complete their courses. This creates a significant obstacle that fire departments are not willing to engage
in. That leaves colleges and universities as the sole providers of these types of programs. Additionally, programs must maintain a 6:1 student to instructor ratio for all skills trainings.
So, because of this, and like BYUI, most universities find that a paramedic program does not fit into their instructional models. This leaves smaller colleges and private schools
to provide these programs.
Within the state of Idaho, there is not an online option for paramedic training. For in person training there are four options:
Idaho State University (Meridian Campus with outreach to College of Eastern Idaho)
College of Southern Idaho
College of Western Idaho
Lewis and Clark State College
There are even fewer online options available:
NMETC, Boston, Massachusetts
PERCOM, Abilene, Texas
Employment of paramedics is projected to grow 15% from 2016 to 2026 (Occupational Outlook Handbook). Growth is also happening rapidly in Idaho where the state grew 17.3 percent from
2010 to 2020 (Unites States Census). As growth occurs, departments in the state will be looking for a local, cost-effective alternative for paramedic training.
At a recent gathering of some of Idaho’s fire department chiefs, a consensus was that someone in Idaho needed to create a local option comparable to NMETC’s online paramedic training.
They cited the difficulty in sending on-duty personnel to in-person classes and the need for an online option that did not require them to send their employees all the way to Boston
to complete their bootcamp training and final testing.
With the availability of 120 EMT students already coming through MFD’s EMT course, there is already a strong base for possible paramedic students. Additionally, other fire departments
in the state are already looking for alternatives to the NMETC program. This creates a good outlook for a paramedic program at MFD.
STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation has already started through the development of MFD’s EMT and Fire classes. The framework for registration of students and contracting of instructors and lab aids is already
in place. Total estimated time until full implementation is 12 months.
Further implementation will need to take place within the following areas:
Phase 1: Select program administration
A Program Administrator will need to be selected
Their primary focus is on administrative duties related to the program, and its staff, and ensuring compliance with national, state, and accrediting body requirements
This position requires the following:
A minimum of a Master's degree
Have appropriate medical or allied health education, training, and experience
Be knowledgeable about methods of instruction, testing and evaluation of students
Have field experience in the delivery of out-of-hospital emergency care
Have academic training and preparation related to emergency medical services at least equivalent to that of a paramedic
Be knowledgeable about the current versions of the National EMS Scope of Practice and National EMS Education Standards, and
about evidenced-informed clinical practice
For most programs, the program director should be a full-time position
A Medical Director will need to be selected
An Assistant Medical Director may also be needed
Faculty and Clinical Staff will need to be selected:
Faculty positions will include instructors for didactic classes and lab aids for bootcamps
The number of these positions will depend on the number of students enrolled
Their primary focus in on teaching and mentoring students through the didactic material
Clinical positions will include hospital clinical coordinators and field internship coordinators
Coordinators work to maintain facility and internship site agreements and then ensure that students are successful in completing their clinical and internship work
Student services staff will also need to be selected or this type of work will need to be handled by current MFD staff
Registration
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
Graduation / Course completion
Phase 2: Curriculum Development
Develop didactic courses
Anatomy and Physiology course
Seven program courses total
Develop Lab coursework
Bootcamp
Develop Clinical Rotation requirements
Develop Field Internship requirements
Develop final course testing requirements
Phase 3: Accreditation
Accreditation phase 1
Accreditation phase 2
Phase 4: Test group
Have a trial group go through the entire program and process with significant feedback to administration
Phase 5: Promotion and Advertising
Select target audiences and promote program
Phase 6: Full implementation of program
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chief Corey Child is head of this organization with delegated authority to Deputy Chief Troyce Miskin to oversee the implementation of this program. John Lewis, previous Program Director
for BYUI’s Paramedic Program, has agreed to be Program Director for MFD’s Paramedic Program. Future leadership positions and team members will be added as needed.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Competitive programs charge the following:
Application fee: $200.00
Tuition: $8,500.00
Program Fees: $1,500.00 (which include liability insurance)
Total: $10,200.00 for tuition and program fees
Students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks, background checks, drug screening, immunizations, physicals, clinical placement fees, field internship placement fees, and
travel arrangements and accommodations for bootcamps.
The following is a budget estimate of Program Start-Up:
Curriculum Development = $35,000.00 (includes salaries of employees, curriculum developer fee, books, etc.)
Accreditation Phase 1 = $20,000.00 (includes salaries of employees, accreditation fees, registration, travel, and lodging)
Accreditation Phase 2 = $10,000.00 (includes salaries of employees, accreditation fees, registration, travel, and lodging)
Equipment
CPR Manikins (Already Own)
EKG Simulator x 1 = $1,000.00
12-Lead EKG Simulator x 1 = $1,000.00
Infant Intubation Heads x 4 = $4,000.00
Adult Intubation Heads x 4 = $10,000.00
Pneumothorax Trainer x 4 = $3,000.00
Crich Trainers x 4 = $3,400.00
IV arm/hand x 12 = $7,200.00
OB Trainer x 4 = $4,000.00
Mega Code Kelly x 4 = $24,000.00
Jump Bags (2 bags x 4 sets) = $2,000.00
EKG Monitor App x 4 = $8,000.00
iPad x 4 = $2,000.00
Total = $69,600.00
Medical Supplies / Postage / Storage Containers / Etc. = $5,400.00
Website Development / Legal Documents / Applications / Etc. = $10,000.00
Total Program Start-Up = $150,000.00
The following cost analysis shows potential annual revenue based on a 20-student cohort:
Revenue
Expenses
Student Tuition and Fees = $10,000.00
20 students enrolled
Medical Director salary (5% of revenues)
$10,000.00 / Class
Program Director salary
$26,400.00 / Year (Initial)
Teacher salaries (FLU based)
$20,000.00 / Class
Clinical Coordinator salary
$7,000.00 / Class
Field Internship Coordinator salary
$7,000.00 / Class
Staff salary ($15/hour x 20 hours/week)
$16,000.00 / Year
Skills Week Staff (hourly)
$12,000.00 (4 people, 10 hours/day x 6 days x $50.00)
Student Liability Insurance (HPSO Insurance)
$2,000.00 ($100/per student / per class)
School District fees (relationship fee) / University relationship fees
NA at this time
Equipment (cost replacement)
$7,000.00 / Year
Disposables
$15,000.00 / Class
Ongoing Accreditation fees
$2,000.00 / Yearly
Total = $200,000.00
Total = $104,400.00
Total Revenue Potential
$95,600.00
Initial Class Goals:
20 Students @ reduced tuition ($6,000.00) as an initial trial cohort = $120,000.00 revenue
17 Students would be the minimum cohort to ‘break even.’
Refine technology, registration processes, instructors, instruction, testing, bootcamp, lab, etc.
Do not pay medical director salary, staff salary, equipment cost replacement, or accreditation fees = $35,000.00 cost savings
Total revenue for initial cohort = $50,600.00
Future Forecast
Additional revenues can be generated in several ways, with each option being independent of every other option. All additional revenues based on advertising and recruiting additional
students from both local, state, regional, and national markets:
Hold additional classes annually
No additional costs from staff salary, equipment replacement, or ongoing accreditation
Additional revenue potential of $120,200.00 per additional class
Increase the size of each class while increasing the number Skills Weeks offered
Only equipped for 20 students per skills week
No or minimal additional costs from teacher salary, clinical coordinator salary, field internship coordinator salary, staff salary, equipment replacement, ongoing accreditation, or initial
start-up payback
Additional revenue potential of $154,333.00 per 20 students or $7,716.65/student
Additional two student minimum to cover cost for additional skills week
Offer additional classes via pre-recorded lectures
Classes with recorded lectures would not need the same instructor involvement and so would reduce teacher salaries significantly
No additional costs from staff salary, equipment replacement, or ongoing accreditation
A cohort of 20 students, in a pre-recorded class, would have a revenue potential of $142,666.00 per additional class