Membership Numbers Are Up!

Paramedic Association of Manitoba membership numbers are on the increase...a trend that will undoubtedly strengthen our ability to have meaningful discussions with decision makers at all levels of Government.

As of October 27th, PAM has 454 members...the highest number in our five year history. In October alone 13 new memberships were received...since July 1st (beginning of the 2006/07 membership year) we have 57 new registrations. I think this encouraging trend can be attributed to a number of things...our spring "road show" that saw PAM visit practitioners at 12 sites in 10 different regions across the province, the introduction of our on-line electronic registration and payment process, our attempts to improve communication at all levels, and, I dare say, increased awareness of Association activities as a result of discussions on the Manitoba EMS Discussion Board.

PAM has been very successful in gaining the attention of many key stakeholders within Manitoba's EMS "system". In our early days as a professional association we were rarely considered for inclusion on provincial or project committees, and had great difficulty even contacting Government officials to make our concerns known. While there's no doubt we still have a great deal of work to do, today they're calling us and asking for our input and opinion. That's a tribute to the work we've done and the respect we are starting to gain as an organization and a voice for the profession.

But...even though I'm encouraged by these new numbers, there are still too many practitioners out there who have not joined. Like it or not, numbers are important. Every time I meet with the Minister of Health...they ask. When we met with Hugh McFadyen (Opposition Leader)...he asked. A very successful meeting with Red River College ended with them asking how many members we had.

Practitioners need to be encouraged to be part of their professional association. PAM is about striving to promote excellence in pre-hospital emergency care and within our profession. Whether paramedics are working in Manitoba EMS full-time, part-time or as casual employees, most say they do it because their primary interest is the well-being of their community and the patients they care for. There are no good reasons for neglecting to be a member of your professional association...only excuses.