Mosby named new SCWEMS director

The South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) organization has a new face.

Stayton Mosby hails from Colorado and took the position of director this past week. Mosby finds Carbon County very similar to where he recently left, Craig, Colorado.

"I was born and raised in Craig, Colorado and then I moved to Denver for five years for college and lived in the metro area," Mosby said. "Then I moved back to Craig to get closer to family and also be near those things I like to do like; fishing, camping, hunting and all those types of things. It is not that available in the city where you have to drive quite a ways."

Mosby worked as an EMT in Craig and required his EMT Intermediate, then EMT Paramedic and became EMS Supervisor at the Memorial Regional Health Hospital in Craig.

Working in health was not Mosby's first choice when he went to college. He began his studies in law enforcement.

"I ended up getting a job at Denver Health Medical Center," Mosby said. "I already had my EMT and just kind of fell out of the law enforcement path and changed to EMS and ended up what I pursued. I just really liked health and it wanted to do it. "

He heard about the opening for SCWEMS from someone within the organization. Mosby put in his application and in a matter of weeks, he found himself coming to Saratoga for an interview. After the interview Mosby found himself the new director.

Mosby looks at the job for what it is to the community.

"I come here with no preconceived notions or bias," Mosby said. "SCWEMS is going to do what is best for each community that we serve and have sustainability."

Mosby said an ambulance service is an expensive proposition to keep running.

"We want to make sure we are doing the best we can in every community we are in and give them the best quality of service," Mosby said "And do it in the best operational manner."

Mosby knows volunteers are important to the organization although there are full time workers. He understands getting the certification and having the time to be a volunteer can make being an EMT volunteer strenuous.

"Getting volunteers with the increased requirement for EMS licensing is hard," Mosby said. "It is hard for someone to leave their families for hours on end, whether training or calls. It is very hard to commit to."

Mosby is looking for ways to make the time volunteers put in is as least stressful as possible.

"One example is to have full time staff do ambulance checks instead of having volunteers coming in on their time off to do that," Mosby said. "So when there is a call, all they have to do is run the call. It can take three hours to do an ambulance call. That is a long time."

The fresh eyes Mosby brings to the organization means he is not only looking at things, but listening to others. He understands being an EMT volunteer is hard on a family also the individual who puts in time for a full time job.

"These people are putting in a lot for their community," Mosby said. "They deserve so much credit and where I can help them make it easier to be an EMT, I will do my best."

Many people do not know EMS is not considered an essential service like fire departments and law enforcement. If an area wants an ambulance service, it falls onto the shoulders of the local municipalities on how to figure out a model EMS for their town.

Having an ambulance service is expensive to begin with when considering maintaining the equipment and keeping it supplied.

Full reimbursement for when the service is utilized doesn't happen when being paid back by Medicare and Medicaid.

"It is pennies on the dollar," Mosby said. "Fuel isn't free. The gas company doesn't care if you get reimbursed from Medicare or not. An ambulance run might bill out for three or four thousand dollars and Medicare pays five hundred. It is hard to keep a service running when you are not being paid what it costs. It is simple mathematics."

Mosby, being new, is taking in how SCWEMS is working. He is hopeful, as time goes on. he will be able set up systems that work, even though people come and go.

"I am passionate about EMS," Mosby said. "And it feels right to be in Carbon County, doing what I am."