As EMS|MC celebrates 20 years of EMSpire events, EMS leaders from across the Southeast gathered in Greensboro, N.C., June 24-25, 2026 for EMSpire Southeast to explore the ideas, technologies, and leadership strategies shaping the future of the profession.
This year’s conference theme, Build the EMS Agency of 2026: Strong People, Smarter Decisions, Sustainable Revenue, reflected the reality facing EMS organizations nationwide. Agencies are navigating reimbursement pressure, workforce shortages, rapidly advancing technology, evolving compliance requirements, and growing expectations from patients, payers, and policymakers. Building the EMS agency of tomorrow requires more than adaptability. It requires leaders who are prepared to embrace innovation while strengthening the people, processes, and financial stability that sustain their organizations.
As EMS|MC Chief Executive Officer George Abatjoglou emphasized during his opening remarks, one of EMSpire’s greatest strengths extends beyond the educational content itself. “One of the biggest things that we get out of EMSpire is the collaboration that you all have amongst each other.”
The event also carried a unique energy outside the conference room, with the Norway National Team staying at the same hotel during the FIFA World Cup. For attendees, it became another memorable part of a conference already centered onย preparing for what comes next in EMS.
Building Smarter Decisions Through Technology
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the defining themes of EMSpire Southeast, not as a future concept, but as a tool that is already transforming how EMS organizations operate.
During From Narrative to Net Revenue: AI in EMS Documentation and Revenue Cycle, PWW|AG EMS & Mobile Healthcare Consultant Dr. Shannon Gollnick challenged attendees to rethink documentation as more than a clinical requirement. Every patient encounter, he explained, creates both a clinical outcome and a financial outcome, making documentation the foundation of an agency’s revenue cycle.
While many clinicians recognize documentation as important, Dr. Gollnick highlighted the disconnect between its clinical purpose and its financial impact. As AI becomes integrated into documentation, and reimbursement workflows, he emphasized that agencies must begin establishing policies and governance today, not years from now.
That conversation continued during EMS|MC Chief Technology Officer Bill Sweeney‘s presentation, where attendees received an inside look at the organization’s technology roadmap. Sweeney demonstrated how better data integration, intelligent automation, and AI-assisted workflows can help staff make more informed reimbursement decisions earlier in the billing process while reducing administrative burden and improving operational efficiency.
For Martin Adebowale, Director of Finance for Chatham EMS in Savannah, Georgia, AI represented one of the conference’s most valuable discussions. “It’s not that AI is going to take our jobs,” he said. “The person who knows AI will. Having AI policies, AI procedures and guidelines, I think that was really, really good.”
Building Sustainable Revenue
Financial sustainability remained another central focus throughout the conference. During the compliance and reimbursement update, EMS|MC Chief Client Advocacy Officer Kim Stanley and Compliance Director Ajenay Drummondย examined the latest developments surrounding the Ground Ambulance Data Collection System (GADCS) and the recently released MedPAC report.
The session explored what the industry’s first national cost data reveals about ambulance reimbursement and why those findings matter beyond Medicare. More importantly, attendees learned how this information can strengthen conversations with commercial insurers and policymakers by providing credible data on the true cost of delivering EMS.
As Stanley emphasized, the industry’s newly available cost data is “golden” because it gives agencies meaningful evidence to support discussions around fair and equitable reimbursement.
Building Stronger Leaders
While technology and reimbursement continue to evolve, presenters also reminded attendees that leadership remains the foundation of every successful EMS organization. Leadership discussions throughout the conference focused on developing future leaders, creating healthy organizational cultures, and equipping agencies to navigate an increasingly complex operating environment.
Returning attendee Mandy Gibson, Administrative Manager, Compliance Officer, and Supervisor over Dispatch and Quality Assurance for LifeStar Emergency Services, said those leadership conversations are one of the reasons she continues returning to EMSpire. “It changes so much that it’s good to come and know those changes,” Gibson said. “It’s good to keep up with that.”
She also pointed to one of EMSpire’s defining characteristics. “They’re very accessible,” she said of the EMS|MC team. “It’s always good to see them face to face.”
Building Public Trust
The conference also explored the growing importance of strategic communications.
During The Trust Factor: Why Public Relations Is an Essential Strategy for EMS, PWW|AG EMS & Mobile Healthcare Consultant Matt Zavadsky and EMS1’s Rob Lawrence examined how misinformation, social media, and changing public expectations have made proactive storytelling essential to maintaining public trust.
Their message was straightforward: if EMS organizations fail to tell their own story, someone else will. Agencies that consistently communicate with their communities are better positioned to build trust, strengthen relationships, and demonstrate the value EMS brings to healthcare every day.
For first-time attendee Martin Adebowale, EMSpire Southeast offered more than educational sessions. It provided an opportunity to better understand the people, expertise, and collaboration driving the EMS industry forward. “I wanted more information. I wanted to get in the building. I wanted to know what you guys know,” Adebowale said. “I wanted to know what you guys were about. How are you really adding more impact to clients?”
When asked whether the conference answered those questions, his response came without hesitation, “oh, for sure.”
As EMS|MC celebrates 20 years of EMSpire events, one message remains clear: building the EMS agency of 2026 starts today. Through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to continuous improvement, EMS leaders are laying the foundation for stronger organizations, smarter decisions, and more sustainable systems that will better serve their communities for years to come.
That’s what drives EMS|MC. And every day, our mission remains the same: to help first responders answer the call.
See photos from EMSpire Southeast HERE.ย