What makes an effective administrator?. Interview by LaTresa Costello

Bruce Grotewiel, EMT-P, director of the Jefferson City Ambulance Service in Missouri, was named 1989 EMS administrator of the year by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT). NAEMT bases its decision each year on a combination of community service, service to the EMS profession, and excellence as an EMS administrator. The National Society of EMS Administrators, a division within NAEMT, established the award in 1988. It is sponsored by Fitch and Associates, a Kansas City-based health-care-management consulting firm. Grotewiel became director of the hospital-based service in March 1988, after working as the assistant director for four years. As a result of his efforts, the service has expanded to include 40 EMS providers and seven ALS units, response time has been significantly reduced, and employee compensation and benefits have increased. What does it take to be a top administrator? EMS staff writer LaTresa Costello recently spoke with Grotewiel to find out.