40 Under Forty Awards 2024
Andrew Kettle | 37
Chief, Charlestown Ambulance-Rescue Service
What is the biggest challenge currently facing your industry and how are you responding to it? Throughout the country, ambulance services are closing their doors due to financial constraints. In many places, EMS [emergency medical services are] funded on a fee-for-service basis. Unfortunately, our reimbursement rates from Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers do not cover our expenses. Over the last several years, I have participated in [National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’] EMS on the Hill, where we lobby our congressional delegation for support to increase Medicare funding. I also worked with our local legislators on a bill to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates, which were some of the lowest in the country and hadn’t been adjusted in years.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself continuing to evolve and expand my capabilities to better assist and support my team and our community.
What was your first job? At a pizza restaurant, where I washed dishes, bused tables and assisted customers.
What is your greatest attribute that you bring to your job? Adaptability. I feel like I have the ability to thrive in changing environments, learn quickly and find effective solutions under varying circumstances.
What is your favorite Rhode Island food or drink? Coffee milk.