How the American Ambulance Association is Developing the Next Generation of EMS Leaders with Mentorloop
with Samantha Hilker
American Ambulance Association
with Samantha Hilker
American Ambulance Association
When the American Ambulance Association set out to develop the next generation of EMS leaders, they knew mentoring had to be at the core.
With Mentorloop, AAA transformed informal, ad-hoc support into a structured program spanning 15+ states, connecting seasoned professionals with emerging leaders, and creating a scalable foundation for leadership development across the EMS industry.
The American Ambulance Association (AAA) is the national trade association for ground ambulance service organisations across the U.S. For over 40 years, AAA has represented and advocated for members ranging from mid-level managers to C-suite executives — ensuring access to high-quality, on-demand healthcare where and when patients need it most.
When the AAA launched its EMS Next program in 2023 to support emerging leaders in the industry, it quickly became clear that mentoring would be critical to its success.
What started as a pilot of 20 participants has scaled into a program reaching 15+ states, with a Mentoring Quality Score of 4.79 and 454+ logged interactions – and Samantha is quick to note the real number is almost certainly higher, since plenty of mentoring conversations happen off-platform and are never logged. Rather than chase perfect measurement, AAA has leaned into flexibility: some months growth is fast with new sign-ups daily, other months it’s quieter, and both are fine. The stories and impact still find their way back to the team, even when they can’t be captured in a spreadsheet.
The clearest recent proof of impact came when a graduate of AAA’s emerging leaders program began mentoring a current participant on Mentorloop. The two connected with a third program alum, and now all three — talented professionals from different parts of the country who would likely never have crossed paths otherwise — are preparing to publish research together in their area of EMS expertise.
That’s on top of earlier standout moments: a long-time volunteer leader who solved a problem she’d struggled with for a year, thanks to advice from her mentee. A new mentee who found the confidence to stand true to who she is as a leader. A 20-year veteran who asked to join the program as a mentee, wanting to learn from people who more closely represent today’s workforce.
That last thread has become one of the most meaningful parts of the program for Samantha: seeing senior leaders not just teach, but actively seek to learn from the next generation — treating gaps in understanding as opportunities to grow rather than chalking them up to “generational differences.”
"The impact of our program is that it creates real connection, meaning, and drives progress not only for the individuals participating, but for the entire EMS ecosystem."
The self-match feature has been a game-changer for AAA. Putting the power to seek out and choose a match directly in participants’ hands means nothing feels forced — people can move at their own pace, confident in the relationships they’re building, with real ownership over the process. That sits alongside the automation, bulk messaging, dashboards, and reporting that let AAA track engagement without a heavy admin load.
Mentorloop provided the tools AAA needed to scale mentoring from a small pilot into an accessible benefit for all members:
"The automation has been a game-changer. Mentors and mentees can confidently drive their own progress, while we track activity without the heavy admin load."
AAA’s vision is for mentoring to become a long-term leadership development strategy for the whole EMS industry — scaling participation, tracking results at both the organizational and association level, and continuing to turn mentees into mentors so the pipeline sustains itself.
With Mentorloop, the American Ambulance Association has transformed informal mentoring into a structured, scalable program that is already making an impact across the EMS sector. By fostering confidence, knowledge-sharing, and leadership growth, AAA is equipping the next generation of EMS leaders to deliver life-saving care in communities across the country.
📌 Ready to empower your next generation of leaders?
American Ambulance Association
Share this Article
Join the loop
My advice for others? Do it. Do it imperfectly, do it informally — just do it. People are excited to teach, they’re excited to learn. Mentorloop makes it easy for them to step into either role without hesitation.
– Samantha Hilker, American Ambulance Association
What Role Does Equity and Equality Play in Your Mentoring Program?
The right mentoring program should level the playing field to empower entire cohorts of people: workplaces, member associations, social groups and educational institutions. Equality should be a cherished value so that every individual can thrive—whoever they are, whatever their background, however they worship or whomever they love. But we can’t arrive at equality without it’s often forgotten partner, equity.
What does a Mentoring Program Coordinator do?
Being a Mentoring Program Coordinator is an incredibly rewarding experience that positively impacts the lives of many. And while mentoring programs don’t fully run themselves (even though Mentorloop can do a great deal of the heavy lifting!), they do require a point of contact that can steer the program in the right direction for the organisation that is running one.
Building Quality Feedback Into Mentoring Relationships
This is Part 8 of our 10-part series on the 10 Key Qualities and Habits of a Highly Effective Mentor.
In this post, we’ll look at how mentors can successfully build quality feedback into their mentoring. Quality feedback is priceless because it clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes, and builds confidence. It also allows mentees to more effectively take what their mentors say and turn it into action.
