2014 EMS Year in Review
Of all the headlines involving EMS in 2014, few created as much of a stir as those involving the Ebola virus. The largest Ebola outbreak in history affected multiple West African counties before making its way to the U.S. for the first time. Two imported cases, including one death, and two locally acquired cases in healthcare workers were reported in the U.S., and civilians and healthcare workers alike worried about whether enough was being done to contain the spread of the disease. The CDC issued revised guidelines for PPE for emergency workers, and protecting ambulances along with proper donning and doffing of PPE gained more attention than ever before.
States began responding to the “epidemic” of heroin overdoses by making it legal for non-healthcare workers and civilians to obtain and administer Narcan to stop an overdose. In some states law enforcement officers were granted the ability to use Narcan, prompting many to wonder how non-healthcare workers will be trained in the proper administration of the drug, especially since in some states EMTs still aren’t able to administer it.
More provisions of the Affordable Care Act went into effect this year, and volunteer EMS agencies got involved when a debate arose about whether they could be deemed “employers” under the law and required to provide health insurance. Ultimately, volunteer agencies were ruled exempt from the law.
Mobile integrated healthcare continued its rise as more agencies began training providers to be community paramedics. Integrated Healthcare Delivery Magazine launched in 2014 to provide more coverage of this momentous step forward in EMS, along with a specific IHD channel at EMSWorld.com. As more EMS agencies and the communities they operate in began to delve into MIH, questions about methods of reimbursement and the type of MIH model an agency will use continued to be raised, and in some cases potential partners in the form of home health and nursing organizations began to push back against this expansion of EMS care.
Finding ways to better address post-traumatic stress in EMS providers took on renewed importance this year as well. Momentum is building to find ways to address the constant on-the-job stress EMS workers face and provide them with resources to cope with not only the most difficult of calls, but also the everyday grind of patient care.
Finally, there was no shortage of violent events across the U.S. and around the globe in 2014. In particular, the use of force by law enforcement personnel came into question as a number of deaths at the hands of police occurred throughout the year. 2014 also saw its share of wider mass violence at schools, workplaces and in public spaces, culminating in December when members of the Taliban stormed a school in Pakistan and gunned down more than 100 schoolchildren.
Here is a roundup of headlines that illustrate some of the year’s top news topics:
January
FDNY, NYPD Retirees Charged with Faking 9/11 Illnesses: Many of the supposedly burned-out pensioners were living stress-free lives—with one riding a jet ski, another teaching martial arts and a third piloting a helicopter.
Subzero ‘Polar Vortex’ Pushes Frigid Air Across U.S.: Many parts of the country faced their coldest temperatures in more than two decades.
Paramedic Argues Against Texas Law Forcing Life Support for Pregnant Wife: His wife, herself a paramedic, collapsed and fell into a vegetative state on Nov. 26, 2013 at 14 weeks pregnant.
Volunteer Responders Exempt From Insurance Requirement: Volunteer emergency services agencies were concerned that under the Affordable Care Act they were being considered ‘employers.’
32 Believed Dead in Quebec Senior Home Fire: Emergency crews trying to recover bodies had to contend with up to two feet of ice covering the scene.
Flu Turns Severe in U.S., Young, Middle-Age Adults at Greater Risk: Health officials said their concern was not so much the number of cases they were seeing, but the severity of the strains they were treating.
February
Hospitals Use ‘Hot Spotting’ to Zero In On Super-Users: A trend of using sophisticated data mapping to zero in on chronic “super-users” of health services began taking hold, in efforts to help keep patients out of the hospital.
Stolen Newborn Found Ok in Sub-Zero Outdoor Temps: Searchers did not expect to find the baby alive in that environment.
2 Admit Guilt in Attack on Calif. Paramedic at Dodger Stadium: They were immediately sentenced by an angry judge for disabling Bryan Stow in 2011.
Rural/Metro Fires 24 for Fraudulent CPR Recertification: The 24 individuals who were let go in Santa Clara County, Calif. also had a history of disciplinary actions at Rural/Metro.
Narcan Goes National—But Who Gets to Carry It?: Allowing greater use of naloxone to treat overdoses, by EMS and civilians too, gained support across the U.S.
March
Ala.’s DEMSI Suspends Operations: The move came after the Decatur City Council canceled a hearing on DEMSI’s operating license.
Las Vegas Fire Chief Announces Ambulance Transport Takeover: Dozens of AMR employees demonstrated their opposition to the change in policy, which would cost the company thousands of transports per year.
Oregon Man Calls 9-1-1 After Cat Attack: On the 9-1-1 call, the man and his family reported barricading themselves in the bedroom for safety, while the cat could be heard screeching in the background.
Israeli Medic Shows Off ‘Ambucycle’ at N.J. EMS School: The medically stocked motorcycles can weave in and out of traffic to reach patients faster.
April
Former N.C. EMS Director Apologizes for Racial Slurs: The former Caldwell County official, now a fire chief, apologized for five years of disparaging remarks.
20 Injured in Pa. High School Stabbing Spree: At least five students were deemed critical, but all of the victims survived.
Pipe Bombs, Weapons Found in NYC EMT’s Home: Police discovered the materials while responding to a domestic dispute between the EMT and his wife.
FDA Approves ‘Rescue Pen’ for Opioid Overdose: Making this product available for use beyond an ambulance or hospital could save lives by facilitating earlier use of the drug, an FDA official said.
Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Off-Duty NYC Medic Who Failed to Help Dying Pregnant Woman: The medic called 9-1-1 with her cell phone, and then she and her partner left without assessing the patient.
May
Field EMS Bill Introduced in Senate: The Field EMS Innovation Act would improve access to essential and life-saving EMS services and better integrate EMS within the healthcare system.
CDC Confirms First Case of MERS Infection in U.S.: A healthcare worker flying from Saudi Arabia fell ill while flying to the U.S.
California Court Hears Target AED Case: A family argued that Target should have a defibrillator on hand and a worker trained to use it for customers who suffer an SCA.
June
Mississippi Crew Killed in Ambulance Crash: The ambulance reportedly crashed into a semi-truck carrying a bulldozer.
Ky. Ambulance, EMTs Sued for Removing Patient’s Clothing: The suit was filed by a woman who claimed one of the workers improperly removed her daughter’s clothing while she was being transported to a hospital after suffering an injury.
First Patient Successfully Transported by First U.S. Mobile Stroke Unit: The unit, based in Texas, is equipped with a CT scanner, allowing a stroke unit team member to quickly assess patients and administer tPA.
Colo. Dispatcher Resigns After 9-1-1 Caller is Killed: Police said the dispatcher should have told responding officer that the woman’s husband was getting a gun from a safe.
San Francisco Fire Department Lacks Paramedics, Ambulances: The fire department failed to purchase ambulances it has had money to buy since 2012.
July
Community Paramedics Part of Big Medicaid Savings in Minnesota: State’s new IHP initiative shows preliminary savings of $10 million in first year.
Three Killed in N.M. Medical Helicopter Crash: The TriState CareFlight LLC helicopter was flying from Santa Fe to pick up a patient in Tucumcari.
‘Modified Duty’ for Responders After Fatal NYC Arrest: Two EMTs and two paramedics were removed from the city’s emergency response system as questions mounted about the death of Eric Garner.
London’s Air Ambulance Performs World’s First Prehospital REBOA: Use of prehospital Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) to control hemorrhage in trauma patients was a groundbreaking move
Veteran Dies Waiting for Ambulance in N.M. VA Hospital: The veteran collapsed in an Albuquerque Veteran Affairs hospital cafeteria, just 500 yards from the emergency room.
August
Nurses Balking About Proposed Calif. Paramedicine Program: Nurses unions loudly objected, saying paramedics don’t have the training necessary to make home visits.
Tenn. Paramedics Under Investigation for Leaving Dying Patient: Paramedics apparently used the wrong procedure for evaluating the victim.
September
Revived with Narcan, Man Attacks W.Va. EMS Providers: The man was taken into custody about two hours later in Ohio
Enterovirus D68: What EMS Needs to Know: Identifying the proper PPE and type of precautions needed for EMS providers.
Twiage App Helps EMS Alert Hospitals: The app can send hospitals videos of patients and any injuries, voice memos with their symptoms and vital signs, and EKGs.
October
Feds Offer Ebola Guidance for EMS: Checklist highlighted key areas for EMS personnel to review in preparation for encountering and providing medical care to a person with Ebola.
AMR Develops EMS-Specific Resources for Ebola Response: Resources provided guidance to field crews regarding exposure control.
1st Ebola Patient Diagnosed in the U.S. Dies: Thomas Eric Duncan carried the deadly virus with him from his home in Liberia, though he showed no signs when he left for the United States.
Second Texas Healthcare Worker Tests Positive for Ebola: The worker at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital was monitoring herself for symptoms after assisting in the care of Thomas Eric Duncan.
ATF’s Tactical Medics Support Search for Eric Frein in Pennsylvania: Recent search operation for Eric Frein posed unique operational and medical challenges to ATF’s tactical medics.
CDC Issues Revised Ebola PPE Guidelines: New guidelines called for full-body garb and hoods that protect worker’s necks; rigorous rules for removal of equipment and disinfection of gloved hands; and more.
November
Four Pa. Ambulance Passengers Charged with Fraud: The U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia charged passengers with fraud for accepting kickbacks.
Dallas Hospital Settles With Family of Ebola Victim: The agreement headed off a lawsuit from relatives of Thomas Eric Duncan, who died Oct. 8 at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
EMS Chief Details Response to Unrest in Ferguson: The EMS response to the recent spate of violence was greatly aided by that planning process and the inclusion of additional personnel to handle events as they unfold.
Evacuations, 37 Treated After ‘Bizarre’ Chemical Explosion in Calif.: The chemical, an organic peroxide, was unlike anything Ventura County firefighters had ever seen before.
December
Stolen Md. Ambulance Involved in Deadly Collision: The ambulance came to rest on the driver’s side in a parking lot after striking a half-dozen vehicles.
Illinois Agency Debuts Concept Trucks: High-tech ambulances were rolled out, along with a new approach to advanced cardiac care.
2 Children, Adult Killed in Tenn. School Bus Crash: Three seriously injured people were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center and were in stable condition.
EMT Fearful After Being Bitten by Woman in Mass.: The EMT said that because of red tape he may not even find out what he was exposed to.
Taliban Storm School, Killing 126 in Pakistan: The overwhelming majority of the victims were students at the army public school, which has children and teenagers in grades 1–10.
