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This Week in EMS: Medevac Safety Upgrades...International EMS Systems...CPR Best Practices
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Report: Medevac Industry 'Resisting Upgrades'
The helicopter air ambulance industry is opposing several key safety upgrades sought by federal accident investigators even as a recent surge in crashes has killed 19 people since September.
Former Illinois Paramedic Sentenced to 50 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation
A former Coal City, Ill., paramedic who also coached youth soccer was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to 50 years in prison for sexually exploiting six boys and manufacturing child pornography.
Ariz. Responders Assist Aussie Colleagues in 9/11 Memorial Run
On Thurs., Aug. 12, 2010 at precisely 8:46 a.m. the "Tour of Duty Run" began at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, aiming to arrive in New York City on Sept. 11--4,600 miles and 31 days later.
The Corner Office: Practical Management for EMS Leaders
EMS Leadership Part 3: Intellectual Stimulation Transformational Leadership in EMS
Jerry Newman, EMS director for Bronco County, had just reviewed the county's response times for the last three months. There was definitely a problem that needed to be resolved, especially during the night shift. It was taking almost two minutes to respond to the initial dispatch and an additional five minutes for the ambulance team to get on the road. In a rural area, seven minutes was far too much time when most calls took on average 15 to 30 minutes to reach the patient from the station. Learn how intellectual stimulation leadership helped generate ideas that eventually resolved response times in this county.
EMS Training Center
The DIEMS (Database for International EMS Systems) Project is an attempt to create the most comprehensive international EMS database available on the Web. So far it contains information on systems in more than two dozen countries. Here its founder and president, Jason Friesen, BA, NREMT-P, a medic from Connecticut, explains the basics of the project and how interested readers can help it grow.
Industry Best Practices
Educating Your Community About Why Minutes Matter
The grassroots organization MINUTES MATTER is focused on educating residents in western North Carolina how to perform hands-only CPR, as well as how to recognize a stroke (utilizing ACT Fast) and the importance of call 9-1-1 promptly.
EMS Life
NAEMT uses it in its logo. You wear it as an EMS practitioner, and it designates your ambulance as an emergency vehicle. But what is the star of life, and how did it come to be such a strong and recognizable symbol for emergency medical services?
Reading Room
Author Interviews and Writing Advice
Don't miss our interview with Russ Reina, author of Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic...a healer's rebirth. Russ Reina experienced the early days--and it toughened him. His EMS life began as an ambulance attendant in the Big Apple borough of Queens in the early 1970s. He later grew to EMT and, through an early pilot program, MICU paramedic in Daytona Beach, FL. In 1978 he rode west to Santa Barbara, there cofounding the California Paramedics Association. He burned out on the politics, if not the work, and left the field in the mid 1980s. Against that medical/spiritual backdrop comes his self-published book, Moments in the Death of a Flesh Mechanic...a healer's rebirth.
Featured EMS Magazine Article: August 2010
EMS agencies need a variety of written policies to deal with the various operational and administrative issues that will certainly arise in their day-to-day operations. These policies will run the gamut from mutual aid issues to time/attendance, and should encompass events such as needlestick injuries, vehicle accidents and injuries in the line of duty.
Open Airways Podcast
"I was working an evening cruise, and of course it is not unusual when you have a dinner cruise to have not only food but lots of alcohol present on board. I was called for an approximately 45-year-old male who was admitting to at least a half-dozen alcoholic beverages..." EMS Magazine advisory board member and paramedic Mike Rubin describes how he cared for an intoxicated Swedish ex-con while working on a riverboat cruise.
Continuing Education
Hundreds of thousands of people have DNR orders, and most of them live independently and work and interact daily with society. These patients may become extremely sick from other causes, and it is important to remember they still have a large variety of treatment options available. Further, roughly a half-million U.S. patients are receiving hospice and palliative care benefits through Medicare and Medicaid.
This CE activity is approved by EMS Magazine, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), for 1.5 CEUs. After reading the article, take the CE test that accompanies this lesson at www.rapidce.com.
Business News
Medical Kit Designed to Bring Organization to Emergency Scenes
Paul Malaspina, MD, knows what can happen as an ambulance speeds around a curve while the paramedics try to treat the injured person inside. Lifesaving tools slide out of reach. Now the 54-year-old doctor wants to do more, by creating a new emergency medical kit that puts all of the instruments for emergency treatment of children in close, organized reach.
Featured Job
Critical Care Transport EMT/Paramedic, St. Vincent Health - Indianapolis, IN
Responsibilities include ensuring the safe transportation of critically ill or injured patients and providing assistance to the critical care transport team in the delivery of advanced life support interventions.
Click above for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings.
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This week we ask: Maryland police say a man routinely faked seizures to avoid paying his bills at restaurants. Have you ever treated someone you discovered or believed was faking an illness or injury?
Grant & Scholarship News & Resources
EMS Responder's Grant Resource Guide provides news, articles and resources relating to grant writing and fundraising for EMS and public safety agencies.
$2.15-Million Grant Provides Critical Ambulance Cardiac Resuscitation Equipment
North Carolina patients with a life-threatening illness or injury will have a better chance of survival through a $2.15-million grant awarded by The Duke Endowment to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. This grant will provide medical devices to EMS agencies and assist EMS professionals in rapidly identifying patients who are experiencing a life-threatening event, as well as provide vital information guiding the correct treatment.
Upcoming Events
Visit our Events Calendar to see what educational opportunities are in your area, plus post your own listings. Here are a selection of EMS upcoming training events:
- August 26-28: Vital Signs, New York City, NY
- September 7-12: NAEMSE Symposium, Schaumburg, IL
- September 27-October 1: EMS EXPO/NAEMT Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com
- La. Bank Robber Posed as Paramedic, FEMA Worker
- N.C. Parents Sue Paramedic, Drop Case Against EMS Agency
- Officials Say California Firefighters Photographed Dying Man
- Susan Boyle Picks NY Paramedic to Duet on Album
- 8 Dead, 12 Injured at Off-Road Truck Race in California Desert
- Iowa Paramedic's Account of Child's Death Challenged in Court
- New Intra-Nasal Cooling System May Improve Survival When Initiated Soon After Cardiac Arrest
- Mass. EMS Personnel to Testify in Certification Fraud Probe
- West Virginia Paramedic Shot While On Duty
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We Want to Hear From You
If you have a news lead or story idea you would like to submit to EMSResponder.com, please e-mail Nancy.Perry@cygnusb2b.com.
