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This Week in EMS: A Recap for November 10 - 16, 2007
The spread of MRSA and other infectious diseases continued this week to garner increased national concern and media coverage.
This Thursday, the CDC announced that a mutated version of a common cold virus has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months. Adenoviruses usually cause respiratory infections that aren't considered lethal. According to the CDC, however, a new variant has caused at least 140 illnesses in New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas.
Health officials said the emerging illness remains uncommon and that it should not be a cause for alarm in the general public. However, the bug is of particular concern to military personnel and caregivers. For more on this visit CDC: New Respiratory Bug Turns Deadly.
The topic of infection control is also the cover feature of this month's EMS magazine, and EMSResponder.com has compiled a list of online resources, news coverage and the latest advice for EMS personnel, particularly relating to MRSA. Visit MRSA: Recommendations and Resources.
This week was an emotional one for many in the New York EMS community as a young EMT was laid to rest.
25-year-old Matthew Lamb died last week following a crash with the Empire State Ambulance Company. He was also a member of the Carmel Fire Department and Carmel Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and more than 1,000 people attended his Carmel funeral service.
For more about Matt read the following articles:
An emergency drill in San Jose, California resulted in some real panic this week when a pretend notice about the release of the pneumonic plague accidentally reached the hands of a non-profit agency, which then unwittingly issued an alert.
San Jose spokesman Tom Manheim said the phony fax was sent to someone who was a dispatcher for the drill, but that fax machine is also used by History San Jose. The mistake was corrected within about 25 minutes, but may serve as a lesson for organizers of future drills.
For more on this visit California Drill Snafu Stirs Concern.
EMSResponder.com Featured Column
EVOC-ing Safety: The ABCS of Emergency Driving
"The ABCS of emergency driving are as vital as the ABCs of patient care," writes EVOC instructor Tom Mannisto. "As critical as it is to maintain an open airway, adequate breathing and a pulse on your patient, just as critical is applying the emergency driving ABCS when a patient is being transported."
Click on the headline to read Tom's full article on Acceleration, Braking, Cornering/turning and Speed.
Industry News
Maryland EMS Official Honored by ACEP
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has honored a Maryland EMS official for his dedication.
Dr. Robert Bass said he was honored to be recognized by the group. He received the Outstanding Contributions to EMS Award during a conference in Seattle.
The executive director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) has been involved in EMS issues on many levels for more than three decades, and the Maryland EMS system has been recognized as a model by the Institute of Medicine.
Follow the link for more on this award.
New Webcam MD Technology May Ease ED Crowding
Wednesday November 14, 2007 saw the launch of Webcam MD, a site that will enable patients to have a live, visual, medical examination with a licensed physician over the Internet.
The technology aims to provide a solution for people who have trouble visiting a medical clinic in person, as well as to ease the burden on EDs by serving patients with non-emergencies.
To read more follow the link above, or to share your opinions on this concept visit the forums.
EMSResponder.com Featured Job
Communications Specialist & Ground Paramedic, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Atlanta Georgia
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is one of the leading pediatric healthcare systems in the country, and has been named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine as well as "One of Atlanta's Best Places to Work" by Atlanta Business Chronicle.
- The Communications Specialist details, coordinates and dispatches for air and ground transport calls, including administrative support to department. They provide direction and/or coordination of incoming patient transports and uses medical terminology, clinical knowledge and communication skills to coordinate and provide for timely and safe patient transport.
- The Ground Paramedic functions as a member of an interdisciplinary team to organize and provide quality patient care services under the supervision of a licensed professional. They provide designated clinical, administrative, and / or support services.
Click on the link above for additional information.
Visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs and our linked partner sites for additional EMS and related job listings. Also, watch for our expanded employment center coming soon on EMSResponder.com.
To submit an EMS related job listing e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
EMSResponder.com Hot Topics
Our EMS forum pages have been redesigned for your convenience. Check out the streamlined registration process, expanded discussion categories and improved appearance. Register for free at www.emsresponder.com/forums.
This week's hot topic:
A forum member asks, "It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that NYS EMT-Basics do not carry blood glucose meters on their ambulances... What is it like in your region? "
Click to read and contribute to this discussion. Or, find additional topics in the EMS Responder.com Forums.
EMSResponder.com Poll
Does your EMS agency have a written policy for disinfecting vehicles and equipment?
Visit the poll on the lower right side of EMSResponder.com to participate. For the results of previous polls visit www.EMSResponder.com/polls.
To submit a poll idea e-mail Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:
- French Responder Talks about Diana's Extrication
- FDNY Rejects Free EMS Motorcycles
- Not Looking Away From Tragedy; New Mexico Collision Haunts Rescuers, Offenders
- Pennsylvania EMT to Be Fired Under No Tolerance Policy
- Union: Fire Director 'Accosted' EMT at NJ Crash Scene
About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
