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In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence is joined by Deputy Director Tracey Loscar from Mat-Su Borough EMS in Alaska. Together, they discuss the looming threat of Mount Spurr, a volcano located 75 miles west of Anchorage, which is currently showing signs of potential eruption. Loscar provides insights into disaster management and preparedness in a region where EMS operations are stretched across vast, remote territories. The conversation also touches on how to plan for the unexpected, especially in an environment with limited resources and harsh geographical challenges. This episode delves into the logistical challenges faced by EMS in the face of volcanic activity and offers critical lessons in disaster management. TIMELINE 00:22 – Rob Lawrence welcomes Deputy Director Tracey Loscar and sets the stage for a discussion on disaster management in Alaska 02:10 – Loscar gives a brief overview of Mat-Su Borough and its proximity to Mount Spurr 04:01 –Loscar discusses her transition from Newark, New Jersey, to Mat-Su Borough and the challenges of EMS in rural Alaska 06:00 – Lawrence and Loscar discuss the vast distances and limited resources available in the region 08:01 – Loscar explains the preparations for the potential ash fallout from Mount Spur, including messaging to the community and respiratory protection 10:04 – The conversation shifts to the nature of volcanic ash and the practical challenges it presents to infrastructure, vehicles and personal health 14:36 – Loscar shares lessons learned from previous seismic events, such as the 2018 earthquake, and emphasizes the importance of clear communication during disasters 17:06 – Lawrence and Loscar discuss EMS liaison roles and the need for better coordination between dispatch, EDs and field teams 18:01 – Loscar talks about the current status of the Mount Spur eruption, with no immediate risk but preparations ongoing, and discusses how Alaskans stay calm and prepared in the face of frequent natural events, from earthquakes to volcanic eruptions 20:03 – Loscar highlights the importance of including pets in emergency plans, emphasizing the need for respiratory protection for animals 21:00 – The role of pantyhose in volcano preparedness RATE AND REVIEW Enjoying the show? Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
EMS agencies are facing mounting challenges, from staffing shortages and rising operational costs to increasingly complex compliance requirements. However, advanced data systems and integrated technology offer solutions to these persistent issues. In this episode of Inside EMS, Clinical and Business Consultants Jason Bartholomai and Chuck Sweeney of ZOLL Data Systems discuss how robust EPCR systems and streamlined workflows can reduce inefficiencies, improve patient care and ease the burden on EMS teams. Here are top takeaways leaders can learn from this episode about overcoming today's EMS challenges. 1. Staffing shortages: Doing more with less Use technology to reduce workload inefficiencies and support field personnel. Staffing shortages are a top concern for EMS leaders nationwide. Long shifts, redundant documentation and poor integration between field and dispatch operations exacerbate the stress on paramedics. EPCR systems can alleviate some of these pressures by: Streamlining documentation with intuitive workflows that reduce time spent on reports Improving coordination between field crews, dispatchers and billing teams through integrated software solutions Enhancing employee satisfaction by minimizing administrative burdens and allowing more focus on patient care and recovery time By implementing systems that improve efficiency, EMS agencies can help retain personnel and maximize the output of limited resources. 2. Compliance made simpler: Staying ahead of standards Holistic software ecosystems can simplify compliance and improve data accuracy. Compliance with NEMSIS standards and other reporting requirements is growing increasingly complex. Leaders must ensure that their systems capture accurate data to meet clinical, operational and legal standards to: Prevent incomplete reports from moving forward Highlight missing critical fields, such as patient signatures or demographic data, which can stall reimbursement Provide real-time feedback for quality improvement (QA/QI) Integrating compliance directly into workflows ensures fewer errors and smoother billing cycles, saving agencies time and resources. 3. Faster reimbursement through smarter workflows Improving cash flow starts with high-quality data entry at the source. EMS leaders often overlook how documentation practices impact financial performance. Efficient EPCR systems improve clean claim rates by: Guiding paramedics to include all required information during documentation Automating processes like importing EKG results and demographic data Flagging incomplete or incorrect entries before claims are submitted By speeding up documentation and addressing gaps early, EMS agencies can ensure faster reimbursements and predictable cash flow. 4. Breaking down silos: Building an integrated ecosystem Aligning workflows across departments enhances efficiency and collaboration. EMS operations are not limited to field crews. Dispatchers, billers and managers play critical roles in delivering care and sustaining operations. Integrated systems ensure that: Dispatchers, paramedics and billers share a unified platform, fostering communication and reducing friction Teams are trained holistically to understand each other's roles and responsibilities Operational, clinical and financial data flow seamlessly across departments Such alignment reduces redundancies, boosts productivity and allows agencies to operate more effectively under tight constraints. 5. Preparing for legal challenges with better documentation Accurate, detailed reports protect EMS providers in legal scenarios. In EMS, thorough documentation is not just a requirement – it's a safeguard against legal liability. EPCR systems help paramedics document essential details clearly and accurately, reducing the risk of errors that could be exploited in court. Training crews to use these tools effectively ensures that charts provide a source of truth in any legal or compliance review. Final thoughts Jason Bartholomew summed it up best: “Doing something is better than doing nothing.” EMS agencies should start small, focusing on one area for improvement, such as data validation or staff training, before expanding into comprehensive ecosystem integration. Chuck Sweeney emphasized the importance of buy-in from all levels, noting that shared understanding and collaboration across departments are critical to long-term success. By adopting robust technology and fostering teamwork, EMS leaders can tackle the headaches of staffing shortages, compliance demands, and financial uncertainty – all while improving the quality of patient care. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors. About the sponsor ZOLL Data Systems' cloud-based solution suite of EMS and Fire solutions covers the scope of your operations, from dispatch to patient care, to incident and operational reporting, to billing. Learn how ZOLL software can help improve clinical, operational and financial performance of your organization at zolldata.com. Rate & Review the Inside EMS Podcast Catch a new episode of the Inside EMS podcast every Friday on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed. Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you'd like to join us as a guest.
The What Paramedics Want in 2024 report, produced by EMS1 and Fitch & Associates, found respondents to the 2024 EMS Trend Survey ranked leadership No. 4 in the critical issues facing EMS today (behind only retention, funding & reimbursement, and career development). In this episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson expose the unpleasant side of EMS leadership by naming the top 10 signs of a bad manager. From communication breakdowns to micromanagement nightmares, they explore what makes some managers, well … not so great, while dishing out hard truths about inconsistent leadership, the dangers of favoritism, and the importance of empathy. Want to know if your manager is part of the problem – or if you're on your way to becoming one? Check it out! TOP QUOTES "Communication is the language of leadership." “When you show no concern for the employees, for their interests, you have a breeding ground for developing a toxic work environment.” “The true measurement of workforce success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is – nothing else matters.” “You need to care about these people and love them a little bit, as well.” ABOUT THE SPONSOR Whether replacing radio reports, alerting specialty teams, or managing mass casualty incidents, Pulsara simplifies communication. Pulsara scales to meet your dynamic communication needs. From routine patient alerts to managing large-scale emergencies, every responder and clinician connects seamlessly. Familiar yet powerful, Pulsara streamlines your response, from routine transfers to regional disasters. One tool. Every day. Regardless of event. Discover more at Pulsara.com. REACH OUT Enjoying the show? Please contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or let us know if you'd like to join us as a guest.
“All of EMS is volunteerism.” This week, host Chris Cebollero is joined by industry advocate and EMS1 columnist Nancy Magee to discuss the current state of volunteerism in the profession. The conversation explores how leaders can balance the demands placed on volunteers with proper recognition, support and understanding, while also being responsive to the community's needs. Top quotes from the episode “Volunteering is its own reward. It really can help you in your head space, but you don't get that until you try it.” “People have to know that what they do made a difference. You're important to the agency. We need you and what you do every day, whether it's putting a little old lady back in her bed or recognizing that she's decompensating and not that she dropped the remote this time.” “It has to be understood by the community that EMS costs money. And you're getting a great bang for your buck if you have competent, local, readily available volunteers.” This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
Life as a Critical Care Paramedic Get an inside look into the life of Jonathan Lee, a Critical Care Paramedic on the Special Operations Team at Ornge in Toronto, Canada. With extensive experience in 911, critical care, aeromedical, and pediatric critical care transport, Jonathan offers a wealth of knowledge.
“Even after all these years of being in EMS, I still want to learn.” Flying solo this week, Chris Cebollero takes a note from EMS1 columnist Tim Nowak, walking listeners through his “11 keys to success for the rookie EMT.” Though directed at new EMTs, Cebollero makes the point that Nowak's list of advice is really poignant for anyone at any point in their EMS career. Listen to learn: The role ego plays on scene … and how to move past it How to test your quick-thinking reflexes and level-up The slow creep of complacency and how to avoid it Top quotes "When someone needs you and needs your ability and needs your knowledge and needs your skill, you don't need to be looking for the OB kit." "Never settle for the minimum, whether it's the standard of patient care, compassion, continuing education hours." “You are going to make mistakes. You need to learn from your mistakes. You need to make sure that you don't do those mistakes again.” This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
“When your communication is intuitive … that's what makes EMS an art for me.” This week, our cohosts discuss what makes a good EMT partner and a supportive paramedic mentor. The discussion was inspired by EMT-B Clay Gilman's recent EMS1 poem submission, “To my medic, from your EMT.” The conversation also touches on: The use of BLS intercepts in place of paramedic intercepts How empowering EMTs can provide staffing relief Why EMTs should be taught to think above all else This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.
In this week's episode of Inside EMS, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into situational awareness, and the complexities and challenges faced every day by EMS professionals. The discussion emphasizes the importance of staying alert and prepared in emergency situations, following Cooper's Colors – a model illustrating different states of awareness from "tuned out" to "comatose." This week's conversation touches on: The significance of situational awareness in EMS and how it can be the difference between life and death in emergency scenarios. Strategies for maintaining and improving situational awareness on the job, including practical applications of Cooper's Colors and mental preparation techniques. The psychological and emotional challenges of EMS work, offering insights into how EMS professionals navigate stress, uncertainty and the complexities of emergency response. Memorable quotes "I think that paramedics are great at ensuring the scene is safe. I think paramedics and EMTs are poor once we say the scene is safe ... we forget about what's going on." — Chris Cebollero "'Safe scenes' are what get EMTs killed because we don't go into unsafe scenes. It's the scene that we initially deemed safe that gets you killed because you don't see it coming." — Kelly Grayson About the sponsor This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com. EMS1 uses generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
The latest episode of the Inside EMS podcast features a conversation with Mic Gunderson, president of the EMS Quality Academy and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Paramedicine. The discussion offers insights into the evolution of EMS publications and the importance of quality and research in advancing the field. Memorable quotes "The people that most need to read current EMS research are the people most or least likely to read it." — Kelly Grayson “It isn't really the people that were sitting in the cubicle with the red pen, marking up, you know, paper charts you know, and playing quality cop in the corner that were going to change process and system design and fundamentally improve the quality of what we do. It's really about the whole way the organization is managed.” — Mic Gunderson Key takeaways The evolution of EMS publications. Gunderson detailed the journey from the inception of the National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA) to the creation of the International Journal of Paramedicine. Highlighting the shift from a quality manager's focus to a broader management perspective, the conversation underscored the journal's role in elevating EMS discussions through scholarly discourse. A platform for diverse discourse. The International Journal of Paramedicine aims to expand beyond clinical topics to include operations, administration and science, offering a wide lens on EMS practices. The challenge of engaging the frontline. A significant portion of the discussion revolved around engaging EMS practitioners in research and quality improvement. The podcast highlighted the need for accessible and relevant research to inform practice and encourage progressive changes in prehospital care. Community and collaboration. The podcast underscored the importance of community involvement in advancing EMS research and quality. Gunderson's call for volunteers and contributors to the journal reflects a commitment to inclusivity and collaboration within the EMS field. The episode serves as a reminder of the vital role of research, quality improvement and community collaboration in advancing EMS practices. About the sponsor This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
In this episode of the Inside EMS Podcast, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss Orange County, Florida's adoption of live stream technology for 911 calls, a move that promises to enhance the quality of emergency response through better triage and patient care. This episode of Inside EMS Podcast exemplifies the ongoing evolution of emergency medical services, marked by technological innovation, educational advancements, and the importance of leadership and community engagement in shaping the future of EMS. Learn more: Fla. county launches livestream option for 911 calls Cebollero and Grayson discussed how integrating video technology into 911 dispatch can improve EMS response in the following ways: Enhanced triage accuracy. Live streaming allows dispatchers to visually assess the situation, leading to more accurate triage and resource allocation. This visual context can be crucial in determining the urgency and nature of the response needed. By providing dispatchers with a live visual feed, EMS teams can be better prepared upon arrival, knowing what to expect and potentially improving patient outcomes. Supporting scene safety. Live streaming video in 911 dispatch can significantly improve scene safety for emergency medical personnel by providing real-time visuals of the incident site before their arrival. This advanced insight allows paramedics and EMTs to assess potential hazards, understand the severity of the situation, and prepare appropriate safety measures in advance. This technology empowers responders with crucial information, enabling them to make informed decisions about their approach and ensuring they can protect themselves effectively while delivering critical care. Improved dispatcher-patient interaction: The ability to see the caller and the scene in real-time enhances communication between dispatchers and those in need, fostering a more empathetic and effective exchange of information. Efficiency in emergency response. Visual cues obtained through live streaming can help in quickly identifying the nature of the emergency, potentially reducing response times and increasing the chances of a positive outcome. Enhanced training opportunities. Recorded live streams can serve as valuable training tools, offering real-life scenarios for emergency responders and dispatchers to learn from and improve their skills. Cross-agency collaboration. The integration of live streaming technology encourages collaboration between EMS, fire departments, police and other emergency services, enabling a more coordinated response to incidents. While enthusiastic about the potential of new technologies, Cebollero and Grayson also discussed the need for caution and the anticipation of unforeseen challenges, particularly concerning the privacy and security of live streamed 911 calls. Also in this episode Innovations in EMS. Chris Cebollero shared his new role with QuickMedic and their innovative approach to utilizing paramedics for urgent care in collaboration with healthcare partners, indicating a shift towards more versatile roles for EMS professionals. He emphasized the importance of leadership and vision in developing effective teams across multiple states. Education and training. Kelly Grayson shared experiences from teaching a new accelerated paramedic program, stressing the importance of rigorous standards and personalized feedback to ensure student success, highlighting the evolving educational methodologies in EMS training. About the sponsor This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Heart blocks present a significant challenge to EMTs and paramedics, demanding a high level of expertise and precision in both diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the nuances of different types of heart blocks is crucial for effective patient management. The ability to accurately recognize and differentiate between various heart blocks, such as bifascicular, trifascicular and other types, is not just a matter of academic understanding but a vital skill in the fast-paced environment of EMS. In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss how to train EMTs and paramedics to recognize, differentiate and treat heart blocks. Memorable quotes "Some of the drugs that we give are sometimes cause many problems as they solve." — Kelly Grayson "The best way to make an arrhythmia go away is to be prepared for the arrhythmia." — Kelly Grayson “One of the things that we're talking about here is pacing. And I don't think that that's two things that we do very well in EMS. Paramedics don't pace and paramedics don't cardiovert. And one of the things that you've got to be able to remember is when those patients need both.” — Chris Cebollero Key takeaways Understanding heart blocks, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve deep into the recognition and differentiation of heart blocks. Grayson emphasizes the challenge EMTs face in distinguishing between various heart blocks, such as bifascicular and trifascicular blocks, highlighting the need for thorough training and understanding. Treatment approaches. The podcast hosts discuss the traditional and contemporary treatment approaches to heart blocks, focusing on medications like atropine, lidocaine and procainamide. Grayson points out the delicate balance between treating the arrhythmia and avoiding exacerbating the patient's condition. Electrical therapy preference. Both hosts advocate for the use of electrical therapy ("the Edison medicine") in critical cases of arrhythmias. They stress the importance of pacing in cases of bradycardia and cardioversion in tachycardia, especially when the patient is hemodynamically unstable. Patient-centric care. A recurring theme is the importance of treating the patient, not just the monitor readings. This includes understanding when to apply treatments and recognizing when a wait-and-see approach might be more beneficial. Educational insights. Grayson shares his teaching methods, including the use of analogies and the "AV block cheat sheet" to simplify complex concepts for EMTs and paramedics in training. This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by LogRx. Learn a better way to track your narcotics at LogRx.com. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Critical insights into the implications of recent court rulings on EMS practice and patient care This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson delve into the complex and ever-evolving legal and ethical dimensions EMS. This episode comes in the wake of a significant court ruling in which two paramedics were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the Elijah McClain case. The hosts discuss this judgment's far-reaching implications for EMS professionals, emphasizing the heightened legal scrutiny and accountability now present in the field. Memorable quotes "More and more, we are starting to see prosecutors making examples of paramedics, EMTs, who are not doing the right thing, or them thinking they're not doing the right thing, and our peers are now starting to get connected with murder and manslaughter charges, and it's something that we have to be very, very cognizant of." — Chris Cebollero "I think that where this case went off the rails is that both paramedics involved forgot that they were first and foremost patient advocates and were acting as law enforcement." — Kelly Grayson "We're doing our job with ego and this isn't about you. This is about the people that call for our help, and we've got to break that habit, because our poor interactions with people are leading to those national calls when these folks die." — Chris Cebollero "What could be the worst day of somebody's life ... that's powerful, right? People forget what a privilege that is. But we have to be able to remember that our ego is not good for medicine." — Chris Cebollero "You should train and educate yourself enough that you're not in doubt very often, but you should be conservative and call someone for, for consultation. That's what medical control is for." — Kelly Grayson Key takeaways Cebollero and Grayson discussed the growing legal scrutiny faced by EMS professionals, with the following takeaways: Importance of accurate medication dosage. The conversation emphasized the criticality of correctly estimating a patient's weight for administering weight-based medications. Misjudgment in dosage, as seen in the McClain case, can lead to severe consequences. EMS education and training needs. The podcast underscored the need for continuous education and situational awareness among EMS practitioners. The hosts debated how such high-profile cases could influence EMS practices and potentially lead to overly cautious behavior, which might not always be in the patient's best interest. Cebollero and Grayson stress the necessity for precise patient assessment, a skill that goes beyond technical expertise to encompass a deep understanding of the patient's condition and needs. Their discussion points to a growing need for EMS education and training to adapt and address these challenges, ensuring that EMS practitioners are equipped to make informed decisions in high-stakes situations. Patient advocacy and interaction. Another key aspect of the conversation is the role of paramedics as patient advocates. The hosts argue that EMS professionals should prioritize their medical responsibilities over any perceived obligation to law enforcement. This episode critically examines the ethical considerations in EMS, particularly in scenarios involving mental health or police involvement. By sharing personal experiences and insights, Cebollero and Grayson highlight the delicate balance EMS providers must maintain between following protocol, ensuring patient safety and navigating complex legal landscapes. Read for more: The EMS system failed McClain and the justice system failed the paramedics] Rate and review the Inside EMS podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you'd like to join us as a guest. Catch a new episode every Friday on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, PodBean, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Spotify, and RSS feed. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. The first episode of Inside EMS in 2024, hosted by Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, offered valuable insights into what's needed to overcome the challenges for EMTs, paramedics and EMS agencies in the year ahead. Memorable quotes "We need to take charge and, and steer our profession, and generally we don't – as a profession, we tend to be reactive rather than proactive." — Kelly Grayson "We have to be worthy of [trust and respect]. And that's what we're trying to do here. So be better than the people you've seen." — Kelly Grayson "You don't let the people around you dictate your professionalism." — Chris Cebollero "Patient assessment is the most important skill a paramedic, EMT has." — Chris Cebollero Key takeaways 2024 EMS Trend Survey. The hosts highlighted the importance of the What Paramedics Want in 2024 annual EMS trend survey focusing on recruitment, retention, safety, health, wellness, technology adaptation and career development. [Insert Promo module linking directly to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024WPW-EMS1] Future of EMS system design. The podcast touched on the issues faced by volunteer and rural EMS agencies, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions and cooperation among various squads. The discussion focused on evolving EMS, particularly the potential shift from paramedic/EMT teams to dual EMT teams with paramedics in chase vehicles, to enhance the use of EMT capabilities. Advocating proactivity in EMS. Grayson stressed the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in shaping the EMS profession, especially in education and practice standards. Both cohosts underscored the importance of ongoing personal and professional development, advocating for a culture of continual learning and improvement in EMS. Enhancing education and professional standards. The conversation delved into the challenges of EMS education, particularly in teaching comprehensive patient assessment and encouraging paramedics to expect more of themselves. Grayson shared experiences from teaching paramedic classes, focusing on the need for instructors to balance high expectations with realistic goals for entry-level paramedics. The goal for 2024, as expressed by Grayson, is to produce a new wave of competent paramedics, challenging existing educational norms to improve overall EMS quality. Importance of patient assessment skills: The cohosts also emphasized the critical role of patient assessment in EMS, advocating for more thorough and continuous assessment throughout patient care. Read more. Rapid Response: Scene safety trumps patient care but does not replace duty The episode provided valuable insights into the current state and future directions of EMS, highlighting challenges and opportunities. These discussions are vital for EMTs and paramedics as they navigate their careers in 2024. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
Editor's note: This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis” is a documentary film exploring the world of EMTs and paramedics, the collapse of the EMS system, and what needs to be done to save it. Narrated by six-time Golden Globe and two-time Primetime Emmy award winning actress, Sarah Jessica Parker, “Honorable but Broken” raises awareness of the systemic collapse of EMS and advocates for change. In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence chats with producer Bryony Gilbey about the documentary that is now completed and available for streaming. Gilbey hopes the impactful, hard-hitting documentary will serve as a briefing and education tool for our elected officials and members of the general public. As Gilbey notes, “It's no good any longer just throwing up your hands and saying that's just the way EMS is; it's no good saying it's someone else's problem; it's something we all need to work on, as a civilized society we need to address this issue and we need to do it quickly.” The 60-minute documentary is now available on demand, streamed by Prodigy EMS and it is hoped that it will be used at local, state and national levels to bring attention to the issues we are facing. Top quotes from this episode “I expected to tell a story; I did not think that it would have quite this reaction” — Bryony Gilbey “We now all have not many degrees of separation to somebody who has had some sort of PTSD, who has had to leave the job because of the pressures of work and dare I say ultimately taken their lives and that is incredibly sad.” — Rob Lawrence “It all comes down to three words – all in favor – if we don't get the vote, we don't get the money, we don't get the change.” — Rob Lawrence Episode contents 00:48 – Documentary teaser 01:18 – Introduction/Bryony Gilbey 02:16 – The “Honorable but Broken” back story 05:46 – How did Gilbey view EMS and its issues 08:15 – The finished product and how can we view it 10:24 – A federal screening on Capitol Hill 11:30 – Reaction from elected officials 13:16 – John Mondello/emotional trauma 14:00 – Eileen Mondello – John's mother 15:25 – Reaction to Eileen Mondello – “It never gets easier' 17:00 – He wasn't the first, he isn't the only and sadly he won't be the last 22:00 – Other featured speakers in the documentary and their powerful messages 22:30 – Recruitment, retention and retirement 24:35 – What is the cost of a human life to a politician? 26:25 – Educating the legislators and the public 28:00 – The cost of readiness 29:05 – Reimbursement doesn't add up 31:00 – The hospital side of things – Beckers Review on Hospital closures and adding to ambulance and hospital deserts 31:30 – Call to action and the legislative agenda 35:30 – Sarah Jessica Parker 39:00 – How and where to view via Prodigy EMS 39:50 – Final thoughts About our guest With a prolific career spanning several decades, Bryony Gilbey is a seasoned director, producer and freelance writer/editor, distinguished for crafting compelling narratives across various media platforms. As the director/producer for the impactful EMS documentary, “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis,” Gilbey has showcased an unparalleled ability to guide projects from inception to completion. Gilbey previously worked with the Nexstar Media Group, Inc. as a freelance writer/editor. Here, she demonstrated versatility by producing feature pieces on health and lifestyle topics for Tribune Publishing and contributing to BestReviews.com. Gilbey also served as an associate producer at Mary Murphy & Co. from 2005 to 2012. During this period, she played a pivotal role in the production of the PBS American Masters documentary "Hey Boo," centered around Harper Lee. In the early 2000s, Bryony worked as a Producer/AP at ABC News Productions, where she produced documentaries on medical breakthroughs in neonatal care for Discovery Health. The foundation of Bryony's career was laid during her time as an associate producer at “60 Minutes,” CBS News, from 1995 to 2000. Working closely with producers and correspondents, she contributed to the creation of original news stories. Throughout her extensive and diverse career, Bryony Gilbey has consistently demonstrated a passion for storytelling, a keen journalistic instinct, and an unwavering commitment to delivering content that informs and resonates with audiences worldwide. Resources “Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis” NAEMT's Advocacy program AAA's Advocacy program RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and RSS feed.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this year's Inside EMS year-in-review episode, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, take a critical look at the major incidents that defined EMS in 2023. Together, they tackle: Paramedics behaving badly The episode begins with a focus on the troubling trend of subpar patient care and missteps. The hosts emphasize the importance of delivering compassionate and professional care on every call. They discuss the case in which EMS providers faced charges of first-degree murder after a patient died due to positional asphyxia, underscoring the need for accountability in the profession. Violence against providers Next, the hosts address the increasing incidents of violence against EMTs, including stabbings and assaults. They highlight the need for better safety measures and policies to protect EMS personnel. Criminalization of medical errors Shifting gears, the hosts delve into instances of medical errors, such as administering the wrong drug. They stress the critical importance of delivering high-quality patient care on every call, regardless of the nature of the complaint. Focus on CPR The discussion then turns to a dramatic moment in the NFL when Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a hit during a game. The hosts commend the quick response of athletic staff and paramedics, emphasizing the significance of well-executed resuscitation efforts. The demise of ET3 Finally, Chris and Kelly address the unexpected premature end of the ET3 model, a pilot program aimed at improving EMS care and reimbursement. The hosts express disappointment in CMS's decision and question the rationale behind it. In conclusion, this year-in-review podcast provides valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of the EMS field in the past year. It highlights the need for accountability, safety measures and ongoing efforts to improve patient care and EMS policies. Memorable quote: "Every single call that we run has to be done with the utmost dedication, commitment, professionalism, as if it was the last or maybe even the first EMS call we've ever run. Complacency is what kills there." EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. The American Ambulance Association recently held its annual AAA Stars of Life event in Washington, D.C. The American Ambulance Association's Stars of Life program celebrates the contributions of ambulance professionals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to their communities or the EMS profession. While in Washington, EMS One-Stop Host Rob Lawrence interviewed AAA President Randy Strozyk, on the aims and objectives of the stars program and the 2023 Legislator of the Year. Rob also spoke with AAA Medical Director Dr. Gerad Troutman, who is AAA's first medical director. Finally, Rob chats with AAA Immediate Past President, Shawn Baird, on the Federal Balanced Billing legislation and the role that AAA and others are playing in protecting both the patient and EMS agencies. Top quotes from this episode “Every provider is out to make a difference, but to actually be recognized for it, which you don't often get the opportunity to have, makes it that much more of an honor to be selected for something like this” — Paramedic Erica Brockman “AAA stars and hundreds of thousands of people like you are the beginning of the healing process. When somebody is hurt, somebody is wounded, somebody is scared, it is the EMT that first touches that patient and then begins to transport into the healthcare system when the rest of the healthcare system can then kick in to what it does, but it would not start unless it begins with you.” — Senator Bill Cassidy “Think about when Covid hit, at 0200 in the morning, we were the ones that came, we were the ones that had to deal with a whole new level of challenges, not only Covid, but we had to deal with the fact that people didn't want to go to the hospital, so we were providing levels of care, interfacing, making sure that people had connections. I see that as a bright future to how EMS will progress in the next decade” — AAA President Rany Strozyk “I'm really passionate about patients called 911 looking for solutions to a problem and that solution is not always an ambulance to take them to an emergency department, so we try to impact their care differently, especially lower acuity patients, because we now have all the technology and tools to treat them in place with our paramedics or EMTs on site of even treating them utilizing a navigation program from the 911 system, the PSAP and maybe get them to an urgent care or virtual care doctor, where they can be cared for right in their home. Patients love it and the best thing is it really puts the ‘E' back in EMS and allows us to save those emergent resources that need those most.” — Dr. Gerad Troutman, AAA medical director “We will be coming back to Congress with a recommendation that ground ambulance not be rolled into the No Surprises Act. That (if we were included) would be devastating to access for care.” — Shawn Baird, immediate past president, AAA Episode contents 00:21 – Opening: Erica Brockman 01:02 – Introduction: Rob Lawrence 01:36 – Randy Strozyk, president, American Ambulance Association 05:12 – Key areas of legislation for 2023/24 08:07 – Presentation of Legislator of the Year: Senator Bill Cassidy 11:00 – Dr. Gerad Troutman, AAA medical director 17:00 – Federal Balanced Billing Committee: Shawn Baird 18:35 – Summary and close Additional resources The full bios for all of the AAA Class of 2023 Stars of Life can be found here. Listen to next: Alexia Jobson, Dr. Peter Antevy, Brian Maloney, Doug Wolfberg and more join the EMS One-Stop podcast to discuss takeaways from the show About our guests Randy Strozyk brings to his leadership of the American Ambulance Association more than 34 years of experience in EMS operations and management. He has been part of the American Medical Response leadership team for 16 years, and currently serves as the company's executive vice president of operations. Strozyk earned his EMT/paramedic certification and worked on an ambulance while studying microbiology at Washington State University. He later earned an MBA from California State University. He has been heavily involved in the American Ambulance Association for nearly two decades and is the current president of the organization. Gerad Troutman, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS, is the national medical director for innovative practices at Global Medical Response. He is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas, and serves as a mentor to the Texas Tech Innovations Hub. He is a past president of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians and currently serves on the Governor's EMS & Trauma Advisory Council of Texas. Rate and review the EMS One-Stop podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of the Inside EMS podcast, the discussion centered on the practical application of leadership in EMS. The conversation highlighted the gap between commonly used leadership buzzwords and their real-world implementation. Key points Employee engagement and empowerment. The need for genuine engagement and empowerment in the workplace was stressed. Kelly Grayson shares an example of providing discounted meals for employees during hectic schedules as a concrete example of servant leadership. Leadership by buzzwords. Our cohosts raise concerns about leaders in EMS who rely on buzzwords without understanding their practical implications. They suggest many EMS leaders are caught up in an "ego vortex," focusing more on authority and titles rather than service and care. Personal leadership journey. Chris Cebollero shares his personal journey from being a "horrible leader" to understanding the essence of effective leadership. He emphasizes the importance of emotional control and viewing challenges as solutions. Systemic issue in EMS leadership. The discussion highlights a systemic problem in EMS leadership, pointing out the lack of formal training and understanding of the art and science of leadership. Our cohosts stress that success in leadership should be measured by the engagement, satisfaction and productivity of the workforce. The Peter Principle. The conversation touches on the Peter Principle, where individuals are promoted to their level of incompetence. They note often, leaders are not equipped with the necessary tools and training for their roles. Difference between managers and leaders. A distinction is made between managers and leaders. Managers are described as those who enforce policies and procedures, whereas leaders are seen as doing the right thing and then justifying it officially. Learn more: Visit the EMS Leader Playbook Memorable quotes: "The true measurement of leadership success is how engaged, satisfied and productive the workforce is. Nothing else matters." — Chris Cebollero "Leadership is both an art and a science. You've got to know and understand the science before you can paint the portrait of organizational success." — Chris Cebollero This episode underscores the need for a paradigm shift in EMS leadership, moving away from traditional authoritative styles to a more engaged, empathetic and service-oriented approach. Rate and review Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you'd like to join us as a guest. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss an incident that sparked fierce debate within the EMS community. The incident in question occurred on October 27, 2023, when a Washington, D.C., firefighter/EMT was dismissed for stopping at a Chick-fil-A before responding to an ALS call. The hosts discuss the ethical implications of this decision, emphasizing the duty to act in emergency services. Cebollero and Grayson, while acknowledging the challenging landscape of working in EMS, stressed that personal needs and comfort should never compromise the responsibility to respond to emergencies. They shared personal experiences of missing meals due to service calls. The hosts stress how the duty to act commitment to help others should always outweigh personal needs in emergency services. The discussion also centered on the commendable actions of D.C. Fire and EMS in addressing the incident. Grayson was firm in his belief that the action taken by the D.C. firefighter/EMT was unequivocally unethical and damaging to the public trust. The hosts underscored the importance of upholding the greatest standards of ethics and responsibility, even when not in the public eye. Memorable quotes "Ethics are how you behave when no one is looking. There's not a whole lot of gray area in ethical situations." — Kelly Grayson "The whole point of 911 and the honor of what we do is, you call, we come: no question." — Kelly Grayson "I can't count the number of times I have been waiting in line for food and I've been dispatched to a call. I've had to get out of line. I've had to lose my money. I didn't get a chance to eat that day." — Chris Cebollero "We have a duty to act. We have to be able to respond as we need to respond, regardless of our own personal needs." — Chris Cebollero Read next: Duty to act, assess, treat and transport. A legal refresher for EMS providers RATE AND REVIEW Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you'd like to join us as a guest. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss innovative approaches in EMS with guests Chief David Lewis and Kyle Gaines from the St. Charles County Ambulance District in Missouri. The district's unique approach to paramedicine, specifically in terms of substance use disorders, opioid use disorders and behavioral health, forms the crux of the conversation. Lewis shares how the escalating number of overdose cases necessitated a novel approach to community paramedicine. Starting as a passion project to save lives, the St. Charles County Mobile Integrated Healthcare Network was born from a need to tackle the overdose epidemic more effectively. Initially adopting a model from Ohio that involved paramedics, social workers and law enforcement officers responding to overdoses, they soon realized patients were reticent to engage when law enforcement was present. This led to the evolution of the program, with paramedics being specially trained to handle sensitive conversations, helping patients access treatment. Gaines discusses how educating their team members about addiction was instrumental in overcoming initial resistance to the program and ensuring its success. In the years since its inception, the program has grown and has proven to be effective, with about one in four patients they encounter eventually sitting in front of a treatment counselor. Read more: $1.5M grant allows SCCAD's expansion of substance abuse program RATE AND REVIEW Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you'd like to join us as a guest. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of Inside EMS, hosts Chris Cebollero Kelly Grayson delve into the intricacies of patient assessments in emergency medical situations. They dissect the value of thorough assessments versus focused evaluations, highlighting the critical role of differential diagnosis and the dire need for feedback in honing EMS skills. The duo debate whether a detailed head-to-toe assessment is always necessary or if a focused assessment based on the chief complaint suffices. Chris opines that a thorough examination provides a fuller picture, vital in cases where patients may not have seen a healthcare professional in years. Kelly, on the other hand, advocates for a focused approach, emphasizing efficiency and relevancy to the primary complaint, especially in high-pressure emergency scenarios. The dialogue unveils a significant challenge in EMS education and practice – the delineation between a medical and trauma assessment, and the traditional versus a more systems-based approach to patient evaluations. They both acknowledge that the nature and depth of assessments could vary based on the patient's ability to participate in the examination. One eye-opening anecdote from Chris revealed a situation where a misdiagnosis by a doctor led to a critical oversight in patient care, underscoring the importance of independent assessments and differential diagnosis in EMS practice. Chris shares a valuable lesson from this experience, emphasizing the need to "talk oneself into the diagnosis" rather than accepting a preliminary diagnosis at face value. Kelly also addressed a fundamental challenge in EMS – the lack of feedback, which stifles the opportunity for professionals to refine their assessment skills and knowledge base. He asks, "how difficult it is to improve the art of assessment and your skills if you don't get feedback?" The hosts encourage EMS professionals to share their insights and best practices, acknowledging the collective effort required to enhance patient assessment methodologies and ultimately, patient care. They wrap up the discussion with an invitation for listener feedback, fostering an ongoing dialogue to advance EMS practice. The episode serves as a catalyst for a broader conversation on patient assessment best practices, urging EMS practitioners to continually evaluate and refine their approach towards patient care, thereby enhancing the overall quality and efficacy of emergency medical services. RATE AND REVIEW Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Inside EMS team at theshow@ems1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback, or if you'd like to join us as a guest. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel at dawn during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah – with armed assailants breaching security barriers and a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza. The attack came 50 years and a day after Egyptian and Syrian forces launched an assault during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur in an effort to retrieve territory Israel had taken during a brief conflict in 1967. As the world has seen, terrorists entered Israel. Militants burst into houses, shooting residents begging for their lives and taking others – including women, children and the elderly – hostage, driving the terrified captives back into Gaza. Operating as part of the initial and ongoing response to the events unfolding in Israel is United Hatzalah, a network of more than 6,500 EMS volunteers, with a fleet of emergency medical vehicles, who in peacetime, are able to respond to more than 2,000 medical emergencies per day in an average response time of less than 3 minutes (and in major cities, often less than 90 seconds). Since October 7, United Hatzalah has been pushed to its absolute limits and has expended the majority of its disposable medical equipment. In this special edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence speaks with Dov Maisel, United Hatzalah's Vice President of Operations. Donate to support United Hatzalah's EMS response: United Hatzalah – Israel is at War | The Chesed Fund TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “We are a multi-faith organization, but we are an organization of human beings. What we've underwent here in the past week has nothing to do with human beings. This is barbaric. This is something that I've never witnessed. And I've been through terror waves here in my 30 years of EMS. I've seen buses blown up. I've seen suicide bombers in dozens. Nothing on this scale. This is something that Isis did, we all remember watching the videos of what ISIS did, years ago. This overcomes all of that.” — Dov Maisel “I would say that the amount of tourniquets that we put out in the first 36 hours was in the thousands ... thousands of tourniquets. We treated over 3,000 victims on the ground. The amount of tourniquets, bandages, chest seals, trachs, chest drains, needle applications, tubes that were put out in this first 36, 48 hours of operation is more than what we use, I would say in half a year.” — Dov Maisel “Our ground rule is in EMS, you don't enter a danger zone, but the volunteers getting on the radios with me, I was in HQ when it started, before I headed actually down to the field – they're calling and screaming for help … the IDF soldiers that started the defense process were understaffed and they had no capabilities to rescue the victims out from the scene. And our volunteers simply, I told them, ‘it's up to you. Literally, it's up to you;' and they all went in.” — Dov Maisel “There were so many, just try to wrap your thoughts around having 3, 4, 5, 10 gunshot wound patients thrown at you – at one or two medics with one ambulance. You can't pile them up one on top of another. You had volunteers going with their private cars, throw them in the backseats, literally with tourniquets on them. Imagine – tourniquets on all extremities, all extremities, needle in their chest, chest seals – thrown in the back seats of cars driven out two, three kilometers out to the ambulance crews that were waiting there that can treat them.” — Dov Maisel ABOUT OUR GUEST With 30 years of experience, Dov Maisel has dedicated his life to saving the lives of others. When Dov was just 9 years old, he was walking home from school when he witnessed a horrific accident in which a 6-year-old girl was hit by a bus. He decided he never wanted to be helpless when someone in his vicinity so desperately needed lifesaving treatment. By the age of 14, he began volunteering on an ambulance. Maisel has served as a combat paramedic in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in four different wars. After his army service, he began working as an EMT, dispatcher and driver for Israel's national ambulance service. During the 2000-2003 terror wave in Israel, Maisel personally responded to and managed EMS teams at thousands of terror attacks. Maisel is the inventor and developer of numerous medical devices, including a pocket BVM airway management device, which is used internationally in many armies, including the U.S. Military. In 2006, he was one of the founders of United Hatzalah, Israel's first all-volunteer EMS organization. He serves as the director of operations, managing national and international operations along with the Israeli police, IDF and Ministry of Health as well as other government bodies. He invented what is now United Hatzalah's Uber-like GPS-based dispatch system which locates and sends the EMT closest to the medical emergency. Maisel graduated from several NATO- and Red Cross-led international workshops on disaster management and led international relief missions in Haiti, Nepal, Mumbai and, most recently, in both Houston and Florida, after the devasting hurricanes, as the head of international operations of United Hatzalah. He continues to serve as a volunteer, instructor and mass casualty incident manager. He has received the Israel President's Award for volunteerism and sits on the International Editorial Board of JEMS Magazine. RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and RSS feed.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. This edition of EMS One-Stop was recorded in New Orleans at the 2023 EMS World Expo. Host Rob Lawrence is joined by a range of guests who discuss the sessions they presented and the latest developments in clinical medicine. Alexia Jobson, director of public relations at REMSA, discusses top tips for dealing with the media, and she then interviews media pre-con student Katherine Robillard. Peter Antevy, MD, describes his conference session, titled “Five protocol changes you're too afraid to make.” Brian Maloney of Plum EMS, in Pennsylvania, talks culture of safety, and lights and sirens reduction (and their results within the NEMSQA L&S reduction program). Doug Wolfberg, Esq., of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, steps in to discuss leadership lessons from the Beatles and his new book – "Beatles FAB but True." The episode concludes with veteran EMS podcasters Chris and Anne Monterra, who offer tips on the art of podcasting. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “‘No comment is a comment!' So you really want to avoid that as part of your media strategy and work to develop some transparent and honest information when those tough questions come.” — Alexia Jobson “Anything that you say to a reporter is considered on the record and can be used in a news story.” — Alexia Jobson “Top tips for going on camera: You want to make sure that they are knowledgeable about what they are going to be talking about, you want them to be a willing participant and able to re-frame and be positive about the content they are going to cover.” — Alexia Jobson “It's important for you to just spend a little time looking inside your organization, recognize those important stories that you want to share, and then make sure that you commit some time and resources to building those relationships with your audiences ... having that positive relationship in place will go a long way. And it's also important as a profession that we work together to kind of raise the profile of out of hospital healthcare and EMS.” — Alexia Jobson “Getting out the door, our shoot time is the No. 1 thing that can decrease our response times. It's not driving lights and sirens; it's not driving recklessly or speeding or not obeying the laws ... it's getting out that door quick from the time of dispatch to the time our truck's pulling out of the garage.” — Brian Maloney “When we first started looking at the use of lights and sirens during transport to the hospital, which is right there, that increases our chance of getting in a wreck threefold and so it's very dangerous. When we first started it, we were at 26% of the time using lights and sirens during transport; we're down to almost 2%, for transport to the hospital. For response to calls, we were about 46-48% of the time using lights and sirens; we're down to 7% of the time now.” — Brian Maloney “Antibiotics for sepsis, so a lot of people are fearful of giving antibiotics, and why? Because the hospital says we need to have a culture, a blood culture. Turns out that's not true. If the patient's hypotensive, they're fixing to die, as they say. And we in Palm Beach County can give the antibiotics within 12 minutes of the 911 call. And our own data shows that the hospital is giving antibiotics at 120 minutes. That's a 10-fold difference in that. So, antibiotics for sepsis are, I think, a major item.” — Dr. Peter Antevy “There's a story about how the Beatles had a drummer for a couple of years before Ringo. He wasn't quite the right fit for that band. He's a good drummer. But when they got Ringo in, they took off, right? So, in EMS, we tend to think if somebody has a pulse and a patch, let's hire them or let's bring them in. But we need the right people.” — Doug Wolfberg “Recognize your own limitations, I tell a story about how the Beatles sort of came on hard times when their manager died, but weren't quite wise enough to know what they didn't know. They thought ‘we can manage ourselves,' and so it's to also recognize your limitations and get the skills that you need, if you don't possess them yourself, with your team.” — Doug Wolfberg EPISODE CONTENTS 01:15 – Media management with Alexia Jobson (REMSA) 09:22 – Alexia Jobson interviews Katherine Robillard (LA Office of EMS) 11:37 – Brian Maloney (Plum EMS) talks culture of safety and lights and sirens reduction 20:15 – Dr. Peter Antevy on the five protocol changes you're too afraid to make 23:54 – Doug Wolfberg Esq. (Page, Wolfberg & Wirth) on leadership lessons from the Beatles 28:13 – Chris and Anne Monterra on the art of podcasting ABOUT OUR GUESTS Alexia Jobson REMSA Alexia Bratiotis Jobson is the director of public relations and serves the organization by expanding opportunities for engagement, promotion, communication and relationship-building. She has more than two decades of business and communications experience. Prior to joining REMSA Health, Alexia worked as a senior account director with KPS3, where she managed REMSA's client account, as well as accounts related to industrial real estate and higher education. She held communications-related positions with Renown Health and the Nevada Museum of Art. She holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). This certification asserts professional competence, high ethical standards and mastery of progressive public relations industry practices. She is a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno's Reynold's School of Journalism. She serves as the immediate past president of the board of directors for Western Industrial Nevada (WIN), Chair of the Public Relations Committee of AIMHI and chair of the American Ambulance Association Communications Committee. Dr. Peter Antevy Peter M. Antevy, MD. is a pediatric emergency medicine (EM) physician practicing in-hospital emergency medical care at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, a level I trauma and tertiary care center in South Florida. Board-certified in pediatrics, emergency medicine and the complex subspecialty of EMS, he is also the founder and chief medical officer of Handtevy – Pediatric Emergency Standards, Inc.; and he serves as the medical director for Davie Fire-Rescue, Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Rescue, Southwest Ranches Fire Rescue and United Medical Transport, all in South Florida. Dr. Antevy also serves as associate medical director for several other agencies, including Palm Beach County, Florida, and he is also the longstanding medical director for two highly regarded paramedic training programs as well as several mobile integrated healthcare (MIHC) programs in greater Broward County, Florida. Brian Maloney Brian Maloney has been working in EMS for over 24 years as a practitioner, educator and leader. His EMS career began while attending the University of Pittsburgh, where he obtained his paramedic certification and bachelor's degree in emergency medicine. Later, he continued his education and achieved his Master of Science degree from Carlow University. He has spent most of his career working in the field and had the opportunity to teach with the Center for Emergency Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, he is the director of operations of Plum EMS, where he has been for the past 5 years. His love and appreciation for the EMS profession run deep, and he continuously strives to help make it that much better. Doug Wolfberg, Esq. Doug Wolfberg has been a well-known national EMS leader for decades. He is an EMS attorney and consultant, and a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth. He has served as an EMS practitioner and has held positions at the county, regional, statewide and federal levels in his EMS career prior to becoming an attorney. He has written hundreds of articles and has been one of the most highly rated presenters at EMS conferences throughout the U.S. He earned his law degree magna cum laude from Widener University School of Law and holds an undergraduate degree from Penn State University. Doug also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Commonwealth Law School and as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Chris Montera Christopher Montera has more than 34 years of experience in paramedic services, public health, and the fire service. He is the director of State and Federal Programs for ESO and the former chief executive officer at Eagle County Health Service District and holds a master's degree in health leadership. Chris is serving as the National EMS Museum Treasurer for 2023. Anne Montera Anne Montera received a master's degree in health leadership from Western Governors University and a BSN from Bethel College. She has over 20 years of nursing experience in public health, labor and delivery, patient safety/quality improvement, and EMS coordination in urban and rural hospitals and community settings, including the use of telemedicine. In her previous role as the senior VP of quality for Ready Responders, she worked to research, develop and implement quality matrix to demonstrate program cost savings and health impact. She was also the executive director for the Central Mountains RETAC, supporting a 6-county EMS and trauma region in Colorado. She is the co-creator and public health partner for the first National Community Paramedic Pilot Program in rural Eagle, Colorado. She received the State of Colorado EMS Region of the year in 2019 and Colorado Nightingale Luminary Award for Innovation work on the Colorado community paramedic program in 2011. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Team-driven improvement in the use of lights and sirens – Plum EMS use cases demonstrate when the risk of using L&S is lower than the risk of delaying a lifesaving intervention RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Suicide is always preventable. If you are having thoughts of suicide or feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline immediately at 988. Counselors are also available to chat at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Remember: You deserve to be supported, and it is never too late to seek help. Speak with someone today. In this episode of Inside EMS, our cohosts, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson, are joined by Willie Doan, a paramedic and academy coordinator from Newcastle, Delaware, to discuss the rampant issues of stress, depression, burnout, substance abuse and suicide among first responders. A recovering alcoholic, Doan shares his story of addiction, beginning with his first drink at 14, acknowledging that he often drank more than his peers, but never recognized it as a problem. As he joined EMS and began witnessing distressing scenes as part of his job, he continued to drink, sometimes using his work as an excuse, whether it was to celebrate a successful resuscitation or to numb the pain of a bad call. Despite his dedication to his duty, Doan admits that his addiction worsened. He didn't acknowledge his alcohol problem until he was in rehab and was educated about how substance abuse affects the brain. His turning point came about 604 days ago, when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI, his second in 6 years. Waking up with no recollection of the event, he asked his mother, "What's wrong with me?" This moment marked the beginning of his journey to recovery. Throughout the discussion, Willie underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing addiction in high-stress professions like first responders. His story serves as a reminder that recovery is possible, and that seeking help is the first step towards overcoming addiction. EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors. Additional resources Addiction in EMS providers: Always see the human side Gordon Graham: First responders are not immune from the opioid crisis; here's what to know Self-care tips to recover from a traumatic EMS incident Healthy coping mechanisms: The most effective ways to combat stress The Code Green Campaign: Mental health resources for first responders
“Instead of responding to the majority of 999 calls we receive every day, we want to flip that so we only go to those patients who really, really need a double staffed paramedic emergency ambulance quickly.” This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. It's very clear that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have raised the profile of the country of Wales with their “Welcome to Wrexham” football (soccer) team and series, but one Welsh organization – the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS trust – has a vision and world class level of service delivery that should receive equal attention. In this audio and video edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, Host Rob Lawrence speaks with Professor Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service. As the 999 emergency system that serves over 3 million Welsh citizens emerges into a post-pandemic world, Jason describes service delivery, the training and education of its medics and the fact that it is a about to operate without a medical director – in itself a move that identifies that clinical and academic paramedicine has come of age. As Jason tells Rob, “We are transforming the way we deliver our service here in Wales, looking to tip the service model on its head essentially. Instead of responding to the majority of 999 calls we receive every day, we want to flip that so we only go to those patients who really, really need a double staffed paramedic emergency ambulance quickly … car crashes, broken legs, falls from height, cardiac arrest; and the rest we would service by the means of telephone or video advice, upstream with clinicians in our contact center or with advanced practice clinicians in the community.” TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE When a patient calls 999, “you could see a traditional road ambulance, but increasingly here in Wales and in other services across the UK, you could see a disposal which includes telephone or video triage and advice from our clinicians in our contact centers – they could be either nurses or paramedics … and we are closing now here in Wales about 15% of all of our emergency calls every day by way of telephone or video consultation without turning a wheel or sending an ambulance” — Jason Killens “If we do respond to the scene, it could be a traditional ambulance or increasingly it could be what we call an advanced paramedic practitioner, so that is an experienced paramedic, who has a degree, who has gone on to masters/education – those advanced paramedic practitioners with a master's degree, increasingly we are seeing a non-conveyance rate some 35-40% higher than a regular paramedic crew, so what that means is we are able to safely close episodes of care in the community and not respond with a double staffed ambulance/not convey the patient to the emergency department.” — Jason Killens “Fire Brigades and Departments in the UK aren't associated with medical response – It is the exception in the UK rather than the rule.” — Rob Lawrence “We are not transport organizations anymore, we do transport, but increasingly, we are providers of great clinical care in our communities … but we are looking to stretch and grow so we provide better outcomes for all patients here in Wales, and only convey them to the emergency department when we really need to and we think the solution to that is advance practice in communities with our own people.” — Jason Killens “We have just agreed with our board that when our medical director retires at the end of this year, we will not replace him. We will be the first ambulance service in the UK not to have a medical director on the governance board. Instead, here, we will have our senior clinician leadership provided by our executive director of paramedicine and we are the first ambulance service in the UK to have that role on the board. And we have taken that point of view simply because the paramedic profession has developed over the last two decades, to the point now where we believe we have sufficiently experienced senior clinicians in the paramedic workforce that are able to provide that senior level governance leadership, and direction for our clinical strategy. It is an important signal and message to our paramedic workforce that the glass ceiling is broken and paramedics to join us at 21/22 years old from university can absolutely see a pathway through to senior leadership, to a director on the board, and ultimately to jobs like mine as a paramedic if that's what they aspire to.” — Jason Killens EPISODE CONTENTS 1:10 – Introduction of Professor Jason Killens 3:30 – Recruiting Australian paramedics to work in London 4:30 – Explaining EMS organization and control in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales 8:30 – In the UK, healthcare is free at the point of delivery 11:30 – Geographical distribution of ambulance services in Wales 12:38 – The provision of helicopter emergency medical services (which are mostly charity based, relying on donations to operate) 14:30 – What happens when a citizen calls 999 – how call taking and response is organized 15:30 – Hear and treat and advanced paramedic practitioners 21:10 – The journey of continuous service improvement 23:00 – Paramedic degree and advanced degree education, and career pathways 27:49 – Co-responding agencies including police, fire, the military and citizen responders 29:59 – Future plans for the Welsh Ambulance Service 31:00 – Senior clinical leadership provided by paramedics and not a medical director 34:00 – Fantastic people doing fantastic stuff ABOUT OUR GUEST Professor Jason Killens has spent his career working in Ambulance Services in the UK and Australia. He progressed through the ranks in London Ambulance Service from an EMT to executive director of operations. He was appointed as the chief executive of the South Australia Ambulance Service in 2015 before joining the Welsh Ambulance Service as chief executive in September, 2018. He is an honorary professor at Swansea University's College of Human and Health Sciences, and the chief executive lead for operations at the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. About Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust (WAST) provides healthcare services for people across Wales, delivering high quality and patient-led clinical care, wherever and whenever needed Services include: The blue light emergency ambulance services: including call taking, remote clinical consultation, see-and-treat, and, if necessary, conveyance to an appropriate hospital or alternative treating facility. Non-emergency patient transport service: taking patients to and from hospital appointments, and transferring them between hospitals and treatment facilities. The 111 service: a free-to-call service which incorporates the NHSDW service and the call taking and first stage clinical triage for the out-of-hours GP service. The number was live throughout 2021/22 and the full service was rolled out in Betsi Cadwaladr, Cardiff and Vale University Health Boards in 2021/22, making the complete service universally available across Wales. WAST also supports community first responders, co-responders and uniformed responders to provide additional resources to respond to those most in need of help. During the pandemic, WAST provided the mobile PCR testing service for the whole of Wales. RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
Women who want a career in the fire service don't always have mentors. In this episode, Jennifer speaks to one such mentor and a fire service hopeful. The conversation covers everything from how women can and do contribute to the teams to maternity support.If you'd like to submit a question for an AMA episode, go to: www.teamprotego.com
Paramedic Amanda King shares her story of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail and overcoming EMS burnout This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. After realizing she was suffering from burnout, Paramedic Amanda King decided to leave her service and take on one of the most physically challenging trails in the United States. Amanda made a decision that changed how she saw people, how she viewed the world and how she understood herself. Three months after resigning, selling her house and storing her furniture, Amanda was dropped off in Georgia, alone, with one goal: to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. With her hiker home packed into a rucksack on her back, she embarked on a seven-and-a-half month epic adventure which saw her hike nearly 2,200 miles. She endured harsh weather, a regional drought, rugged terrain and so much more on a journey that evolved her in ways she could not have ever imagined. After deciding to return to EMS, Amanda chats with Rob Lawrence about her experience, the individuals she met along the way and how her experiences can be translated back into life as a medic. Amanda also reflects on her life before the trail and offers inspiration and takeaways for all. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “I think my biggest regret is, it's a very simple word. It's two letters long and it's the word ‘no!' Don't be afraid to say no. Take time for yourself, because you are the most important person. You know, if you're not happy and if you're not safe, how can you expect to keep other people happy and safe? I think that's the biggest thing, don't work so much overtime, don't inconvenience yourself to do all of these things that's asked of you, in return you're not taking care of yourself. So, one thing that I decided if I got back into EMS, is I would use my vacation time. So I'll put it to you this way. When I was at the former employer, I took a vacation maybe twice in 6 years or something like that, like an actual vacation. I've already taken two vacations since I started here at Novant, since November – so that's a huge difference.” “I don't want to say yes, a 7-month hike in the woods cured all my problems, because that's not at all the case. I think that it's an ongoing process that, once you reach that point of burnout, it's number one up to you. It's not up to anybody else to help you. It's up to you to help you. And you have to want that change. I think that it's an everyday thing. Every day I need to do things that keep me on that path of not going back down that road again.” “I think that was a symptom of the burnout where I was at, I had no patience whatsoever and it showed. It showed to my partner, it showed to family members that I would encounter on a call. And I hate to admit all that; it's embarrassing, but that's where I was, that was the point where I was at. I think now, after all that time off, and all that time to self-reflect, I think I'm more patient because I believe that I'm more empathetic, which is also something that I can't say that I possessed before I left.” EPISODE CONTENTS 02:29 – Introducing Amanda King 05:06 – Symptoms of burnout 07:16 – The moment you realize you are done 10:57 – Selling and putting everything in storage 13:23 – Hiking with friends 15:53 – Packing for a 2,000 mile walk 18:48 – Mental fortitude 22:47 – Trail angels 24:40 – Trail magic 26:32 – Becoming ‘moss' 29:49 – Hindsight is 20/20 31:16 – Keeping a journal 33:30 – Taking a zero: how to use down time 41:14 – 2,000 miles later … 48:05 – Developing patience 51:02 – Message to those heading into crisis or breakdown 54:13 – Contact details ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC Reignite EMS passion by banishing burnout (eBook) On-demand webinar: Navigating a path to career satisfaction 5 EMS tips for a work-life balance EMS Burnout Repair Kit: Reigniting your EMS passion ABOUT OUR GUEST Amanda King is a paramedic from the coast of North Carolina. Prior to joining EMS, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. During her first 10 years in EMS, she was promoted to field training officer, became an EMS instructor, developed a field training and evaluation program for her former agency, taught EMS classes for the local community college and earned a real estate license. She left EMS and thought she'd never return. Now, after becoming one of just over 1,000 people to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 2022, she has returned to EMS and now works for Novant Health Mobile Integrated Health. She is currently in graduate school to obtain a master's degree in public administration. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST Instagram LinkedIn RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Page, Wolfberg & Wirth was asked by the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) Technical Assistance Center (TAC) to research frequently asked questions related to data in EMS patient care reports. PW&W analyzed these questions under applicable laws and guidance, and developed general answers and best practices contained in the new publication, “Patient Care Report Data QuickGuide - FAQs on owning, amending, retaining and sharing patient care report data.” In this week's EMS One-Stop, available in both video and audio versions, Host Rob Lawrence speaks with the PW&W authors of the project, Ryan Stark, managing partner, and Steve Johnson, director of reimbursement consulting. They discuss the guide, why it's needed, and the major FAQs and misconceptions about PCRs. The guide is broken down into four key areas of FAQs: PCRs' legal status Amending PCRs PCR retention Transferring PCR data Top quotes from this episode “I would much rather defend an organization who regularly goes through a quality assurance process, whereby they make the provider and hold them responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the record.” — Ryan Stark “Others may say, we see a lot of amendments to your records. The answer is ‘yes, that's because we care about getting it right' – that's the mantra of our organization.” — Ryan Stark “One of the things behind the importance of documentation is that it doesn't live in a vacuum. We are in a day and age where it's going to follow the patient for their lifetime, so you may have a rehab facility that wants to consult the medical record to determine the mechanism of injury or how the injury occurred and the only person [that knows that] is the EMS practitioner.” — Ryan Stark “Long gone are the days where we can give you a quick ticket, passing along the information to the receiving facility. Now we are marrying up records, electronic health exchanges and other mechanisms and the genesis of all this starts with the original call.” — Steve Johnson “Everyone should sign the patient care report. Why? Because everyone was a function of providing that particular service and we get a lot of pushback and they say ‘well now I'm legally responsible for everything that happened,' and that's not what the law says. The law says, for what you did, you are responsible for what you did and what you didn't do when you had a legal duty to do something or withhold doing something because it was contraindicated. All that indicates is that yes, I reviewed it and to the best of my knowledge it's true and accurate.” — Ryan Stark “The law will impose liability where it lands. Just because you've signed that particular patient care report, doesn't mean you're responsible for all the interventions and everything that I outlined in there, it would be whoever performed or withheld those interventions that would be responsible within the scope of practice.” — Ryan Stark Episode contents 1:09 – Introductions 1:30 – PWW history 3:30 – Introducing the PCR Data QuickGuide 4:20 – The circle of life of a PCR 11:00 – NEMSIS data/research license and EMS by the numbers 13:20 – Who owns PCR data 15:50 – Signatures! And legal responsibility 17:40 – Accuracy of documentation to defend your actions 18:30 – Why does the driver have to sign? 20:00 – Amending PCRs: When and why 22:33 – Who do you tell if a record is amended? 24:30 – Can your state request you to amend your PCR? 27:30 – How long should we keep documents? 30:50 – When an agency closes down or merges 33:30 – Body-worn camera content 35:30 – Transferring paper records to digital 37:15 – Bi-directional data and HIE – responsibilities 40:00 – Final thoughts Additional resources The PCR Data QuickGuide is available now, and we encourage all EMS professionals to download their copies and gain a deeper understanding of PCR data best practices. To download the guide, please follow the link: About NEMSIS About Page, Wolfberg & Wirth About our guests Ryan Stark Ryan Stark is a managing partner with Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, and is the firm's resident “HIPAA guru.” He counsels clients on labor relations, privacy, security, reimbursement and other compliance matters affecting the ambulance industry. Ryan started in the healthcare field as a freshman in college, where he worked for a local hospital and a retail pharmacy. After college, he decided to become a lawyer, hoping to guide healthcare providers through the demanding legal issues they face. He has been with PW&W since 2007, fulfilling that ambition. Ryan is passionate about educating EMS professionals and loves collaborating with providers and CEOs alike. He is a featured speaker in PW&W seminars and webinars, including the firm's signature abc360 Conference, where he hosts the abc360 Game Show. Always enthusiastic, Ryan has been invited to speak at many state and regional EMS conferences, as well as national industry events. He is also an adjunct professor at Creighton University in the school's Master of Science in Emergency Medical Services Program. Ryan developed, and is the primary instructor for, the nation's first and only HIPAA certification for the ambulance industry – the Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer. He also co-authored PWW's widely used Ambulance Service Guide to HIPAA Compliance. Ryan volunteers with local community nonprofit organizations. He was also a big brother with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program for over a decade and keeps in touch with his “little.” Ryan also enjoys hiking, running, kayaking and traveling, and spending time with son Oliver. Steve Johnson Steve began his career in the EMS industry in 1985, gaining valuable experience while serving as an EMT and later as director of a municipal ambulance service in Minnesota. As an ambulance service manager, Steve established his expertise in areas of operations, billing and administration. Steve also has significant EMS educational experience. He established and served as training coordinator and lead instructor for a State Certified EMS Training Institution for EMTs and First Responders. Steve served on both the Rules Work Group and the EMS Advisory Council to the Minnesota State Department of Health. He joined the staff of a large, national billing and software company, where he was a frequent lecturer at national events and software user group programs. For over 7 years, Steve served as director of a national ambulance billing service and was responsible for all aspects of managing this company, including reimbursement, compliance and other activities for ambulance services throughout the nation. Steve served as founding executive director of the National Academy of Ambulance Coding (NAAC), overseeing all activities of the Academy, including the Certified Ambulance Coder program, the nation's only coding certification program specifically for ambulance billers and coders. As the director of reimbursement consulting with Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, Steve is involved in all facets of the firm's consulting practice. Steve works extensively on billing and reimbursement-related activities, performing billing audits and reviews, improving billing and collections processes, providing billing and coding training, conducting documentation training programs, and performing many other services for the firm's clients across the United States. Steve is also a licensed private pilot, and enjoys an active role in his church. Rate and review the EMS One-Stop podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. This edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast spotlights the popular online education series Reel Emergency, which uses real bodycam footage to illustrate various types of medical emergencies. The footage is then discussed in a live broadcast by very well-known emergency medicine physicians, Drs. Peter Antevy, Mark Piehl and David Spiro. Reel Emergency offers free continuing education credit on the day of the Prodigy EMS based broadcast (you must be in the live audience to receive CE) and is then made available via YouTube for all to view and use as part of their clinical education. Reel Emergency has now produced 15 episodes and has been viewed tens of thousands of times as both individuals and departments benefit from the content, the expert analysis and commentary, as well as subject matter expert guests. In this podcast, Rob Lawrence chats with Reel Emergency's regular host Hilary Gates, director of educational strategy for Prodigy EMS; and Zach Dunlap, clinical education specialist from 410 Medical. Zach also previously worked for an agency that pioneered the use of body-worn cameras in EMS and offers insight into their adoption and use. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “These real patient videos actually show what's happening on a call. Where else do you get that? You can't get that anywhere else and there's something to be said for doing scenarios and having standardized patients or mannikins, but nothing beats watching the actual call itself because you also have all of the other elements of the call that are really hard to recreate in the classroom. You have all of the emotions all of the bystanders, all of the equipment, the communication aspects you have to worry about, and you have real human reactions” — Hilary Gates “If you are an educator, and you are teaching a certain topic – anatomy, physiology, scene management, all operations, whatever it is – and there is a way to illustrate that, you should be required to illustrate it with a video – there's just no better way to do it.” — Hilary Gates “It should almost be a requirement at this point, the main reason people don't want body cameras in EMS is because it's grossly misunderstood.” — Zach Dunlap EPISODE CONTENTS 1:00 – Introductions 01:35 – REEL Emergency 02:20 – Everyone knows Drs. Spiro, Antevy and Piehl 4:00 – Using video for education 6:10 – Gaining free CE and watching on-demand 07:20 – Using body-worn cameras on the street 08:23 – Using BWCs for performance improvement 11:25 – Suggesting that BWC eventually become the standard of care 12:50 – Where does Reel emergency get its videos from? 14:00 – Filming the Falmouth Road Race and heat emergencies 15:20 – How to view Reel Emergency? ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC Current Reel Emergency topics include sessions on HP CPR, heat emergencies, peds emergencies, junctional hemorrhage, ped airways, anaphylaxis, intracranial emergencies, delirium, end of life care, GSWs and altered mental status. Following are additional resources on incorporating body-worn cameras: Promoting transparency and accountability with BWCs Three outdated paradigms holding EMS back Leadership's role in keeping our workforce safe How to buy body-worn cameras (eBook) ABOUT OUR GUESTS Zach Dunlap began his EMS career as a paramedic in Amarillo, Texas. After working in Oklahoma City, he returned to the Texas panhandle, where he worked as a flight paramedic for several years. Zach now resides in Houston, and has served as a flight paramedic and clinical director for a progressive 911 system. Currently, he is a clinical education specialist for a national medical company educating and training clinicians across the country on volume resuscitation. Zach obtained his bachelor's in emergency health sciences and has always focused on providing excellent patient care through innovative approaches. Zach enjoys sports and spending time with his two children, Brogan and Brynlee, and their Goldendoodle, Claire. Zach is also the assistant treasurer of the Board of Commissioners of Harris County ESD11 in northern Houston. Hilary Gates, MAEd, NRP, is the director of educational strategy for Prodigy EMS and a volunteer paramedic in the Alexandria (Virginia) Fire Department. She is also a faculty member of the School of Education at American University in Washington, D.C., and teaches Introduction to Community Health in the EM Program at University of Pittsburgh. Beginning her career as a volunteer EMT with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad in Montgomery County, Maryland, Hilary became a full-time paramedic, EMT instructor and FTO at AFD, and then served as senior editorial and program director for EMS World. She implemented AFD's MIH/CP program in 2017 and has extensive experience as an EMS educator, symposium presenter and quality improvement trainer. ABOUT THE REEL EMERGENCY PANEL Dr. David Spiro is a pediatric emergency physician and professor at University of Arkansas Medical System, and he is chief medical officer of Reel Dx. Dr. Peter Antevy is a nationally recognized lecturer and expert in the field of prehospital pediatrics and cofounder of Handtevy Pediatric Emergency Standards. He currently serves as the EMS medical director for multiple fire and rescue departments in Florida. Dr. Mark Piehl is a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric intensivist at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, and co-founder of 410 Medical. CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS Hilary Gates: Linkedin Twitter Zach Dunlap: Linkedin Twitter RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Ginny Renkiewicz, PhD, is an assistant professor of healthcare administration in the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at Methodist University, Fayetteville North Carolina. Dr. Renkiewicz has been involved in EMS for 21 years as a credentialed paramedic, administrator and leader. Her specific research interests include defining predictors and profiling traumatic stress syndromes in EMS personnel and she recently had two papers published in the U.K. and U.S. on subjects related to her research interests. In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence and Dr. Renkiewicz discuss her publications, “Secondary trauma response in emergency services systems (STRESS) project: quantifying and predicting vicarious trauma in emergency medical services personnel,” which discusses the emotional countertransference that occurs between the clinician and patient, and “Maladaptive Cognitions in EMS Professionals as a Function of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which analyses how the coronavirus disease pandemic has profoundly affected EMS professionals. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “I don't think we will ever go back to normal; this is kind of like 911. There was before 9/11, and there was after 9/11, and this is going to be before COVID, and after COVID.” “Vicarious trauma is emotional counter, transference; essentially, you are feeling what the patient feels when they're experiencing a traumatic event. Example being, if you had a call, for example, a stillbirth, you may for the following weeks or months have this weird aversion to children or things in which infants are involved and you may have a stress response to those situations in the same way that the patient would have.” “Post traumatic stress injury is not the only stress disorder that exists out there. It is the one that I think most frequently cited by educators and administrators, because we don't know all of the other more insidious stress disorders, of which vicarious trauma is one.” “A predictor of having vicarious trauma as an EMS professional; my hypothesis is that if your parents or whomever your caregivers are do not teach you how to appropriately and emotionally cope with anything in any situation, it becomes very difficult for you to know how to do it properly in your adult life and so you overcompensate, and so vicarious trauma occurs in that population.” EPISODE CONTENTS 1:12 – Introduction: Dr. Ginny Renkiewicz 1:55 – Ginny's academic career 3:00 – The development of research on EMS 4:50 – Paper discussion – secondary trauma response 09:00 – Education on stress disorders 11:24 – Therapy dog program 12:30 – Next steps/further work on resilience training 1530 – Maladaptive cognitions 17:20 – Getting published in the SOM Journal 19:00 – Learning, conclusions and takeaways 23:00 – The new normal 24:18 – Call to action for leaders 26:13 – NHTSA Listening Group on wellness, resilience and peer support programs 27:30 – Getting involved in research 31:00 – NAEMT Lighthouse leadership program ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC Secondary trauma response in emergency services systems (STRESS) project: quantifying and predicting vicarious trauma in emergency medical services personnel “Maladaptive Cognitions in EMS Professionals as a Function of the COVID-19 Pandemic” ABOUT OUR GUEST Dr. Ginny Renkiewicz is an assistant professor of healthcare administration in the College of Health Sciences and Human Services Methodist University, Fayetteville, North Carolina. She has been involved in EMS for 21 years as a credentialed paramedic and Level II paramedic instructor. She has spent 17 years as a program director, division chair or department head and has been recognized for her contribution to the EMS profession as a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Medical Services (FAEMS) through the National Association of EMS Physicians. She has won several national and international awards, including National EMS Educator of the Year and the global EMS10 Award for innovation in the field of EMS. She holds an Associate of Applied Science in Sign Language Interpreting degree from Wilson Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Care with a concentration in EMS management and a Master of Health Science in EMS education (both from Western Carolina University), and a Ph.D. in Health Science with a concentration in Respiratory Care from Rush University. Dr. Renkiewicz is a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals; serves as executive director of the Foundation for Prehospital Medicine Research; and is enthusiastic about research, innovation and student mentoring. She is also the vice chair of the North Carolina Association of EMS Educators. Her specific research interests include defining predictors and profiling traumatic stress syndromes in EMS personnel. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST Email: drginnyrenkiewicz@outlook.com Twitter: @DrKrankyPants LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ginnyrenkiewicz RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) on Jan. 31, 2020, and was extended a number of times, but it is now set to expire on May 11, 2023. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence is joined by Doug Wolfberg, Esq., of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth to discuss the immediate actions organizations should take (or should have already taken) to preserve documentation relating to the PHE, as well as adjust operational and documentation practices and procedures as we “return to normal.” Rob and Doug discuss issues such as rule changes that have become normal operating procedures over the last 2 years and the need to build a time capsule to preserve evidence. They also cover patient signatures, telehealth changes, transport to alternate destinations, agency licensing and Physician Certification Statements. Doug, a lifelong Beatles music fan, also shares that he has just published a book: “The Beatles: Fab but True: Remarkable Stories Revealed” and will be undertaking a book signing tour in the UK later in the year. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE At the end of the PHE, “We revert back to the standard inflexible Medicare signature rules which means that the patient needs to be the signer, and the only time that you can get a signature from anyone else is if that patient is physically or mentally incapable of signing that statement.” EPISODE CONTENTS 1:12 – End of the PHE announced 2:00 – Rule changes have become normal operating procedures 2:20 – The need to build a time capsule to preserve evidence 4:30 – Big change ticket item number one – patient signatures 6:40 – A reminder to establish the reason the patient is unable to sign a PCR 7:20 – Telehealth changes 10:00 – Transport to alternative destination coverage ends (but place your pandemic local clinical guidance in your time capsule now!) 13:07 – ET3 – not affected and is separate 15:24 – Doug and the Beatles 17:52 – Ambulance staffing waver also going away 18:55 – Agency licensing back into full force – no more grace periods 21:12 – Physician Certification Statements (PCS) – do not cut corners on your PCS signatures 22:15 – Leaders pay attention to this podcast ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Doug's new book: “The Beatles: Fab but True: Remarkable Stories Revealed” ABOUT OUR GUEST Doug Wolfberg is a founding partner of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, and one of the best-known EMS attorneys and consultants in the United States. Widely regarded as the nation's leading EMS law firm, PWW represents private, public and non-profit EMS organizations, as well as billing companies, software manufacturers and others that serve the nation's ambulance industry. Doug answered his first ambulance call in 1978 and has been involved in EMS ever since. Doug became an EMT at age 16, and worked as an EMS provider in numerous volunteer and paid systems over the decades. Doug also served as an EMS educator and instructor for many years. After earning his undergraduate degree in Health Planning and Administration from Pennsylvania State University in 1987, Doug went to work as a county EMS director. He then became the director of a three-county regional EMS agency based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He then moved on to work for several years on the staff of the state EMS council. In 1993, Doug went to the nation's capital to work at the United States Department of Health and Human Services, where he worked on federal EMS and trauma care issues. Doug left HHS to attend law school, and in 1996 graduated magna cum laude from Widener University School of Law. After practicing for several years as a litigator and healthcare attorney in a large Philadelphia-based law firm, Doug co-founded PWW in 2000 along with Steve Wirth and the late James O. Page. As an attorney, Doug is a member of the Pennsylvania and New York Bar Associations, and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court as well as numerous Federal and state courts. He also teaches EMS law at the University of Pittsburgh, and teaches health law at the Widener University School of Law, where he is also a member of the school's Board of Overseers. Doug is a known as an engaging and humorous public speaker at EMS conferences throughout the United States. He is also a prolific author, having written books, articles and columns in many of the industry's leading publications, and has been interviewed by national media outlets including National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal on EMS issues. Doug is a Certified Ambulance Coder (CAC) and a founder of the National Academy of Ambulance Coding (NAAC). Doug also served as a commissioner of the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). In his free time, Doug is an avid bicyclist and musician. CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST Website: www.pwwemslaw.com Email: www.pwwemslaw.com/contact# Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-wolfberg-099ab236 RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
EMS One-Stop Show Notes - National EMS Museum This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence discusses the National EMS Museum (NEMSM) with President Dave Zaiman; Museum Director, Kristy Van Hoven; and Jon Krohmer, MD, immediate past-secretary and "We are EMS" coordinator. The National EMS Museum is a volunteer-led organization that collects, preserves and shares the history of emergency medical response in the United States in hopes of inspiring future professionals to take up the call. The National EMS Museum organization operates a virtual museum and produces traveling exhibitions that tour the country every year. The Collections at the National EMS Museum house over 300 years of history that cover the development of prehospital care in the United States, North America and around the world. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “We are here to educate the future. We are here not only to document the legacy, but here to provide a foundation and an education that EMS as a profession, as we move forward is respected, is understood, and maybe in a small part this museum can play a part in improving EMS altogether.” EPISODE CONTENTS 03:05 – Origins of the NEMSM 05:04 – The style and model of the NEMSM 07:00 – Changes underway – recruiting individuals with experience in museum activities 11:50 – President Dave Zaiman 13:20 – Getting EMS into the community 15:00 – Favorite artifacts 16:30 – From MAST pants to blood transfusion 17:20 – Fundraising effort in order to take the museum on the road 20:30 – Developing a traveling mobile “We are EMS” museum project 23:40 – How to book a traveling exhibit ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC The National EMS Museum California Ambulance Association Siren special edition: Fifty Years of Wedworth-Townsend ABOUT OUR GUESTS Dave Zaiman Dave is currently Sales VP - Midwest at Pulsara. For over 30 years, Dave has been working in healthcare – both as an EMS professional as well as holding several leadership roles in the healthcare technology industry. Based in Minnesota, Dave spent his first 15 years working in the field as an EMT and paramedic in the Twin Cities metro area for both Allina and Hennepin County Medical Center. Kristy Van Hoven Kristy is the museum director for the National EMS Museum and PhD candidate at the University of Leicester. Over the last 3 years, Kristy has worked with the National EMS Museum's Board of Trustees to develop and implement engaging e-volunteer opportunities and community programs that reach their digital audience. In addition to her work with the EMS Museum, Kristy volunteers at several local museums in Toronto, Ontario. Jon Krohmer, MD Dr. Krohmer served as the director of the NHTSA Office of EMS before his retirement in November 2021. During his tenure as director, Dr. Krohmer oversaw several milestones for the profession, including the creation of EMS Agenda 2050; major revisions to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model and the National EMS Education Standards; and improvements in the collection and use of EMS data through the expansion of the National EMS Information System. Soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Krohmer was tapped to lead the prehospital/911 team as part of the Federal Healthcare Resilience Task Force. Prior to joining NHTSA, Dr. Krohmer had decades of experience as a local EMS medical director, initially in his home state of Michigan. His EMS career began as an EMT with a volunteer rescue squad. Like many EMS professionals, he was inspired by the television show “Emergency!” and by the emergence of the relatively new field of emergency medicine. He entered medical school at the University of Michigan knowing he wanted to make EMS his career. After becoming involved in EMS at the state and national level, he also served as president of the National Association of EMS Physicians from 1998 to 2000. In 2006, he came to Washington to serve as the first deputy chief medical officer for the Department of Homeland Security Office of Health Affairs and served in several other DHS roles before joining NHTSA in 2016. RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. This week, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes back, Alexander Isakov, MD, MPH, professor of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, executive director of the Emory Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR), and EMS lead for the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC). Returning guest, Dr. Isakov provides an update on the current emerging pathogens, diseases, outbreaks and fevers that have featured recently in the news. Candida auris, Marburg virus disease, avian influenza, Nipah virus are discussed as well as recaps on Ebola, COVID-19, polio and seasonal influenza. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “What's concerning CDC officials and experts is there is a multi-drug resistant strain of Candida auris that is really picking up in their surveillance programs.” “While no one wants to be exposed to a multi-drug-resistant Candida auris, it's really the ominous compromised patient that's going to be likely most affected by it, so that means elderly patients or patients that are getting chemotherapy and have some immunosuppression consequence of that or people that are taking immunosuppressant drugs, they are the ones really at greatest risk.” “The likelihood that EMS personnel are going to encounter somebody with Marburg virus disease in the U.S. during routine operations is extremely low, but good to be vigilant about it and identifying that someone might have been exposed, and understanding their travel history, if someone is ill, has a fever or myalgia, GI complaints and has travelled within the last 21 days to equatorial Guinea or Tanzania, then it would raise suspicion.” ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC CDC: Infection prevention and control for Candida auris CDC: Information for infection preventionists NETEC: Situation report: Marburg cases rise in equatorial Guinea and Tanzania NETEC: EMS guidelines for Marburg virus disease ABOUT OUR GUEST Alexander Isakov, MD, MPH, is a professor of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in both emergency medicine and emergency medical services (EMS). Dr. Isakov is the director of the Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine whose faculty provides medical oversight for 911 communications centers, and ground and air EMS responders in metropolitan Atlanta. He is also the executive director of the Emory Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR), which serves as the center for Emory enterprise-wide planning for and coordinated response to catastrophic events. Dr. Isakov has provided leadership in emergency medical services and disaster preparedness locally and nationally. He serves as the medical director for the Sandy Springs Fire Department and Air Life Georgia. He is the founding medical director for the Emory-Grady EMS Biosafety Transport Program. He is the EMS lead for the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) and is a designated Subject Matter Expert for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE). Dr. Isakov is also on the American College of Emergency Physicians Epidemic Expert Panel and is a member of the EMS sub-board for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He previously served on the National Association of EMS Physicians board of directors and the Technical Expert Panel for NHTSA's EMS Agenda 2050. Dr. Isakov has an MD from the University of Pittsburgh and an MPH from Boston University. He completed his emergency medicine residency training at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and his EMS fellowship with Boston EMS. Dr. Isakov has lived and worked in Atlanta for 20 years. He practices clinically in the emergency department of Emory University Hospital. RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
A new editorial paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on March 21, 2023, entitled, “Impact of cortactin in cancer progression on Wnt5a/ROR1 signaling pathway.” In this editorial, researchers Kamrul Hasan and Thomas J. Kipps from the University of California discuss cortactin—an intracellular cytoskeletal protein that can undergo tyrosine phosphorylation upon external stimulation and promote polymerization and the assembly of the actin filament that is required for cell migration. Upon stimulation, cortactin binds and activates actin related protein Arp2/3 complex, a de novo actin nucleator that can induce F (filamentous)-actin polymerization [1, 2]. Cortactin (also known as EMS1 or CTTN) is expressed broadly in a variety of cancers, for which it plays an apparent role in cellular protrusions, which include lamellipodia and filopodia formation to promote migration and metastasis. Moreover, cortactin is expressed in (i) primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and primary breast-cancer cells, (ii) at least 15% of metastatic breast carcinomas, and (iii) CLL or breast-cancer cell-lines [3, 4]. In structure, cortactin contains a SH3 domain that allows it to bind characteristic motifs (-P-X-X-P-), which can be found in the proline-rich-domains (PRD) of other proteins, including receptor-tyrosine-kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) [1, 3, 4]. “We have found (as have other investigators) that ROR1 is expressed by a variety of human cancers, which include CLL and breast cancer, suggesting that ROR1 may play a role in cancer pathogenesis [3–5].” Editorial paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28386 Correspondence to: Thomas J. Kipps - tkipps@ucsd.edu Keywords: cortactin, Wnt5a, ROR1, migration, metastasis Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ About Oncotarget Oncotarget is a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal. Papers are published continuously within yearly volumes in their final and complete form, and then quickly released to Pubmed. On September 15, 2022, Oncotarget was accepted again for indexing by MEDLINE. Oncotarget is now indexed by Medline/PubMed and PMC/PubMed. To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/oncotarget Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Media Contact MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM 18009220957
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Russ Myers, Nikki Holm and Gwen Powell are chaplains at Allina Health Emergency Medical Services and in this episode, they join Rob Lawrence to discuss the role of chaplaincy in EMS. The guests discuss their role and responsibilities as well as the book, “Because We Care: A Handbook for Chaplaincy in Emergency Medical Services,” written by Russ Myers. Over the past half century, the field of chaplaincy has come to a fork in the road. Many will recognize the well-traveled path of traditional chaplaincy. Others will follow the newer but clearly marked way to professional chaplaincy: a clinically trained, evidence-based discipline, reflecting and serving the diverse expressions of spirituality in modern society. Until now, chaplaincy in EMS has been the terra incognita, the unknown land on the map. Drawing on three decades of clinical chaplaincy practice, scholarship and original research, Russell Myers charts the map, making the case for ambulance service chaplaincy: how to think about it and how to do it. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “For me it's all about love, how can I bring some light, some life, some love into the world, and I am able to do that in these situations by just showing up as we call in chaplaincy – the ministry of presence.” —Gwen Powell “I do this work is to come alongside people and remind them of their humanity to help them break down their defenses and their shields to get back to the truth of who they are, to help them be seen and heard and taken care of.” —Nikki Holm EPISODE CONTENTS 1:23 – Introduction Russ Myers 2:43 – Introduction Nikki Holm 4:00 – Introduction Gwen 7:35 – Book discussion: Because We Care – The Role of the Chaplaincy in Emergency Services 11:20 – Terra Incognita 12:30 – What motivates a chaplain? 15:30 – A chaplaincy intervention story 20:15 – A chaplain's workload 23:00 – Being Proactive: Establishing a trusting relationship with the workforce 23:30 – Being Reactive: when an incident or issue occurs 30:15 – Education and being a presence during training 34:58 – If you are thinking about introducing g a chaplain 36:30 – Moral Injury and the social contract 40:40 – Overcoming the staff stigma about coming forward 42:00 – Close ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC “Because We Care: A Handbook for Chaplaincy in Emergency Medical Services” When EMS meets hospice. End-of-life care takes a heavy emotional toll: Seek support when needed ABOUT OUR GUESTS Russell Myers serves as a chaplain for Allina Health Emergency Medical Services, based in Minneapolis. He holds a BA from Ohio State University and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. Russ is ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is board certified with the Association of Professional Chaplains. He lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Gwen Powell is an ordained episcopal priest and board-certified professional chaplain who has been working with Allina EMS since 2020. Prior to working for Allina, she provided spiritual care to patients and staff on the adolescent behavioral health units at the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center. Gwen graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in psychology in 2008 and earned her Master of Science in Psychology from Kansas State University in 2010. She earned her Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN in 2014 and has been passionate about mental health chaplaincy since beginning her ministry work in 2015. In her free time, she likes to beat her husband and kids at Mario Kart, exercise, walk/hike with her family, watch baseball, and sing with the Northern Lights Chorale. Nikki Holm has been engaged in the meaningful work of EMS Chaplaincy through Allina Health since the Spring of 2020. Prior to making the transition to EMS, Nikki provided spiritual care and health education in an outpatient mental health setting for several years. Nikki was board certified with the Board of Chaplaincy Certification Inc. in 2017, graduated with a Master's degree in Spirituality from St. John's School of Theology in 2007 and with a Bachelor's degree in Theology from The College of St. Benedict in 2005. Nikki lives in an earth home with her husband, their three beloved children, and three furry companions. Outside of soaking up life with her littles, Nikki enjoys rock climbing, writing, reading, yoga, gardening, and otherwise spending time with her tribe. Contact Nikki at Nicole.Holm@allina.com. RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
Episode 270: Medic2Medic Podcast says goodbye with this episode. It has been my honor and pleasure to bring this podcast to you over the past 7.5 years. I was also honored that in the first 2 years of being in the top 10 of EMS podcasts selected by EMS1. There are not enough thanks to you, the listeners, and especially to my guests who shared their stories. The podcast will live within EMS National Museum as well as Voices of EMS very soon.This episode has Eric Chase from EMS Improv guest host as talks to me. Here is your chance to hear my story. Enjoy the final episode of Medic2Medic and thank you.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this EMS One-Stop international edition, this month, Rob Lawrence talks with Professor Tony Walker, immediate past chief executive officer of Ambulance Victoria, a professor with the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Bachelor Paramedic Studies at Monash University. While in charge of Ambulance Victoria, Tony led significant transformation to improve the health and well-being of their workforce and the response they provide to the community. In this broad-reaching discussion, Tony explains the structure, organization and funding models of EMS down under and then Rob and Tony identify current challenges, issues and solutions common to both the U.S. and Australia, including the dreaded hospital handover challenges as well as reduction in lights and siren responses. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “We know at least one in five people who call triple zero, our 911 equivalent, don't require an emergency ambulance and so new models of care are being developed.” “When people call triple zero, they no longer expect that they will automatically get an ambulance, as often described to people, you don't walk into a hospital triage and say I'd like you to admit me to the coronary care unit,, you get triaged, you work out what is wrong by a health professional and you get the care you need; that's exactly the same being applied in the paradigm of ambulance service delivery here in Victoria and the rest of Australia.” “In the next decade or so, I wouldn't be surprised if we see predominantly women making up the majority of staff working on frontline ambulances.” “New models of care have been developed. We have looked at the MPDS grid and where the disposition of those patients go to so we have reduced significantly the number of lights and sirens responses which has enabled us.” “Issues of transfer of care in hospital are a real challenge for ambulance services in the time it takes to transfer patients and there is no easy fix for that.” “If you are a paramedic who has gone to university, done your training, wants to deliver care and you are spending a significant proportion of your shift in an emergency department caring for your patient before he can offload it, that can be demoralizing and that probably goes against why you joined in the first place.” EPISODE CONTENTS 1:16 Introducing Tony Walker 2:00 The scale and scope of Australian Services 05:45 Healthcare funding – how does the patient get their healthcare 7:45 EMS system organization and deployment 09:15 Degrees and paramedic education 11:50 Student debt … or not! 14:10 Is Australia over-producing graduate medics? 16:40 Alternative treatment models 19:00 Reducing lights and siren responses 21:08 Public expectation education 23:02 Looking after your people 25:50 Handover delay at the ED – a global issue 27:00 Gender and diversity 27:34 Scheduling and rostering – creating a flexible roster that meets the needs of the individual and service 28:40 Hospital capacity and flow issues 31:08 How can you work in Australia? ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional EMS One-Stop podcast solutions to EMS staffing woes from down under: Australia EMS medics join the podcast to discuss their efforts to fill U.S. positions with their paramedic surplus On-Demand webinar: Ambulances held hostage: Strategies to unilaterally reduce ED wait times and get back into service Ambulances held hostage: EMS strategies for reducing ambulance offload times ABOUT OUR GUEST Professor Tony Walker, ASM, is a registered paramedic with over 36 years' experience working across senior clinical, operational and leadership roles within the ambulance sector. He was previously chief executive officer of Ambulance Victoria, where he led significant transformation to improve the health and well-being of their workforce and the response they provide to the community. Tony is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine and holds a Bachelor of Paramedic Studies, Graduate Certificate of Applied Management, Graduate Diploma of Emergency Health (MICA) and Master of Education. He is a non-executive director of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, the Emergency Services Foundation and TLC for Kids, a Director of Fairhaven Consulting Pty. Ltd., and an executive member of the Global Resuscitation Alliance and an Associate Investigator with the Australian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium. He is a past non-executive director and chair of the Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA), the peak body representing the eleven statutory ambulance services across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, past chair of the Australian Resuscitation Council (Victorian branch) and past deputy convenor of the Australian Resuscitation Council ALS sub-committee. Tony is published in an extensive range of literature relating to advancements in paramedic practice and prehospital systems of care, including prehospital thrombolysis, cardiac arrest, pain relief and prehospital rapid sequence intubation for traumatic brain injury. Tony is a recipient of the Ambulance Service Medal (ASM) for his contribution to the development of ambulance services at a state and national level and awarded the National Heart Foundation President's Award and Australian Resuscitation Council Medal (ARC) and included in the ARC Honor Roll, for his significant contributions to improving cardiovascular health and resuscitation practice and outcomes. He was a finalist for the Australian Mental Health Prize in 2019 in recognition of his work in improving paramedic mental health and wellbeing. CONNECT WITH TONY WALKER Linkedin Twitter RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONESTOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In the 10-year anniversary episode of the Inside EMS podcast, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the shortage of EMTs, the imperfections of the onboarding process, and the importance of having good leaders in demanding jobs. Join Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson as they celebrate 10 years of the Inside EMS podcast by taking a hard look at the desperate search for more EMTs. With more EMS professionals nationally registered now than ever before, the duo dissects why those statistics don't match up with the number of EMTs currently working. Our hosts take a close look at EMS leaders and their impact on new EMTs. Plus, they cover specific ways that we can improve the onboarding process to better prepare EMS professionals, and how the sink or swim method is harming new EMTs. LISTEN IN WHILE WE DISCUSS: The lack of preparation in onboarding new EMTs. Is there really a shortage in EMS? Why is it so important to pair new EMTs with good mentors? The negative impact of hazing in EMS. How to take care of yourself while maintaining a successful EMS career. CAN'T-MISS MOMENTS “What we have is a shortage of people who are willing to work under horrible conditions for chump change and be unappreciated.” “We spend an inordinate amount of time recruiting adrenaline junkies and trying to teach them to be hand holders when we should be recruiting hand holders and teaching them how to function in a crisis.” “We need to teach new EMTs to keep that soft chewy center and retain that compassion for as long as they possibly can.” Resources mentioned on the show Article: “Top 10 Ways to Ruin a Good EMT” written by Kelly Grayson Book: “Ultimate Leadership: 10 Rules for Success” written by Chris Cebollero Connect with us Listen to this episode of the Inside EMS podcast and look out for new episodes every Friday Contact us at theshow@EMS1.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts and leave us some feedback
Voices of EMS #10. The limited series of Voices of EMS (VOEMS) continues this week with Valerie Bestland and Avi Golden. Valerie tells us a few stories that you will enjoy and learn. Valerie talks a little bit about the organization that she founded. Avi rejoins me and talks about his stroke and how his aphasia takes him all over the world to educate the medical community. VOEMS lets me revisit some of the Medic2Medic Podcast guests for them to tell one more story.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Like many other states across the U.S., California's ambulance services are both understaffed and underfunded. In what has turned into a vicious circle, poor reimbursement levels hamper the employer's ability to increase pay and compete with other sectors that offer better hourly rates for less risky or skilled employment. In fact, California has not had an increase in its Medi-cal (Medicaid) rate in 20 years. In this podcast, Host Rob Lawrence doesn't talk about the EMTs on the truck – he talks to the EMTs on the truck. He gets their views on what keeps them on the job and what is driving them away. As Rob notes, “In talking to this amazing cohort of EMTs, it is clear that the passion to serve and care for those they treat is there, but the living wage they receive is not!” Recurring themes emerge from the discussions (which are reflected in various EMS industry surveys): Having a good and receptive boss/leader Camaraderie – good coworkers make the day fly by Training – keeping skills up to date. The ability to do the job; respond; if necessary, transport; hand over and repeat! … not delay About the guests Alyssa Catalan – EMT with Shoreline Ambulance based in Orange County California Doricela Mozo – EMT with. Medic 1 Ambulance based in Irwindale CA Tyler Coombes – EMT with PRN Ambulance based on North Hills California Ryan Walters – EMT with Falck Ambulance based in Orange County Lasalle Jones – EMT with AmbuServe Ambulance based on Gardena California Damian Henriquez - EMT with AmbuServe based in Gardena California Top quotes from this episode “We do have patients' lives in our hands, and unfortunately, the pay does not reflect that whatsoever, so a lot of us are working two other jobs, like myself, I work here and I have another job and I have the most overtime than anyone else in the company and I still don't have enough to pay my bills.” — Damien Henriquez “I have to work twice as much as a normal worker would have to to afford to live, and that's one of the reasons why I've amassed about 40,000 work hours, I have a 20-year career but I've only been here 14 years.” — Ryan Walters “One of the great things about EMS – coming to work and not knowing what type of call you are going to get, whether it's interfacility transport, 911, just never knowing what kind of call am I going to get, sometimes you get really cool calls, sometimes you get calls that are very difficult, but after the call, just knowing that you accomplished it and what it took to accomplish is really rewarding.” — Lasalle Jones “Do you realize EMS as a whole is a bubble that's about ready to pop? Do you want to be proactive or reactive? Do you want to get ahead of it before it bursts or do you want to figure it out after? Right here, right now, we are trying to be proactive so everyone can get a living wage.” — Damien Henriquez Episode contents 01:25 – Meet the panel 02:56 – The view of the new EMTs 04:55 – Time served EMTs 07:17 – How can we help you make a living? 10:22 – What's keeps you motivated and on the truck 13:56 – What is the FTO seeing as people come in? 21:40 – If you had a rider down the escalator with an elected official, what would you say to them? 25:54 – Get involved 26:24 – Final thoughts Additional resources on this topic California's Fund First Responders Website California Ambulance Association Rate and review the EMS One-Stop podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Like many other states across the U.S., California's ambulance services are both understaffed and underfunded. In what has turned into a vicious circle, poor reimbursement levels hamper the employers' ability to increase pay and compete with other sectors that offer better hourly rates for less risky or skilled employment. In fact, California has not had an increase in its Medi-Cal (Medicaid) rate in 20 years. As part of the ongoing legislative campaign, California's ambulance service owners and operators have created a coalition with all the labor unions that represent EMS in the state to campaign for increases. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, both labor and leadership sit down with Rob Lawrence to discuss politics, funding and working as a team. About our guests Melissa Harris - president and CEO of Ambuserve Ambulance, Medic1 Ambulance and Shoreline Ambulance; and board member and treasurer of the California Ambulance Association Shelly Huddleson - national labor representative for the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Chad Druten - COO Emergency Ambulance Service based in Brea, California; president of the Los Angeles County Ambulance Association, president of the Ambulance Association of Orange County Ryan Walters - president of IAEP Local 370 representing EMTs and paramedics working at Falck in Orange County and Los Angeles Jim Karras - vice president and chief operating officer of Ambuserve Ambulance, Medic1 Ambulance and Shoreline Ambulance; vice president, Los Angeles County Ambulance Association; and secretary of the Ambulance Association of Orange County Top quotes from this episode “EMTs are one missed shift away from poverty. This is the industry I love. I've seen people leave, people that I wish we could hold on to, but they have to provide for their families.” — Ryan Walters “Unlike the In and Outs, the Jack in the Boxes, the Del Tacos who can raise their prices to meet the escalating minimum wage and escalating inflationary pressures that they are feeling, we don't have the ability to do that. Our rates are set for us by the government and by government payers and they are capped and in some cases, they are fixed, so we are beholden to the State of California to help us and give us some relief.” — Jim Karras “If we don't do something soon with our Medi-Cal rates, then our EMS system is going to implode, it's going to implode because our ambulance companies are either going to stop taking these Medi-Cal patients because they can't afford them and so who is going to take care of them or they are going to start shutting their doors. When they shut their doors, our members lose jobs.” — Shelly Huddleson “The patient is the one that's most important here, the medical recipient, they are the ones that stand to lose the most and they are the only reason we exist, they are the only reason any of us have jobs and we can't lose sight of that, so we are not just advocating for our industry, we are advocating for the citizens of California.” — Chad Druten Episode contents 0:30 Rob sets the scene 1:00 Meet the guests 2:05 The campaign to increase reimbursement 3:08 EMTs are one missed shift away from poverty 3:45 Management and labor alliance 6:30 How labor and management can work together on political campaigns 9:00 We share a common humanity 11:00 We as an industry are not good at going hat in hand 13:00 The politicians are astonished at what we pay and that we are losing people to fast-food chains 14:00 Medi-Cal is for the patient to have equal access to healthcare 17:00 This is an economic nightmare 18:30 If you were in an elevator with a politician, what would your pitch be? 21:45 Find your champions – those elected officials that will fight for you 23:00 Acting as a coalition 24:40 Ambulance companies with staffing issues 26:10 Workers deserve a long and dignified career 28:30 The patient is at the center 30:00 A call to action Additional resources on this topic California's Fund First Responders California Ambulance Association International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Rate and review the EMS One-Stop podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
Voices of EMS #7. The limited series of Voices of EMS (VOEMS) continues this week with Kris Kaull and Jonathon Feit. Both are leaders and innovators in EMS and technology. Listen as they provide sound advice in their stories. Kris mentions his TED Talk you may want to listen to (https://youtu.be/PnXpj2hsyaE). VOEMS lets me revisit some of the Medic2Medic Podcast guests for them to tell one more story.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In the second EMS One-Stop international edition, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Steinar Olsen, director for emergency medical services and national preparedness in the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Steiner describes the composition and deployment of EMS services across Norway – a country with the second largest coastline in the world and 1,100 miles from North to South (the distance from Seattle to San Diego or Chicago to Miami). Norway has one government/healthcare run system consisting of 400 stations, 520 ambulances, 4,500 EMTs and paramedics, aided by 14 helicopters and 12 fixed wing aircraft. Educational requirements, current initiatives and future plans are discussed. Lawrence and Steiner also identify that EMS systems around the world encounter similar challenges, and international best practice exchange is always welcomed and encouraged. TOP QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE “Looking at just response times – you can waste a lot of money that could be used wisely in other parts of the service to create more health.” “Between 25-30% of calls are handled with just a phone call or a combination of phone and video conference with the patient.” “EMS in the next 20 years will develop from just lights and sirens to being an advanced platform for performing healthcare in the patients' home instead of moving them to the hospital.” EPISODE CONTENTS 1:13: Introduction – Steinar Olsen 2:08: Description of EMS in Norway 4:05: Ambulance stations, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft 6:07: Paramedic training and education 7:17: EMS as a gateway to healthcare 9:38: Norwegian support to international disasters and events (Turkey and Ukraine) 14:00: The next big things for EMS in Norway 16:00: Response times can waste a lot of money 17:35: Hear and treat – Nurse triage 20:00: The need for EMS nations to learn from each other 21:00: The challenge for treating patients in the future 23:34: The relationship between fire and EMS in Norway 24:50 : Vehicle extrication – Norwegian style! 26:15: Steiner Olsen's final thoughts 27:10: Contact details ABOUT OUR GUEST Steinar Olsen is a RN and paramedic with 38 years of clinical and high-level management background from EMS and specialized healthcare services. He now serves as the director for emergency medical services and national preparedness in the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Steinar is also the regional chair of the European Regional Group for EMTs and national focal point to NATO joint Civil Military Health group. His previous experiences include serving in various positions in national healthcare, ranging from field disaster management to hospital management, project management through various national and international projects, including heading Norway's contribution to Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak in 2014/15 and followed by various deployments to international humanitarian and consular crises. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON THIS TOPIC Patient Quick Release Extrication Paper Norwegian Telemedicine and Nurse Triage Video (in Norwegian) CONNECT WITH STEINAR OLSEN Linkedin RATE AND REVIEW THE EMS ONE-STOP PODCAST Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes Matt Zavadsky back to the podcast to catch up on three key ongoing issues and developments: MedStar's EMS-on-demand model via their MedStarSaver+PLUS program, the recent article by Zavadsky and Dr. Doug Kupas on the reduction of red lights and sirens with the additional news that MedStar ceased all RLS use during the recent ice-related weather event. Finally, Zavadsky discusses the recent National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians' 2022 EMS Worker Engagement Survey and the top five takeaways. Top quotes from this episode “One of the mantras we have always said is if someone is going to get paid to reduce our call volume, it should be us.” “We take an oath to do no further harm, if we know that we are doing something that causes further harm while we are getting to a call that probably doesn't need an immediate response, then we are not fulfilling our oath.” “Our medical director has implemented a directive in the same theme of bad weather, bad driving that no patient will be transported with CPR in progress, meaning that you are just not going to transport patients in cardiac arrest … there is no reason for us to relocate corpses from the field to the emergency room.” “Community expectation ... is it really what the community expects or is it something we have taught them to expect because we are competing for contracts?” Episode contents 1:52 MedStar Saver Plus Model 11:37 NAEMSP2023 discussion 13:15 Red lights and sirens reduction 15:11 MedStar suspends RLS 19:07 Political navigation to reduce use of RLS with local officials 23:06 We stink at communicating effectively with our workforce 23:45 We stink at providing feedback to our employees about their performance (and their patients) 24:59 We don't pay our people enough 26:21 California's Medi-Cal Campaign 29:10 Work-life balance is a real thing 32:13 This is a long-term challenge that needs long-term solutions 34:33 Zavadsky's final thoughts 34:44 Drs. Larmon, Kazan and Mackey Additional resources EMS-on-demand the next big transformation for the profession? Culture shift: Reducing lights and siren vehicle operation The EMS workforce: Critical condition! About our guest Matt Zavadsky is the chief transformation officer for MedStar Mobile Healthcare, the Public Utility Model EMS system serving Fort Worth, and 14 other cities in Texas. He has 43 years of experience in EMS. He is an at-large director for NAEMT and chairs its EMS Economics Committee. Connect with Matt Zavadsky Online Linkedin Twitter: @MattZavadsky Rate and review the EMS One-Stop Podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In a recent blog post, Dave Williams, PhD, noted that half to two-thirds of Dallas city general funds are dedicated to police, fire and EMS. With significant tax dollar investments, elected officials, community leaders, and the media want to be good stewards. Still, they are frequently not equipped with the knowledge or data to determine if their services are built to get results and where there are opportunities for improvement. In this week's podcast, host Rob Lawrence sat down with EMS thought leader, Dr. Dave Williams, to discuss and identify the 12 questions local leaders can use to learn about their communities. Each point discussed should generate ideas for more learning and improvement both inside an organization and for those citizens and elected officials that surround it. Top quotes from this episode “I have been to dozens of ambulance systems around the world and met with leaderships teams and I can count on one hand the number of times they started by talking to me about their clinical outcomes.” “Almost all of your staff are not your generation … which means they have a totally different value system and a totally different prioritization of things.” “One of your real powers is to be able to help your community and its leaders understand what's happening in it. The data that you have is a huge enabler for others to be able to change policy.” Additional resources on this topic Williams' Blog To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System The EMS workforce: Critical condition! Why right-sizing EMS response is crucial to increasing pay and improving work-life balance Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century About our guest Dave Williams, PHD, designs and improves ambulance systems. He is known for leading objective, ethical and collegial approaches focused on patient and community needs, and incorporating evidence-based and best practice methods. He is one of a few researchers to study EMS system design. His published doctoral research focused on patient-centric EMS system design. Dr. Williams is a former paramedic, EMS commander and researcher. Previous leadership positions include the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Fitch & Associates, and Austin-Travis County EMS. Dr. Williams is faculty at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and serves as a senior improvement advisor. He served as faculty in emergency health services at The George Washington University School of Medicine and public safety management at St. Edward's University. He supported professional development programs, including the National Association of EMS Physicians Quality and Safety program, the American Ambulance Association Ambulance Service Manager Program, and the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch Communication Center Manager Program. Dr. Williams served as the vice chairman of the Board of CommUnityCare, the Federally Qualified Health Center system serving the City of Austin, Texas, and was appointed by the Travis County Commissioners Court to serve as a member of the Advisory Board of Austin/Travis County EMS. He is an alumni of Leadership Austin (Essential 2013). He has contributed to several EMS leadership and research textbooks and published dozens of peer-reviewed papers and industry articles. He is a frequent keynote speaker. Dr. Williams earned a B.S. in EMS Management and an M.S. in Emergency Health Services Management. He also earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Systems, where his research focused on the obstacles to patient-centric EMS system design. Connect with Dave Williams Online Twitter @davewilliamsATX Rate and review the EMS One-Stop podcast Enjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the EMS One-Stop team at editor@EMS1.com to share ideas, suggestions and feedback. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify and RSS feed.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In the first episode of the 10th year in EMS, Cohost Chris Cebollero is joined by the legal powerhouse of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth's EMS Attorneys Doug Wolfberg, Esq.; and Steve Wirth, Esq. to discuss the case everyone is talking about. An Illinois prosecutor has filed virtually unprecedented first-degree murder charges against two EMS providers over the death of a patient in their care. Wolfberg and Wirth broke down the points of the case and the lessons for EMS in an EMS1 article, "Malpractice or murder: When do EMS providers cross the line from negligence to a crime?" In this episode, Wolfberg and Wirth share their first impressions of the case and the body camera footage of the incident. Wolfberg noted what hit him was the “callous, cold, very detached, aggressive demeanor of the providers.” “You get into EMS because you care for people – how do you get to the point to what we saw in the video – that's really where I keep coming back to,” Wolfberg said. Wirth added, “it wasn't until I looked at the video that I felt outraged – outraged is the word that comes to my mind – how could a human being deal with another human being in this fashion – basically treat another human being as an inanimate object.” He asked, “how does this happen … because we can't allow this to happen; we can't.” Are first-degree murder charges warranted in this case? See how EMS1 listeners are weighing in.
It's the stuff of nightmares and horror stories: the dead rising from the grave. On August 23, 2020, it happened in Michigan after a woman who was declared deceased by the responding EMS crew “woke up” in a funeral home. Her case has been described as an instance of “Lazarus Syndrome”, or “autoresuscitation after failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation”, but was it this rare condition or negligence on the part of the providers? Nick and Samantha discuss the family's $50 million lawsuit against the City and the providers and examine the clinical and legal issues around patients presumed to be deceased. Please like, comment, and subscribe! Links: Erika Lattimore, as Guardian of Timesha Beauchamp, An Incapacitated Person v. City of Southfield, Michael Storms, Scott Rickard, Phillip Mulligan, and Jake Kroll, In Their Individual Capacity, Jointly And Severally, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Civil Action File No. 2:20-cv-12738, filed October 8, 2020. Complaint available at: http://www.firelawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2020/10/US_DIS_MIED_2_20cv12738_COMPLAINT_filed_by_All_Plaintiffs_against_All_Defe.pdf Michael Storms, Scott Rickard, Phillip Mulligan, and Jake Kroll v. Oakland County Medical Control Authority et al., United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Civil Action File No. 4:20-cv-12457, filed September 8, 2020. Katherine Mims Crocker, Qualified Immunity, Sovereign Immunity, and Systemic Reform, 71 Duke L.J. 1701-1780 (2022), available at: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/dlj/vol71/iss8/1 Hutchinson, D. and MacDonald, M., (2020, September 16, updated 2020, October 19), “She's Still Breathing”: Hear 911 Call From Moment Workers Realized Southfield Woman Declared Dead Was Alive, ClickOnDetroit https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2020/09/16/shes-still-breathing-hear-911-call-from-workers-realized-southfield-woman-declared-dead-was-alive/ Kaur, H. et al., (2020, October 20), Family of Woman Who Died Weeks After She Was Found Alive at a Funeral Home Sues Paramedics For $50 Million, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/20/us/timesha-beauchamp-dies-lawsuit-trnd McEvoy, M., (2019, June 21), “Dead Wrong”, EMS1.com https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/medical-monitoring/articles/dead-wrong-RXW3893p2D3u8R3T/ Varone, K. (host). (2020, September 13). Interview With Attorney For Disciplined Michigan Firefighters In Mistaken Death Pronouncement (No. 35) [Audio podcast episode]. Fire Law Blog. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/podcast-episode-35-interview-with-attorney-for/id876773998?i=1000491102861 White, E., (2020, December 10), Paramedics Who Wrongly Pronounced Timesha Beauchamp 'Dead' Can Regain Licenses, Detroit Free Press https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/12/10/timesha-beauchamp-paramedics-regain-licenses/3883480001/ WXYZ Detroit, (2020, October 8), Fieger Files $50 Million Lawsuit in Case of Woman Found Alive After Being Pronounced Dead, https://www.wxyz.com/news/fieger-files-50-million-lawsuit-in-case-of-woman-found-alive-after-being-pronounced-dead See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Fresh back from Montana's Big Sky EMS Symposium, in this episode of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence chats with Kris Kaull on his history-taking session. They discuss Kaull's 10 top hacks to improve your history taking, including: Thinking like a detective Thinking outside the box Understanding medical medicine Being a good listener Kaull has driven innovation and positive change in EMS for over 25 years. After beginning his career as a firefighter and EMT, he started paramedic.com and co-founded EMS1. He is currently the chief marketing officer at Pulsara, a healthcare and mobile tech startup. He has worked as a firefighter captain, paramedic and ambulance service director, and continues his practice as a critical care flight paramedic covering southwest rural MT and Yellowstone National Park. Kaull has shared his presentation and notes here.
This episode of Inside EMS is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visitlexipol.com. Inside EMS cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson respond to the social media discussion on a recent EMS1 article: "Should waveform capnography be in the EMT scope of practice?" The comments on the topic were divided: "If you can bag or insert an airway, you should be able to use ETCO2. As others have said, it's a fantastic tool for all levels of clinical practice." "They need to be good at what is already in their scope of practice and most of the aren't. They're just medic dependent." "... Why is this even a question? Absolutely yes." Our cohosts discuss how to train EMTs for this skill and how to make it a reality in the educational process. Chris offers his take on the topic and suggests that nothing needs to be added to the EMT curriculum; instead, he believes it's the responsibility of the agency to teach this skill.
This episode of EMS One-Stop with Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Dr. Ray Barishansky has recently delivered keynote addresses at a number of national and state conferences to much acclaim. In this week's episode of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence discusses Barishansky's key takeaways on professionalism in EMS and after the break, they move on to writing and speaking in the EMS environment. We conclude with an invitation to those interested in writing for EMS1 to reach out.
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. Durham County, North Carolina, commissioners recently passed a pay increase for paramedics. The increase, which went into effect in August, took the starting hourly rate for paramedics from $20.84 to $28.25. Officials said the current staff will receive this rate and a multiplier based on their years of service to determine their final salary. One of the catalysts for this change occurred when Durham EMS Chief Paramedic, Mark Lockhart, read an article by Lexipol Editorial Director, Greg Friese, MS, NRP, “Pay paramedics a thriving wage to end the retention crisis,” and was inspired by the approach Greg suggested. “The thriving wage initiative was born,” Lockhart noted. Across the board (EMT, AEMT, paramedics and supervisors), the average increase is 16.8%. For paramedics, the average salary increase was 25%. “We're still facing recruitment challenges, but our retention significantly improved,” Lockhart wrote EMS1. In this week's podcast, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes both Mark Lockhart and Greg Friese to discuss the process that Durham EMS went through to achieve their increase as well as the pay situation across the EMS profession at the moment.
Episode 259 is Dan Schwester. Dan has been a paramedic since June 2000. He has served in a variety of roles, including education, field training, clinical supervision, and active practice as a paramedic He is the Managing Partner of Overrun Productions, LLC, and a co-host of The Overrun Podcast. Our conversation includes Dan's insightful article Toxic Heroism: The Perfect Storm in EMS Recruitment. We also discuss Emergency!, Overrun Productions, podcasting, and much more.
This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer. In this week's episode, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss EMS1 columnist Todd Bowman's recent article, "5 ways to build confident providers". The discussion delves into training practices, building confidence with crew resource management, and understanding how call repetition can build the skills for treating patients. The conversation then turns to the importance of a good quality assurance program, which should be considered a non-punitive process. The final point touches on reassurance, and the power of saying "thank you."
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Jay Fitch, PhD, of Fitch & Associates; and Tom Judge, executive director of LifeFlight of Maine. EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference, and Rob is a part of this year's Pinnacle Shark Tank Innovation Generator pre-conference session. In this series of podcasts, the EMS cast of the Shark Tank will join Rob to discuss their own hot topics. In this episode of the series Rob, Jay and Tom discuss the upcoming conference and some of its key sessions, as well as current issues that those attending will ultimately look to solve. Rob also asks Jay, who has been operating in the EMS space for five decades as a leading consultant, what he is currently advising his clients as they look to operationally survive.
This episode of the Inside EMS Podcast is sponsored by FirstNet, Built with AT&T. FirstNet uses the latest technology to keep your lines of communication and data open – to help you respond faster, smarter and safer. This week, our co-hosts welcome two members from the Lexington (Ky.) Fire Department, Lt. Ken Howell and Firefighter Mackenzie Gross, to discuss the organization's community paramedicine program. Gross also serves as one of two social workers in the program. The discussion flows as our guests outline their efforts and share how to progressively develop as a community medic. Gross, who serves as one of two social workers for the LFD, explains the importance of social work in conjunction with a community paramedicine program. Additional resources Looking for more information about community paramedicine? Check out these additional EMS1 resources: Chris Cebollero's work to bring reimbursement to community paramedicine How community paramedicine is a risk reduction program for your citizens How to hire effective community paramedics
This episode of EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com. In this edition of EMS One-Stop, Host Rob Lawrence welcomes Remle Crowe, PhD; and Mike Taigman to discuss research, improvement science and project implementation. Along the way, they also cover the UCLA Prehospital Care Research Forum, a red lights and sirens project update, and their top research projects. EMS1 is the premier media partner at the Pinnacle EMS conference, and Rob, Mike and Remle are also part of this year's Pinnacle Shark Tank Innovation Generator pre-conference session. Over the next few weeks, the EMS cast of the Shark Tank will join Rob to discuss their own hot topics.
In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson are joined by Maria Beermann-Foat to discuss her recent article, "The first 90 days: 12 strategies for laying a foundation for a rewarding career while onboarding new employees," part of EMS1's special coverage package, "Year one: Creating a career path for new EMTs." The conversation covers Beermann-Foat's 12 strategies, as well as tips for how to make the best impression possible on new employees over the first 90 days and a discussion on how this strategy assists with developing a strong employee culture. Read more of the EMS1 special coverage: The first 90 days Turnover: We have measured it, but can we manage it? Improving personnel performance through evaluations and training 3 ways you're losing EMS providers and how to stop the revolving door 4 steps to improving EMS retention through onboarding
In this episode, Lexipol Editorial Director, Greg Friese, MS, NRP, joins cohosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson to kick off the eighth year of tackling the hot topics in the Inside EMS podcast. Friese offers some insight into what EMS1 will be focusing on in the year ahead, from physical, mental and emotional safety and wellness, to continuing to provide timely, accurate, relevant and actionable information relevant to topics like COVID-19, clinical recommendations and legal issues. The conversation also includes a discussion on the alarming frequency of ambulance and apparatus crashes resulting in injury or death, and what is needed to keep patients and providers safe. From engineering controls, to fatigue and workload management and continuing education, Friese identifies two main buckets from which to improve ambulance safety: Provider mindset: making a commitment to staying seated and belted when in motion Safety monitoring: implementing a monitoring and reporting system to measure compliance Finally, the group discusses provider burnout, and how the EMS Trend Survey seeks to identify pressure points that are challenging providers, and the actions leaders can take to recruit and retain talent. As Grayson puts it, this is your chance to lend your voice, and your hand to “steer the ship.” Coming soon: The EMS Trend Survey, which informs the EMS Trend Report, will be released this month. Check back at www.ems1.com/ems-trend-report/ to help guide future coverage and provide insight into the status of EMS and workforce needs
This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here. In the final episode of Inside EMS for the 2021 season, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson count down the top five stories that generated the most debate and buzz by readers this year. Did you miss any of these high-engagment articles? Listen to the podcast and read for more. Okla. FF disciplined for transporting burned child in engine Unvaccinated Wash. firefighters will no longer be able to respond to medical calls Toxicologist: You can't just touch fentanyl and overdose Ambulances held hostage: Can the hospital make you stay? A triad of findings: 3 case presentations for Cushing's Triad
This episode of EMS One Stop is sponsored by Blink; the mobile app helping EMS providers to better communicate with their field staff. Learn more about how Blink's two-way communications features are helping to reduce first responder turnover at www.joinblink.com. In the light of the series of articles on ambulance patient offload times and hospital bed delays by Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, host Rob Lawrence is joined by PW&W Attorneys Doug Wolfberg, Esq.; and Steve Wirth, Esq. A solid discussion takes place on the EMS legal and ethical obligations to patients at the ED, and strategies to combat hospital bed delays, as well as the downloadable tip sheet also available at EMS1.
This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here. In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss a hot topic in the EMS1 community: EMT placement of a supraglottic airway in the field. The conversation touches on the future of EMS, the expanded role of EMTs and how training should adapt.
This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Eko. Learn how CORE stethoscope technology helps EMS providers make confident split-second decisions by clicking here. In this episode of Inside EMS, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the top EMS news of the week, starting with Kelly Grayson's most recent EMS1 contribution, "Top 10 apps to make you a better EMT." Our hosts also dicsuss a news story concerning a Dallas paramedic caught on video allegedly assaulting a homeless man. The conversation then turns to the topic of vaccine mandates in New York and Maine. The FDNY recently announced all members will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, placing those who refuse on unpaid leave, a policy that has proved effective for EMS agencies in Maine.
This episode of Inside EMS is sponsored by Pulsara. Learn more about how you can build a regional system of care for free by clicking here. In this episode, co-hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson discuss the topic of pediatric cardiac arrest following two recent articles on EMS1 that tackle the topic from different angles. Is it time to change the practice of how we handle out-of-hospital pediatric cardiac arrest? According to our hosts, the days of scooping and running are over, and EMS providers need to become more comfortable in staying on scene and delivering care before transport. During the discussion, Cebollero asks listeners, if providers know that pediatric calls are a personal weakness, "What are you doing to turn that into a strength?" He adds that "leaders are cupable if calls go bad" if they are not encouraging and working with providers to strengthen those skills.
United Hatzalah volunteer emergency response Director of Operations Dov Maisel speaks to EMS1 from Jerusalem about resiliency in the face of recent mass casualty responses and the ongoing response to rocket attacks
On this episode of Inside EMS, co-host Chris Cebollero interviews fellow host Kelly Grayson about his recent live EMS1 webinar – Plan C: Advanced Airway Management (now available on-demand). Grayson shares his thoughts on basic airway management, discusses his six stages of the airway continuum and answers a difficult question: Is intubation becoming obsolete in our career field? During the discussion, the hosts also touch on transtracheal jet ventilation, retrograde intubation and the use of surgical crics. Interested in viewing Grayson's webinar? Get the link below: On-demand webinar – Plan C: Advanced Airway Management: https://www.ems1.com/ems-products/medical-equipment/airway-management/articles/on-demand-webinar-plan-c-navigating-the-difficult-airway-aOojrUNae48W68j8/
In August 2019, Elijah McKnight, who was allegedly intoxicated and struggled with a sheriff’s deputy, was TASERed, handcuffed and subdued by three people. Identifying the patient was experiencing excited delirium, the attending medics administered one 500 mg dose of ketamine and another dose of 250 mg about nine minutes later after consulting with a physician. The story elevated to the front-page level as body camera footage identified that deputies asked if the medics could "give him anything," to which a medic replied they can give him ketamine and, "he'll be sleeping like a baby," but would need to be transported. A second case occurred that same month when another Colorado arrestee, Elijah McClain, was administered ketamine, went into cardiac arrest, and was subsequently declared brain dead and died on Aug 30, 2019. Last month the Aurora city council voted to temporarily ban paramedics from using ketamine to sedate patients. In this episode, host Jim Dudley speaks with EMS1 columnist Rob Lawrence and Dr. Will Smith, an EMS physician from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, about what law enforcement should know about ketamine. They also discuss law enforcement's potential involvement in securing mass vaccination centers that could be used to distribute the COVID-19 vaccination when it is released to the public.
Kerri Hatt, editor-in-chief of EMS1 magazine, and Anthony Minge, senior partner with Fitch & Associates, discuss the 2020 EMS Trend Report, which continues a five-year effort to identify how EMS providers, managers, and leaders perceive the challenges impacting the sustainability and future of the industry. For Your Information: Read the 2020 EMS Trend Report: https://www.ems1.com/ems-trend-report/articles/2020-ems-trend-report-heed-industry-warning-signs-commit-to-change-rwCWJuICXiSTQ54L/ EMS1: https://www.ems1.com/ Fitch & Associates: https://www.fitchassoc.com/ The 911 Training Institute: https://www.911training.net/
Should you say no to good things to save space for the great ones? How do you know which opportunities are good versus great? Join Kris Kaull, chief marketing officer for Pulsara and co-founder of EMS1, as he opens up to hostess Brett Lyle about some of the challenges he has faced as a serial entrepreneur. He discusses the tools he used to overcome them and explains how he intentionally designed his career to be personally fulfilling and professionally valuable to the industry. We discuss tangible practices that define and reshape mindsets. We talk daily to-do lists and lifelong goals and accomplishments. We talk mentorship and the differences between servant leadership and coaching. "If you're an art history major.. if you're an engineer... we need [you] in EMS."Welcome to Emergent Leadership where we connect with passionate leaders who just have to share their stories, perspectives, and most importantly, lessons learned.The need is urgent, the events are critical, and the you of tomorrow is just an episode away!Join the conversation: If you have a leadership topic, experience, or lesson learned you would like to share or hear more about, send an email at brettlylecoaching@gmail.com or use and follow #emergentleadership to join the conversation. You can also connect to Brett directly through LinkedIn or follow her journey on YouTube.
Kerri Hatt, editor-in-chief of EMS1 magazine, and Anthony Minge, senior partner with Fitch & Associates, discuss the 2020 EMS Trend Report, which continues a five-year effort to identify how EMS providers, managers, and leaders perceive the challenges impacting the sustainability and future of the industry. For Your Information: Read the 2020 EMS Trend Report: https://www.ems1.com/ems-trend-report/articles/2020-ems-trend-report-heed-industry-warning-signs-commit-to-change-rwCWJuICXiSTQ54L/ EMS1: https://www.ems1.com/ Fitch & Associates: https://www.fitchassoc.com/ The 911 Training Institute: https://www.911training.net/
Universities and colleges across the U.S. and Canada are closing or limiting access to students and instructors because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen to Rob Theriault, a long-time paramedic instructor and educational technology expert, discuss available methods for continuing EMT and paramedic class on this special episode of Inside EMS. Greg Friese, EMS1 editor-in-chief, and a former co-host of the EMSEduCast, asks Theriault about easy to use tools for webcasting, screencasting, quizzes and how to use YouTube.
If you're listening to this edition of Code 3, congratulations! You made it through the 2010s. It was a turbulent decade for first responders of all kinds. And the ride's likely to get even more bumpy into the next decade. What were the trends that made the 2010's a challenge..and where are we going? Greg Friese, Editor-in-chief of EMS1.com took a look back at the lowlights and has some predictions. Support this podcast
The Fire-EMS community lost a vital member this week. Bryan Fass passed away suddenly on Monday. He was just 46. A former paramedic, Bryan was well-known for his advocacy of first-responder fitness. His career was based on teaching injury-prevention and safety techniques. He ran Fit Responder, which he founded in 2007, and spoke frequently at EMS industry conferences around the country. Bryan was a prolific author, writing for multiple websites and his blog, as well as four books on fitness and wellness. With me today to remember Bryan is Greg Friese, Editor-in-chief of EMS1.com Support this podcast
Episode 185 is Nancy Magee. Nancy has been active in volunteer EMS for 20 years. Is there a volunteer crisis in EMS? You will be intrigued by our discussion on this topic. We also talk about the keys to recruiting and retaining volunteers in EMS. Nancy's career path into in EMS is unique and experience in her previous ventures provides building blocks for her EMS career. As a self-employed business owner and consultant for 25 years and as an EMT, AEMT, instructor, field supervisor and Director of Marketing and Client Relations for an EMS Management Service Organization. Her workshop series, “Redesigning Volunteer EMS-A Volunteer Survival Guide,” found on EMS1.com is educational and provides much needed advice in the volunteer world. This series will turn into a podcast starting next month with Nancy and Amy Eisenhauer hosting.
Today EMS Veteran Aram Bronston joins the show all the way from California as we finish the discussion on EMS Week 2019. #EMSStrong #BeyondTheCallHost: Paul Falavolito @paulfalavolitoFacebook: Paul Falavolito PodcastTwitter: Paul Falavolito Podcastwww.paulfalavolitopodcast.comListen on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Google Play, Google Podcasts & SpotifyIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure and leave a “Star” rating and a comment on iTunes. Send questions, feedback or enquire about advertising on my shows: podcast@paulfalavolito.comCall in or text the show: 412-701-4323Subscribe and listen to all of my podcast shows:The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast EMS TalkThe Daily PfavHot topics Podcast The KEMA Podcast**Paul Falavolito Podcast is now available on the Amazon Alexa skills store**
It's the 45th anniversary of EMS Week. Join Paul and special guest Amy Amer as they discuss the history of EMS Week and some controversial topics surrounding EMS week. Part 1 of 2.Host: Paul Falavolito @paulfalavolitoFacebook: Paul Falavolito PodcastTwitter: Paul Falavolito Podcastwww.paulfalavolitopodcast.comListen on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Google Play, Google Podcasts & SpotifyIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure and leave a “Star” rating and a comment on iTunes. Send questions, feedback or enquire about advertising on my shows: podcast@paulfalavolito.comCall in or text the show: 412-701-4323Subscribe and listen to all of my podcast shows:The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast EMS TalkThe Daily PfavHot topics Podcast The KEMA Podcast**Paul Falavolito Podcast is now available on the Amazon Alexa skills store**
Social Media is such a hot topic in EMS and has been for several years. Is our EMS Social Media Culture a healthy one? Join Paul Falavolito & Amy Amer as they discuss this topic and offer their insights into today's EMS Social Media Culture.Host: Paul Falavolito @paulfalavolitoFacebook: Paul Falavolito PodcastTwitter: Paul Falavolito Podcastwww.paulfalavolitopodcast.comListen on iTunes, iHeart Radio, Google Play, Google Podcasts & SpotifyIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure and leave a “Star” rating and a comment on iTunes. Send questions, feedback or enquire about advertising on my shows: podcast@paulfalavolito.comCall in or text the show: 412-701-4323Subscribe and listen to all of my podcast shows:The 7 Minute Leadership Podcast EMS TalkThe Daily PfavHot topics Podcast The KEMA Podcast**Paul Falavolito Podcast is now available on the Amazon Alexa skills store**
Join Mike, Ritu, and Dr. Scott Bourn as they discuss a multitude of pertinent, contemporary EMS topics! We talk airway, the national scope of practice models, quality improvement and patient safety! It is so much, you will need a round trip from work to get through it all! We appreciate EMS1.com naming SecondShift as one of the top 10 EMS Podcasts! We appreciate your subscriptions and ratings! Without you, we are nothing! THANK YOU!
In this episode, Mike and Ritu welcome Ann Raven, Paramedic, and EMS Training Officer to discuss sports, food and a newer program in her area for responding to strangulation incidents. This one is wayyyy more structured than Ep. 51….lol. I don’t think Ritu mentions his Tesla one time!!! We appreciate EMS1.com naming SecondShift as one of the top 10 EMS Podcasts! We appreciate your subscriptions and ratings! Without you, we are nothing! THANK YOU!
Look, most of our episodes have a tinge of disorganization….this one is no exceptions…in fact, it’s probably one of the most dysfunctional episodes we have EVER released!! In this episode, Mike and Ritu welcome Dr. Jeff Jarvis EMS Physician and Medical Director for Williamson County, Texas. We also unintentionally welcome, Dr. Ed Racht, Dr. Paul Rostykus, Dr. Justin Sales as they barge in as we are recording…If you can make it through all that, you will find Dr. Jarvis is full of amazing Airway information as he discusses the talk he gave at the conference we were at. We appreciate EMS1.com naming SecondShift as one of the top 10 EMS Podcasts! We appreciate your subscriptions and ratings! Without you, we are nothing! THANK YOU!
Oregon Paramedic Maurice “Mo” Stadeli lost this fight with Cancer on February 25th, 2019. Mo was an amazing public servant who touched many lives. Mo served with multiple agencies in his long and amazing 30-year career. He spent most of his time at Salem Fire at station 6. Cheers to you, Mo….We have the watch. In this episode, Mike and Ritu welcome Shawn Baird, President elect for the American Ambulance Association to discuss the new ET3 Payment model. Many believe that ET3 is one of the biggest steps forward in EMS reimbursement in history. Tune in and find out for yourself and let us know. We appreciate EMS1.com naming SecondShift as one of the top 10 EMS Podcasts! We appreciate your subscriptions and ratings! Without you, we are nothing! THANK YOU! We appreciate you listening to one of the top 10 EMS podcasts according to EMS1.com. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate you listening and joining in on the discussion!
In this episode, Ritu and Mike are joined by Dr. Clay Mann, Ph.D. Dr. Mann is the Man when it comes to NEMSIS. NEMSIS? Yea.. you know, the reason we have the ability to look at 31 million EMS encounters across the United States….as the P.I, He is the key holder to unlocking some amazing EMS research. These guys have held up their end of the deal by recording more often, now what you can do is share, rate and leave us some feedback! We appreciate you listening to one of the top 10 EMS podcasts according to EMS1.com. We can’t tell you how much we appreciate you listening and joining in on the discussion!
Episode 169 is David Givot. Our conversation includes his passion for EMS, how he became a fixer for EMS organizations, EMS leadership, becoming a Defense Attorney, and few legal tips. David graduated from the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care (formerly DFH) in June 1989 and spent most of the next decade working as a Paramedic responding to 911 calls in Glendale, CA, with the fire department. By the end of 1998, he was traveling around the country working with distressed EMS agencies. David earned his law degree and is a practicing Defense Attorney still looking to the future of EMS. In addition to defending EMS Providers, both on the job and off, he has created TheLegalGuardian.com as a vital step toward improving the state of EMS through information and education designed to protect EMS professional. David is a member of the EMS1 Editorial Advisory Board. Our conversation includes his passion for EMS, how we became a fixer for EMS organizations, becoming a Defense Attorney, and few legal tips.
Episode 164 is Mike Rubin. Very rarely you hear of someone making EMS a second career. Mike Rubin is one of those rare people that EMS is his second career. In 1995, after 21 years in business, Mike began a second career in EMS. Mike was hired by NY State as a paramedic and instructor at Stony Brook University. In April 2001, he was promoted to Supervisor of Suffolk County Medical Control, a position that allowed him to utilize his EMS, business, systems, teaching and management experience. Mike relocated to Nashville, where he spent six years as a paramedic at the Opryland entertainment complex. Mike began writing for major EMS media, created the EMS version of Trivial Pursuit and produced Down Time, an album of rescue-oriented rock and pop tunes. We talk about his path into EMS, writing for the EMS industry and Trivial Pursuit.
Ginger Locke discusses the importance of good questions and deep listening. She weaves in recommendations from her own research and from Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.com, Greg Friese.
Episode 160 is Tim Nowak. Tim is the founder & CEO of Emergency Medical Solutions, an independent EMS training & consulting company that he developed in 2010. He began his EMS journey in 2002. His career formally began in Wisconsin as a full-time firefighter/paramedic with the state's 3rd largest department and has since transitioned into an educator & agency representative role for a hospital system in Colorado. He's also been involved in EMS training program development and course delivery throughout much of his career, including operating his own company. In addition to teaching, Tim has been a board member, is a contracted item writer, a columnist with EMS1.com, has his own podcast called EMS Insight, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the EMS Director, a printed publication dedicated to professional development in EMS. Tim is known for his thought provocating questions, opinions, and answers on LinkedIn regarding EMS. We talk about this subject, EMS education, consulting, EMS1.com and his entrepreneurial spirit.
This week Seth and Will discuss an article posted on EMS1.com titled 5 things you are going to miss about EMS. The article written by Michael Morse explains 5 things that you will miss about EMS when you are done with your career.
Episode 128 brings back the editors from EMS1.com and JEMS to the podcast. Greg Friese and AJ Heightman join me to talk about their picks for the impact stories in 2017. Both AJ and Greg offer their insight into the stories as well as they give you a peek into the stories in 2018 that will be of interest. All of us had a spirited discussion and it was a fun podcast to produce. Enjoy and Happy New Year from Medic2Medic.
Episode 111: Jessie Senini is a clinical research paramedic and recovering art student with more than a decade of EMS experience with private, municipal and federal EMS agencies. Jessie is the creator and artist of the comic strip "White Shirts" on EMS1.com. Jessie traveled across the country to live in Louisiana, a state with no snow, Jessie now draws from her experiences on the truck to bring humor and awareness to life and issues surrounding emergency services. Jessie truly believes that laughter is the best medicine and hopes to continue to treat those around her through comics. Our discussion starts off in Montana and we travel to New Orleans with this starving artist on her adventure into EMS. Jessie shares with us her stories about joining New Orleans EMS and a day that changed her path in the profession. We talk about the effects of stress and burnout had on her. If you have not seen her comic strip, I highly recommend you take a look. She also has a fantastic laugh.
This week we interview the Editor and Chief of www.ems1.com, Greg Friese. Listen in as Greg gives us insight into his career and work……enjoy! About the Editor, author, Podcaster Greg Friese is EMS1’s Editor-in-Chief, responsible for the site’s content direction and focused on columnist management and recruitment, management of content partnerships, editorial planning and broad … Continue reading Greg Friese Interview WOTS 012 →
Episode 89: Kelly Grayson has been a Critical Care Paramedic and EMS Educator for twenty-three years. He is president of the Louisiana Association of EMS Educators and a board member of the LA Association of Nationally Registered EMTs. He currently works as a critical care paramedic for Acadian Ambulance in southwest Louisiana and as the EMS Education Coordinator for ACE4EMS. He is an award-winning columnist for EMS1.com and EMS World Magazine, and co-host of the EMS1 podcast Inside EMS. Kelly's transition into EMS is an unique one as well he is the author of the column The Ambulance Driver. We discuss how the title and column came about and the criticism the title received. As the co-host of EMS1.com's podcast, we talk about his co-host Chris Cebollero and how they met. Kelly has an interesting take on the future of EMS too.
Episode 84: Chris Cebollero is the co-host of EMS1.com's podcast Inside EMS. The podcast brings expert perspective to EMS topics, clinical issues operational and leadership lessons to EMS personnel. Chris has over 30 years of EMS experience. Chris is an internationally recognized leadership specialist, coach and bestselling author. Chris is currently the Senior Partner of his own consulting firm specializing in Leadership Development, Individual and Executive Coaching, and Organizational Process. Chris has been seen on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX speaking on the above issues. Our discussion includes his start in EMS, how he and Kelly Grayson became host of Inside EMS, his strong views on leadership and the EMS profession.
Episode 82: Brian Behn is a Critical Care Paramedic in Colorado and is known on the Facebook Page EMSQAQI. You can say that Brian is pro QA/QI and he is a dedicated educator. Brian has spoken at State Conferences, written for EMS1.com and likes to write test questions for a well known EMS review site. Our conversation touches on all the above subjects as well as Brian takes inside a call that every EMS provider can learn from.
One of the most difficult topics this podcast has discussed. The suicide problem that is occurring within the EMS profession. This week's I talk with the founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) Jeff Dill. FBHA is dedicated to educating EMS, Police and Fire on suicide awareness. It is the only known organization that collects and validates data on FF/EMT suicides across the Unites States. Jeff besides being a retired Fire Captain holds a MS in Counseling. Suicide of Public Safety Providers, especially in EMS unfortunately is in the news on a regular basis. Just this week EMS1.com ran another article on the subject. We discuss how the organization got its start. We talk about suicide in EMS, what are some of the signs we should be looking for and how important that we educate our public safety family.
Inside EMS: EMS1 Editor-in-Chief discusses the Orlando shooting by EMS1 Podcasts
Kris Kaull is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in public safety both as a clinician and business professional. Kris was the the founder of EMS1.com. Kris began his career in public safety as a firefighter and EMT. Kris is passionate about EMS and technology and you can hear this during our conversation. We talk about leadership qualities and you will be surprised about quality Kris thinks is the most important. We also talk about what gets Kris's creative juices going.
Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.com. He is an educator, author, paramedic, and marathon runner. We talk about how EMS1.com got started as well as a hot button topic as ballistic vests for EMS providers.
Co-host Kelly Grayson and EMS1 columnist and show guest Bob Sullivan debate a BLS vs. ALS system
Co-host Kelly Grayson and EMS1 columnist and guest Bob Sullivan debate a BLS vs. ALS system
EMS1 columnist and nutrition expert Bryan Fass joined hosts Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson to explain the importance of portion control in EMS, and provide tips to make better food choices while on the job.