Among the Big Birds

     Medical directors from EMS systems in the nation's largest cities and key federal agencies gathered in Dallas on February 20–21 for the always-much-anticipated EMS State of the Sciences Conference, commonly known as the Gathering of Eagles.

     The Eagles show provides a venue for EMS docs to discuss current issues and events, and share the latest in clinical and operational innovations. Presentations, limited to 10 minutes, come in a rapid-fire succession that can overwhelm the unwary, and regular "lightning rounds" bring all the participants together to field questions as a panel.

     Highlights this year included reviews of EMS operations at last year's Republican and Democratic national conventions and January's presidential inauguration; presentations from a pair of international medical directors (Fionna Moore, MD, of the London Ambulance Service and Karen Wanger, MD, of the British Columbia Ambulance Service); and a debate between a pair of well-known U.S. EMS docs, Nashville Fire Department medical director Corey Slovis and Ray Fowler, operations medical director for the Dallas-area BioTel (EMS) system, on letting paramedics activate cardiac cath labs based on their interpretations of 12-lead ECGs.

     Conference leaders bestowed a pair of awards: Houston EMS director David Persse, MD, received the Michael Keys Copass Award for service and leadership in prehospital emergency care. Paula Willoughby-DeJesus, DO, past medical director of the Chicago Fire Department, received the new Corey M. Slovis Award for Excellence in Education.

     The 2010 Gathering of Eagles will be held next February 26–27; see https://gatheringofeagles.us. We will feature more on this year's show in the July issue of EMS.