News

This Week in EMS: Woman Killed in Ambulance Crash...NYC Hospital Closure...Film Tackles Ambulance Diversion

04/15/2010

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Ind. Woman Killed in Crash with Ambulance

A woman was killed Thursday afternoon when she pulled out in front of an ambulance headed to an Indianapolis hospital, police said.

Pa. Ambulance Service Plan Upsets Providers, Municipalities

Erie County Executive Barry Grossman wants to adopt a plan that guarantees that the closest ambulance service will be dispatched when someone calls 911, regardless of municipal boundaries.

Study Shows Bystander Use of AEDs Saves Lives

Victims of sudden cardiac arrest who are treated with AEDs by bystanders have a much greater chance of survival than their counterparts, according to landmark research by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium, just published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

EMS Training Center

Filling the Gap

Emergency responders have needs. The Department of Homeland Security's TechSolutions program exists to help solve them. Established by the department's Science & Technology Directorate, its goal is to identify capability gaps for the various emergency services that can be bridged with research and development efforts in partnership with industry.

EMS Revisited

October 1991 Luby's Shooting

Robert L. Kelley worked as a firefighter/paramedic for the Killeen (TX) Fire Department from 1982-97. In October 1991, he responded to the Luby's restaurant shooting in which gunman George Hennard killed 23 before shooting himself, which was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history before Virginia Tech. This article is an excerpt from a journal Kelley kept about the response to the shooting.

Featured Articles

Firestorm Film Tackles Ambulance Diversion

In EMS, we know all about ambulance diversions and offload delays. But communicating these complex problems to the public at large is an ongoing challenge. Educating those constituents--who elect society's leaders and shape the priorities to which they tend--is vital to reducing this problem. That's going to require telling the story in an understandable, accessible way. And that's what makes Firestorm such a potentially important film.

A Death of Historical Significance

Since 1849, Saint Vincent's Hospital has provided emergency medical care to the citizens of New York City. Sadly, the hospital and its paramedic program will close its doors in 2010. This article details the amazing story behind Saint Vincent's Hospital, which received and treated patients from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, the sinking of the Titantic in 1912, and patients from both the 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as running one of the nation's most respected paramedic programs.

Salvaging the Students of Saint Vincent's

When a venerable New York hospital closes and takes its paramedic education program with it, other institutions and one dedicated educator step up to finish the job.

Featured EMS Magazine Article

View From the Ground: Haiti EMS Response

On January 12 a 7.0-magnitude earthquake violently shook the densely populated capital and surrounding areas of Haiti, forever changing an already ravaged country into what many described as sheer apocalypse. As the world reacted to Haiti's need, NYC Medics, an international relief organization, mobilized and within five days had placed two teams on the ground in the country. Over the next eight weeks, NYC Medics deployed a total of seven teams-nearly 60 paramedics, nurses, physician assistants and doctors. During this initial response to the earthquake, NYC Medics treated roughly 20,000 patients.

Continuing Education

The Power of Capnography to Guide Respiratory Care

Capnography can provide valuable, immediate information to help you care for your patients in respiratory distress. This presentation sponsored by Philips looks at waveform morphology for common respiratory disease states and how to use this information to guide decisions, indicate effectiveness of treatment, and optimize patient care. After viewing this video, take the CE test that accompanies this lesson at www.rapidce.com.

This CE activity is approved by EMS Magazine, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), for .5 CEUs. After viewing the video, take the CE test that accompanies this lesson at www.rapidce.com.

Facial Trauma

Facial trauma is most frequently caused by motor vehicle collisions, physical altercations and falls. This CE article discusses the incidence of facial trauma, reviews facial anatomy and physiology, and discusses the assessment and treatment of the facial trauma patient. This article also features a lesson plan that utilizes the content of CE articles to help facilitate training sessions. Use or adapt this lesson plan for your organization, its personnel and its local protocols.

This CE activity is approved by EMS Magazine, an organization accredited by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), for 1.5 CEUs. After reading the article, take the CE test that accompanies this lesson at www.rapidce.com.

Additional CE Articles: Abdominal Trauma

Website of the Week

Airway World

Airway World brings together resources and information from an extensive range of sources to create a first-of-its-kind knowledge and collaboration center. In Airway World, visitors will find multiple learning opportunities and interactive experiences.

Industry News

PEPID Partners With McGraw-Hill

PEPID, a top developer of clinical decision-support information and technology for healthcare professionals, has announced a partnership with McGraw-Hill Professional, the leading provider of reference and trade publishing for the medical profession. This partnership will put 27 of the publisher's medical reference guides into electronic format for mobile access.

Featured Job

Paramedic, Atlanta, GA

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is looking for a paramedic who will be part of an interdisciplinary team organizing and providing quality patient care services. For paramedics working inside the hospital, care will be delivered under the supervision of a licensed professional.

Click above for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings.

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Featured Forum Thread

Attitudes of EMS Providers

Katlynd77 says: I am a senior in an Emergency Medicine program and I am conducting a research project on negative attitudes that some EMS providers may have and the effects it may have on different aspects of the job.

Follow the link to read more, or browse other topics at www.emsresponder.com/forums.

Poll Question

This week we ask our readers: New Hampshire officials dropped plans to bill a 17-year-old Eagle Scout almost $26,000 for a rescue required when he left the marked trail and got lost on Mt. Washington. Do you support billing those who require rescue due to their own poor decisions?

Grant & Scholarship News & Resources

Grant Will Fund Communications Equipment for Mass. Responders

Kingston firefighters and EMTs will soon be a little safer at emergency scenes, thanks to a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Nominations Now Open for 2010 Robert G. Nixon EMS EXPO Scholarship Program

Nominations are now open for the Robert G. Nixon EMS EXPO Scholarship Program, which awards two scholarships each year for EMS providers to attend EMS EXPO. The scholarship consists of a 3-day core program registration to EMS EXPO and $1,000 stipend to cover travel and expenses.

Noticeboard

SCA Foundation Kicks Off 'You Can Save a Life' Video Awareness Contest

To celebrate National CPR/AED Awareness Week during the first week of June, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation has announced its third 'You Can Save a Life' video awareness contest. Students from elementary school through college are invited to produce their own short videos promoting the importance of SCA awareness. Five winning schools will each receive an AED and CPR Anytime Kits.

National EMS Awards of Excellence

The nomination period for the National EMS Awards of Excellence is now open. Don't miss your opportunity to win cash prizes and a trip to EMS EXPO 2010 in Dallas, TX, September 27-October 1.

EMS Responder Daily Tips

Check out EMSResponder's daily tips. During April, we will feature daily MCI management tips. If you have a tip you would like to share with us, e-mail Editorial Director Nancy Perry.

EMS Magazine April 2010

The April issue of EMS Magazine is now available online. This month, we feature articles on NYC Medics' response to Haiti, EMS response to mass violence, prehospital management of gunshot wounds and treating the near-drowning patient.

Upcoming Events

Visit our Events Calendar to see what educational opportunities are in your area, plus post your own listings. Here are a selection of EMS upcoming training events:

May 1-8: International Police Mountain Bike Association Conference, St. Louis, MO
May 3-4: 1st Annual EMS on the Hill Day, Washington DC
May 8: Pioneers of Paramedicine Gala Dinner and Fundraiser, Los Angeles, CA
May 10-11: Regional UASI (Urban Area Security Initiative) Workshop, Philadelphia, PA
May 11-13: 2010 Disaster Recovery and Response Expo, Nashville, TN
May 15-16: A Weekend with Bob Page, Garden City, KS

Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com

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We Want to Hear From You
If you have a news lead or story idea you would like to submit to EMSResponder.com, please e-mail Nancy.Perry@cygnusb2b.com.