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This Week in EMS: U.S. Emergency Care System Graded C-
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A new Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine in the U.S. gave the nation an overall grade of C-. The report, released this week by ACEP, called the system a "national disgrace" and concluded that 90 percent of U.S. states had earned "mediocre or near-failing grades." Massachusetts ranked highest and Arkansas lowest.
Read the full details and share your comments at Report: U.S. Emergency Care System a 'National Disgrace'.
In disaster news this week, a Marine jet crashed down in a San Diego neighborhood Monday while on a training flight. Three houses were destroyed and a family of four was killed.
Rescue crews dug through the wreckage until Tuesday to locate the fourth family member, a 13-month old girl.
Read more at Marine Jet Crash Kills 4 in San Diego.
Also this week, a report in the Houston Chronicle blamed the federal government for failing to institute stricter regulations for medical helicopter transport, holding them partially responsible for many of this year's tragic crash deaths.
Of the 28 people killed in medical chopper crashes in 2008, most died in conditions known to be dangerous.
Read more at Government's Failure to Tighten Flying Rules Cited in Medical Copter Crashes.
In yet another report this week, the Associated Press writes that over the past 18 months, at least 129 EMS personnel across the U.S. have been accused of sex-related crimes, both on and off duty.
The report also found that twenty-eight states do not automatically bar known sex offenders from working as EMTs.
Read the article: Responders Accused of Molesting Patients.
Exclusive on EMSResponder.com:
The 10th Annual EMS Holiday Gift Guide
Seasons Greetings everyone and welcome to EMS Magazine's 10th Annual Holiday Gift Guide by Norm and Vicki Rooker. "When we started this a decade ago it was the result of searching for just the right gifts for both our personal family and extended work "families" of rescuers and rescuers-to-be," Norm writes.
Featured Podcast:
Dilanga Manuweera of the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care recalls an MVA at which one of the drivers became combative. "They were trying to restrain this patient and forgot to turn the ignition off... He took his foot off the brake pedal, jammed on the accelerator and went straight toward the car that I was assessing."
Featured Column:
"Deadlines. To some this is an ominous word. To others it is a target that they can start to work on immediately," writes EMS management columnist Paul Murphy.
If you ever tend to find yourself in a last-minute panic, this article is for you.
Featured Job:
Ski/Snowboard Patrol - Vernon, NJ
Patrol Mountain Creek ski trails and slope areas to provide prevention, protection, and assistance to skiers and riders, and report condition of trails, ski lifts, and snow cover on slopes.
Click above for details and visit www.EMSResponder.com/jobs for additional listings.
Featured Forum Thread:
How Many Runs Should a Paramedic Answer Per Year?
Forum member rjtoc2 asks, "With the debate of EMS suffering at the hands of having too many paramedics (regardless of affilition), does anyone have any idea of how many runs per year a paramedic 'should' make?"
Click above to read the discussion, and browse other topics at www.emsresponder.com/forums.
Poll Question:
What kind of EMS themed gifts do you enjoy?
Click to participate, and view previous polls at www.EMSResponder.com/polls.
Reminders:
Call for Presenters: EMS EXPO 2009
Speaking proposals are now being accepted for EMS EXPO 2009, to take place Oct. 26-30 in Atlanta, Georgia. Applications are due by December 15, 2008.
EMSResponder.com is now on Facebook
We invite you to stop by our new page, leave us a note, and sign up as a fan.
EMS EXPO/EMS Magazine Launch Premier EMS Social Network
Connect exclusively with EMS professionals from all over the world at EMS United.
Free Posters
Two posters are available from EMSResponder.com for free and unlimited distribution. Click to open the PDFs for the E2B Challenge poster and the ICARE poster.
To learn more about these topics visit www.EMSResponder.com/e2b and Do You Care Enough to ICARE?
Other top headlines this week on EMSResponder.com:
- D.C. EMT Exam Stirs Up Controversy
- Oklahoma's EMSA Considers Refusing Minor Injuries
- FDA Advisers Recommend Asthma Drug Restrictions
- Texas EMT Convicted of Unauthorized Gas Charges
- Denver Responders Hassled by Red Light Policy
- Study Tests New Cooling Method for Heart Attack Patients
About Heather Caspi, EMSResponder.com Editor-in-Chief
Heather Caspi has been a public safety journalist since 2000, beginning as a reporter for sister site Firehouse.com. She later became the assistant news editor for Firehouse.com and Officer.com, and led the launch of EMSResponder.com in 2005. She graduated from the University of Maryland with degrees in Journalism and English Language and Literature, and earned her EMT-B at Merritt College in Oakland, California. She can be reached at Heather.Caspi@cygnusb2b.com.
