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Association Update: May 2022
How to Support EMS in Ukraine
EMS professionals respond to emergencies wherever they occur—including conflict and disaster zones. In support of members and colleagues working around the clock to provide emergency medical care in Ukraine and the surrounding countries, the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) encourages monetary donations to well-established international organizations such as Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the International Medical Corps. Find information about both groups and their Ukrainian efforts here.
NAEMSP also spotlighted EMS fellow Kasia Hampton, MD, chair of the organization’s Prehospital Ultrasound Task Force, and her daughter, a medical student in Poland, who are both volunteering on the frontlines of the Ukrainian humanitarian response.
Hampton is continuing collaborative efforts with organizations such as the World Health Organization, Polish Medical Mission, Interstate Disaster Medical Collaborative, and Polish Ministry of Health. Her daughter provides humanitarian assistance to the refugees in Kraków and travels to the Ukrainian side of the border to help the refugees waiting to cross into Poland.
—NAEMSP
College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma Celebrates 100 Years
The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) kicked off its 100-year anniversary during March’s ACS COT annual meeting in Seattle, Washington. Throughout the year the ACS COT will further raise public awareness of traumatic injury as a major public health issue and advocate for investment in the development of a national trauma and emergency preparedness system and sustainable research funding proportionate to the public health burden of injury.
The ACS COT has a long history of leading the way in improving trauma care. Since its early days the committee has transformed the care of the injured patient by setting standards for emergency trauma care and industrial, automobile, and traffic safety. It is involved today in important work related to firearms injury and violence prevention, among many other areas.
“A serious injury is often seen as a moment of crisis, but it has a lifetime of impact. While we celebrate 100 years of transformative advances in trauma care, we commit to continuing our mission to reduce the burden of traumatic injury through prevention efforts and a system of care that ensures optimal outcomes for all,” said Eileen M. Bulger, MD, FACS, medical director of ACS trauma programs.
—American College of Surgeons
ESO Releases 2022 EMS Index
ESO, a leading data and software company serving EMS, announced the findings of its 2022 ESO EMS Index. The Index tracks data for more than 2000 EMS agencies nationwide across both performance and surveillance measures: stroke assessment documentation, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) acquisition for hospital-confirmed heart attack (STEMI/NSTEMI), ketamine administration with patient weight recorded and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) documented, lights and siren use, nontransport of patients by EMS following 9-1-1 calls, encounters involving death notifications, and percent of patients with suspected overdose.
In addition to measures across EMS, this year’s Index takes a deeper look at a handful of measures across patient race/ethnicity and gender to identify disparities in response and treatment.
“This is the fifth year of our annual EMS Index, and we continue to see how agencies and departments are using data to make meaningful and deliberate decisions that have a positive impact,” said Dr. Brent Myers, chief medical officer for ESO. “Additionally, we take a hard look at how, as EMS, we respond to our diverse patient population to identify where we have gaps and disparities when it comes to assessment and care for all members of a community.”
—ESO
