The United States represents 4.9% of the world’s population, yet we consume 80% of the world’s production of opioids (Jim Avila, ABC World News, April 20, 2011). To many of us in EMS, this statistic is not a surprise. We have directly witnessed the increase of opioid overdose incidents, or we have seen the various […]
As the chair of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEM-SAC), I am pleased to report the significant steps taken to improve the provision of EMS nationwide and the adoption of recommendations for ongoing progress in the future. NEMSAC was created in 2007 to provide National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommendations regarding EMS. […]
(Editor’s Note: The following is part two of a two-part series. Part one was published in the September issue of EMS Insider.) In part one, we discussed the evolution of spinal immobilization protocols used by most EMS systems and the increasing evidence that shows they often do more harm than good. In this part, I’ll […]
Despite different backgrounds, successful EMS professionals share some common characteristics: They understand both how to move forward in their careers and how to make a positive impact on their EMS agency, system or even EMS as a whole. And yet they are limited by how few structured avenues exist to follow as they move up […]
Two traits are common to most employees in the EMS workforce: EMTs and paramedics tend to be young, and they tend to job hop … a lot. Not surprisingly, employees with little in the way of longevity often lack loyalty to their employers. Add to this lack of loyalty the fact that many EMS employees […]
(Editor’s Note: The following is part one of a two-part series. Part two will be published in the October issue of the EMS Insider.) Ask most field providers about applying a rigid extrication collar and you’ll often hear stories about having to move the head and neck so much you begin to question why it’s […]
Nationally, healthcare is rapidly trending toward more community health and home health in order to help decrease unnecessary ED visits, admission and re-admission, and to continue treatment beyond discharge. The impetus for this came from patients, hospitals, insurance providers and public policymakers and is the future of healthcare. Since EMS has been providing medical care […]
One of the upsides to the tightening of our economic conditions is that EMS systems and provider organizations—public and private—are paying more attention to the value they provide.1 Another upside is the increase in political will to make changes to the status quo. This creates an opportunity for EMS systems and provider organizations to refocus […]
The emergency care drug shortages that we all hoped would be resolved remains a continuing problem, and some months have seen periodic escalations for critically required medications. EMS medical directors continue to struggle to maintain quality prehospital care and protect patient safety as they navigate through the challenges of ongoing drug shortages that seem endless. […]
There has been a lot of “buzz” about community paramedicine in recent months. Everyone’s talking about it. Professional associations and individual organizations are trying to figure it out. It’s a hot topic at upcoming Pinnacle 2013 EMS Leadership & Management Conference and will be at the 2014 EMS Today Conference & Exposition to be sure. […]
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SARS-Like Virus a Global Threat
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EMS Admin and Leadership
- Is EMS Next to Transition to Medicare’s Value-Based Payment Model?
- Be Able to Communicate with All Patients During an MCI
EMS News
- New Yorkers Continue to Struggle with Effects of 9/11
- Three FDNY EMS Members Added to List of Fallen from WTC Illnesses
EMS Training
- EMS-Reported Last Known Normal Times in Stroke Victims Are Accurate
- Simulation-Based Assessment Facilitates Learning & Enhances Clinical Judgment
EMS Featured Articles
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- Debunking the Myths of Ambulance Restocking Programs