Tag - EMS

EMS1 – FirstWatch to host series of Conversations that Matter for leaders in EMS and public safety

EMS1 - On Thursday, October 1, FirstWatch is launching Conversations that Matter, a series of virtual roundtable discussions featuring leaders talking about some of the most important issues facing our professions. FirstWatch Improvement Guide Mike Taigman will facilitate, engaging the expert guest speakers and audience in dialogue to encourage information sharing and collaboration to help tackle tough problems.

JEMS – FirstWatch to Host Series of Conversations that Matter for Leaders in EMS and Public Safety

JEMS - On Thursday, October 1, FirstWatch is launching Conversations that Matter, a series of virtual roundtable discussions featuring leaders talking about some of the most important issues facing our professions. FirstWatch Improvement Guide Mike Taigman will facilitate, engaging the expert guest speakers and audience in dialogue to encourage information sharing and collaboration to help tackle tough problems.

Preparing for Seasonal Flu in a COVID-19 World

Fever, cough, difficulty breathing, body aches, chills.  Sounds like the beginning of flu season—or maybe the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s likely to happen as we enter flu season during a pandemic? What can EMS systems do to set their employees and their system up to safely and effectively handle this combination? Mike Taigman, Improvement Guide at FirstWatch, facilitated a conversation with infectious disease expert Pam Farber, RN and Silvia Verdugo, MD, PhD, medical director of FirstWatch. Faculty:  Mike Taigman,...

AIMHI Webinar – High-Performance High-Value Operational Outcome Measures

The need to optimize EMS operations has never been greater! Our profession is entering into one of the most challenging economic, clinical and human resources times in a generation. Maximizing operational effectiveness leads to economic efficiency, but must be balanced with employee satisfaction. Ken and Jimmy have mastered the art of using data and metrics to identify opportunities for operational enhancements and implementing them with a focus on the impact to employees. They have also been literally on the front lines...

Evidence Based Quality Measures – The key to making meaningful improvement

Ask a room full of 20 EMS leaders how they measure response time and you’ll get 25 different answers. Knowing what to measure, how to measure, and why to measure something in EMS is quite a challenge. Several national attempts to build standardized EMS quality measures in the past failed to gain significant momentum or lead to meaningful improvement, but a new effort hopes to succeed where others have struggled. Facilitator Mike Taigman discussed the next generation of performance measures with...

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) August 2020

It is important to realize that this time, between August and November is the peak time for AFM. Furthermore, EMS Personnel and other First Responders should be aware of the signs and symptoms and other presentations of the syndrome, as well as how to further assess, monitor, stabilize/treat, and transport an individual (typically a child) with possible AFM. The inability to recognize and manage AFM appropriately, including transport to an appropriate hospital, may result in a worsening condition and potentially...

Latest Strategies on COVID-19 Mitigation On & Off Duty

Most Public Safety & First Responders, especially EMS and Fire that work around COVID often, are keen to decrease its transmission to themselves or others.  And, recent studies and articles have suggested more ways to mitigate the risk of exposure, both on and off duty. View/Download the full update with links

Latest Data on COVID-19 Mitigation On & Off Duty Resources & Links

There are a lot of recently published scientific & observational studies, editorials, viewpoints, and more about both medical and lay person PPE. This includes predominantly masks & respirators, but also other mitigation strategies that have been moved beyond ‘might this help?’ to ‘likely some benefit’. In some cases, recommendations from international and national organizations & agencies, as well as industry organizations, have been made. Below, are some links to some of those documents. All of them provide good information, but...

Ebola Cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The Ebola outbreak in the DRC Equateur Province in Mbandaka continues to produce new cases with a total of 74 known cases and 32 deaths.  There was only one new case reported on August 3 and no new deaths, but one new case and one new death reported on August 5 by the WHO African Regional Office.  

Updated FDA Hand Sanitizer Warning 8-5-20

There is an ongoing and escalating issue with hand sanitizers manufactured in some factories in Mexico, and sold in stores throughout the U.S, that pose a danger to those who use them.  This is due to either methanol being added or substituted for ethyl or isopropyl alcohols, or subpotent percentages of appropriate alcohols in them. 

Finding & Reading the Literature on COVID-19

There are very few positives that have come from this COVID-19 Pandemic, but there is one that has made it easier for scientists, health care providers, and anyone who wants to know what is happening, from a scientific or medical perspective, to have access to the latest information on a wide range of topics related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The downside is that those readers who are not used to reading scientific or medical literature, may not realize that the info...