Pfizer to Supply U.S. with Additional 100M Vaccines Doses
By JONATHAN LEMIRE and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer and BioNTech will supply the U.S. with an additional 100 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine under a second agreement. The drugmakers said Wednesday that they expect to deliver all the doses by July 31. Pfizer already has a contract to supply the government with 100 million doses of its vaccine, which requires two doses per patient. Under the nearly $2 billion deal announced Wednesday, the companies will deliver at least 70 million additional doses by June 30, with the remaining 30 million to be delivered no later tha...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 23, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus Medicine Source Type: news

Feds Sue Walmart Over Role in Opioid Crisis
By MICHAEL BALSAMO and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department sued Walmart on Tuesday, accusing it of fueling the nation’s opioid crisis by pressuring its pharmacies to fill even potentially suspicious prescriptions for the powerful painkillers. The civil complaint filed points to the role Walmart’s pharmacies may have played in the crisis by filling opioid prescriptions and Walmart’s own responsibility for the allegedly illegal distribution of controlled substances to the pharmacies at the height of the opioid crisis. Walmart operates more than 5,000 pharmacies ...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 23, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Medicine Source Type: news

PA Vaccinates Medical Workers Against COVID-19
David Wenner pennlive.com (MCT) As of early Monday, 17,700 health care workers in Pennsylvania have received COVID-19 vaccine, with tens of thousands more expected to receive it this week, state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. So far, 87 hospitals have received vaccine, and they continue to vaccinate doctors, nurses and others who work directly with COVID-19 patients, along with certain other frontline workers such as ambulance crew members. Staff and high-risk residents of long-term care facilities including nursing homes will begin getting vaccine next week. Pennsylvania&...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus News News Feed EMS EMT Hospital Paramedic Pennsylvania Source Type: news

Post-Intubation Sedation and Pain Control Management
A review of our 2018 article discussing post-intubation management of sedation and pain control to improve patient outcomes. Previous: Is mechanical CPR superior to traditional CPR? The team at Master Your Medics examines the use of mechanical CPR devices and investigating the science behind them. The post Post-Intubation Sedation and Pain Control Management appeared first on JEMS. (Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership)
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Patient Care Patient Care Videos Training Videos Airway & Respiratory Master Your Medics Source Type: news

Post Intubation Sedation and Pain Control Management
A review of our 2018 article discussing post-intubation management of sedation and pain control to improve patient outcomes. Previous: Is mechanical CPR superior to traditional CPR? The team at Master Your Medics examines the use of mechanical CPR devices and investigating the science behind them. The post Post Intubation Sedation and Pain Control Management appeared first on JEMS. (Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership)
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Patient Care Patient Care Videos Training Videos Airway & Respiratory Master Your Medics Source Type: news

Ansonia (CT) Orders Probe of EMS Chief after ‘No Confidence’ Vote
Peter Yankowski Connecticut Post, Bridgeport (MCT) Dec. 22—ANSONIA — The city has hired an outside lawyer to investigate allegations against the top-ranking member of its emergency medical services department. The investigation is in response to a letter city officials say they received Friday, claiming members of the Ansonia Rescue and Medical Services held a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Chief Jared Heon. The seven-page letter included the signatures of more than two dozen EMTs and a supervisor, and was addressed to Mayor David Cassetti and the Board of Aldermen. In the letter, members ...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Administration and Leadership News News Feed Connecticut EMS Source Type: news

The EMS Handoff Podcast: Mental Health Resilience with Tom Herron
Get every episode by subscribing to The EMS Handoff using Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. On this week’s episode of The EMS Handoff Podcast, Eric, Bradley and David talk with Tom Herron, associate professor and clinical coordinator at Roane State Community College, about the hidden fears of EMS. Tom is an advocate for EMS and seeks to empower EMS professors to seek help for the injuries and scars that go unseen through experiences with prehospital providers’ clinical experience. To reach out to Tom, you can email at reboot.tom865@gmail.com. Previous: Eric, David and Bradley are joined by Kevin Collo...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Podcasts EMS Source Type: news

Urbana (OH) Firefighter Receives Honors for EMS Coordination, COVID-19 Tasks
Natalie Jones Springfield News-Sun, Ohio (MCT) Dec. 21—The Urbana Fire Division selected John Flora as the 2020 Firefighter of the year for his work as the division’s EMS coordinator and his efforts related to the coronavirus pandemic. “John was awarded this honor for his work as the Division’s EMS Coordinator and assistance in creating Emergency Temporary Measures that have driven policies in helping keep our community and personnel safe during the COVID-19 pandemic,” a Facebook post on the Urbana Fire Division’s page said. Flora has worked for the Ur...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus News News Feed Ohio Source Type: news

U.S. Deaths in 2020 Top Three Million
By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more than 3.2 million deaths this year, or at least 400,000 more than in 2019. U.S. deaths increase most years, so some annual rise in fatalities is expected. But the 2020 numbers amount to a jump of about 15%, and could go higher once all the deaths from this month are counted. ...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus EMS Hospital Prehospital Source Type: news

COVID Bill to End ‘Surprise’ Medical Bills
By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — People with private health insurance will see the nasty shock of “surprise” medical bills virtually gone, thanks to the coronavirus compromise passed by Congress. The charges that can run from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars come from doctors and hospitals that are outside the network of a patient’s health insurance plan. It’s estimated that about 1 in 5 emergency visits and 1 in 6 inpatient admissions will trigger a surprise bill. Although lawmakers of both parties long agreed that the practice amounted to abusive billing, a ...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Administration and Leadership AP News Coronavirus Source Type: news

Identifying Toxic Leadership in EMS Organizations
This study also highlighted the lasting effects of a decline in health while reporting to a toxic leader.12 Providers in stressful environments tend to seek out coping mechanisms. Some of the physical and psychological problems experienced included mental stress, hypertension, personal medical complications, weight gain, and excessive drinking and smoking.16 These coping mechanisms lead to increased time off, decreased productivity, staffing difficulties and high costs of providing medical benefits. More from the Author Treating Injured Police OfficersTrauma Caused by Law Enforcement Use of ForceDevelopment and Re...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 22, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Administration and Leadership Commentary Exclusives EMS Source Type: news

National Registry Extends Provisional Certification Deadline to June
NREMT Press Release Earlier this month, the National Registry reminded the EMS community that the issuance of Provisional Certifications would stop on December 31, 2020. We received immediate feedback and requests from our stakeholders that the deadline should be extended due to the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in many areas around the nation. To assist state EMS offices with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors took action to further extend the Provisional Certification deadline until June 30, 2021. “Despite feedback a couple months ago that the need for Provision...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 21, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: News EMS national registry of emergency medical technicians Paramedic Source Type: news

Hospital Staffs Stretched Thin During Virus Surge in CA
By CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Medical staffing is stretched increasingly thin as California hospitals scramble to find beds for patients amid an explosion of coronavirus cases that threatens to overwhelm the state’s emergency care system. As of Sunday, more than 16,840 people were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infections — more than double the previous peak reached in July — and a state model that uses current data to forecast future trends shows the number could reach 75,000 by mid-January. More than 3,610 COVID-19 patients were in intensive care units. All of Souther...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 21, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus California Hospital Source Type: news

‘Santa’ Crashes Aircraft into Power Lines in CA
In #RioLinda today #Santa may have lost his way but #MetroFire, @SacFirePIO & @SMUDUpdates made sure he was not long delayed.W/o a scratch & full of good cheer we made sure Old St. Nick will use his reindeer when he sees you later this year. #MerryChristmas & #HappyHolidays pic.twitter.com/Tl3vNFzhZm— Metro Fire of Sacramento (@metrofirepio) December 21, 2020 Matthias Gafni San Francisco Chronicle (MCT) Dec. 21—Because it’s 2020, a man dressed as Santa Claus and delivering candy canes to neighborhood children in a Sacramento suburb on Sunday morning crashed his aircraft into...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 21, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: News News Feed Operations Rescue & Vehicle Extrication California Technical Rescue Source Type: news

Overdose Deaths Far Outpace COVID-19 Deaths in San Francisco (CA)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far. The crisis fueled by the powerful painkiller fentanyl could have been far worse if it wasn’t for the nearly 3,000 times Narcan was used from January to the beginning of November to save someone from the brink of death, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday. Related Beyond Naloxone: Providing Comprehensive Prehospital Care to Overdose Patients in the Midst of a Public Health CrisisOne Paramedic’s Perspecti...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - December 21, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Patient Care California Overdose Source Type: news