Agencies Pivot Patient Care Response Resources amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
A mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) program in Sacramento County (CA) under development to be implemented as an alternative model for response to low-acuity calls and high utilizers of emergency services was quickly brought to an operational status. It was then redesigned and redirected to serve a new purpose as the COVID-19 pandemic struck northern California and challenged patients’ access to appropriate healthcare. Upon the outbreak of COVID-19, three Sacramento-area fire departments joined forces with local hospitals to rapidly mobilize a MIH program to deliver patient-centric care, testing and education to out-o...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 18, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Community Paramedicine and Mobile Health Exclusives Patient Care California EMT Hospital Mobile Integrated Healthcare Source Type: news

1 in 5 Prisoners in the U.S. Has Had COVID-19, 1,700 Have Died
BETH SCHWARTZAPFEL and KATIE PARK of The Marshall Project and ANDREW DEMILLO of The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — One in every five state and federal prisoners in the United States has tested positive for the coronavirus, a rate more than four times higher than the general population. In some states, more than half of prisoners have been infected, according to data collected by The Associated Press and The Marshall Project. As the pandemic enters its 10th month — and as the first Americans begin to receive a long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine — at least 275,000 prisoners have been infected, more than 1,7...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 18, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus Source Type: news

Two AR Paramedics Shot, One Returns Fire and Kills Suspect
Update: Both paramedics were listed in stable condition on Thursday after surgery, according to CBS 5. Two paramedics with Emergency Ambulance Service (AR) were shot and a suspect is dead following a shooting early Thursday morning, according to reports. Police say it happened 1400 block of West 23rd Avenue in Pine Bluff, roughly 40 miles south of Little Rock, deltaplexnews.com reports. Police say the paramedics were working on a patient, when a bystander pulled out the gun and fired on both paramedics. One of the paramedics then pulled out a gun and shot the suspect. Related Protecting EMS Personnel from...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: News Arkansas Paramedic Shooting Source Type: news

Congress of Mobile Medical Professionals Publishes COVID-19 Vaccinations Guidance
The Congress of Mobile Medical Professionals, or CoMMP — a diverse collective comprising all facets of our diverse industry, including Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Community Paramedicine, legal, billing, technology, regulatory, and academia — announced today that it has published two documents, detailed below, that reflect a novel and nationwide perspective on key topics related to the practice of Mobile Medicine. Both papers can be downloaded via the organization’s website, www.CoMMP.org. Related Emergency Considerations in COVID-19 Vaccine AdministrationInternational Association of EMS Chiefs Release Pa...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus Source Type: news

911 Call: Sarasota (FL) Shark Bite Victim was ‘Bleeding to Death’
Laura Finaldi Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. (MCT) Dec. 17—The victim of a Tuesday morning shark bite has been identified as a 39-year-old man whose arm and hand were bitten while he was swimming off of Siesta Key. A female caller told a 911 operator that the victim was swimming off Siesta Key when he was bitten. He walked home afterward, but bled profusely in the house after he got back. The caller told the dispatcher that the victim was alert but “bleeding to death.” The dispatcher explained to the caller and another person present how to stop the bleeding until paramedics arrived. The fema...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Communications & Dispatch Industry News Trauma Florida Stop the Bleed Source Type: news

Expert: Bismarck (ND) Air Medical Pilot Tried to ‘Save the Day’
Jack Dura The Bismarck Tribune, N.D. (MCT) Dec. 14—Authorities might never know what all happened in the sky before a fatal Bismarck air ambulance crash in 2018, but one expert sees a few possible answers to some questions that remain. The National Transportation Safety Board on Dec. 3 released its final report on the Bismarck Air Medical crash the night of Nov. 18, 2018. Bismarck Air Medical pilot Todd Lasky, Metro Area Ambulance paramedic Chris Iverson and CHI St. Alexius Health nurse Bonnie Cook died in the crash. They were ...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: News News Feed Air Ambulance Crash North Dakota Source Type: news

Queensbury (NY) Encouraged to Make Changes to EMS
Kathleen Moore The Post-Star, Glens Falls, N.Y. (MCT) Dec. 17—QUEENSBURY — A long-awaited study of the town’s complex, three-agency emergency medical system has strongly advised the Town Board to merge all three agencies into one. But the three agencies, which met with the Town Board on Monday on the issue, were unenthusiastic. West Glens Falls and Bay Ridge EMS leaders said they were considering an adjustment to the boundary lines of their districts to equalize the number of calls each agency gets. That was an alternative offered in the study. North Queensbury EMS officials said they do not ...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: News News Feed Operations EMS New York Source Type: news

Health Officials Track Safety as COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out
By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer As COVID-19 vaccinations roll out to more and more people, health authorities are keeping close watch for any unexpected side effects. On Tuesday, a health worker in Alaska suffered a severe allergic reaction after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. She is in the hospital for another night under observation while another worker, vaccinated Wednesday, has recovered. Doctors already knew to be on the lookout after Britain reported two similar cases last week. Related: Emergency Considerations in COVID-19 Vaccine Administration In the U.S., vaccine recipients are supposed ...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus Source Type: news

Will Children Be Able to Get COVID-19 Vaccines?
Will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines? Not until there’s enough data from studies in different age groups, which will stretch well into next year. The Pfizer vaccine authorized in the U.S. this month is for people 16 and older. Testing began in October in children as young as 12 and is expected to take several more months. The Food and Drug Administration will have to decide when there’s enough data to allow emergency use in this age group. Related: COVID-19 in Kids — It’s Not a Small Problem Depending on the results, younger children may be enrolled for study as well. Moderna, which is expe...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: AP News Coronavirus Medicine Source Type: news

Leadership Mindset with an Emphasis in EMS, Part Three
Conclusion “Half of what is taught in medical school is wrong, but nobody knows which half. –  Lucy Hornstein, MD.”15 The same could be said about leadership as well. Many leadership fads have been developed over time and may have had their place, but as times and trends change, so does leadership. As leaders in EMS, it’s crucial to adapt to the new generations of employees and identifying the best ways to work for and with them. The story of the blind men and the elephant is a good story to remember as leaders to say not all things that appear to be true necessarily are.    ...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 17, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Administration and Leadership Exclusives Adminstration & Leadership EMS Source Type: news

Emergency Considerations in COVID-19 Vaccine Administration
Conclusion The joint response of science and medicine to develop safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines has been brisk and productive. Distribution efforts will now be the next step in limiting the breadth of this pandemic. EMS agencies will play a key role in some areas in the administration of vaccinations for their communities. The authors suggest that to better clarify the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, EMS systems must maintain a log of the type and incidence of adverse events following vaccine administration, EMS responses to the adverse events, as well as those patients’ outcomes from this management. ...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 16, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus Exclusives EMS EMT Paramedic Source Type: news

The EMS Handoff Podcast: Medical Errors with Kevin Collopy
Get every episode by subscribing to The EMS Handoff podcast using Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. In this episode of the EMS Handoff Podcast, Eric, David and Bradley are joined by Kevin Collopy where they discuss clinical errors in EMS. Kevin is the clinical outcomes and compliance manager for NHRMC AirLink/VitaLink Critical Care Transport where he oversees the program’s research, education, risk management and quality assurance programs. Kevin regularly speaks across the United States and has taught emergency and wilderness medicine on three continents. He’s an author of over 150 articles and...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 16, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Podcasts Source Type: news

Donations Help Buy Grave Marker for CO Paramedic
A retired Aurora (CO) firefighter/paramedic who volunteered to fight COVID-19 in New York City and lost his life to the virus now has a permanent memorial. Paul Cary died within a month of arriving to the COVID hotspot. His body was carried back to Colorado in a large procession of ambulances to be laid to rest. His grave was adorned with a plastic marker. Cary’s friends and co-workers launched a GoFundMe campaign earlier this year, raising $6,000 for a proper headstone. “Paul was a great person. He sacrificed his entire life from beginning to end for EMS and fire in this community, so he deserves to be...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 16, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus News Paramedic Source Type: news

Ambulances Wait for Six Hours in Los Angeles County (CA)
Rong-Gong Lin II, Luke Money Los Angeles Times (MCT) With intensive care units in Southern California and the Central Valley lurching perilously close to full capacity Tuesday, officials are turning to increasingly desperate measures to prevent the state’s coronavirus surge from killing more patients. Hospitalizations are continuing to rise at unprecedented levels, and officials have limited options for boosting capacity. Among the tools: Canceling scheduled surgeries; keeping critically ill patients in emergency rooms; sending ICU patients into step-down units earlier; training nurses...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 16, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus News News Feed Ambulance California Hospital Source Type: news

EMS Providers Face Fiscal Crisis During COVID-19 Pandemic
According to a report from Buffalo Business First, it’s not uncommon for emergency medical services (EMS) providers to respond to a calls that eventually become “treat-and-release,” with the patient declining to go to the hospital. However, these calls are also not billable, which means these financial losses must be subsidized by other emergency calls. In the early days of the pandemic, people feared going to a hospital and dealing with possible risk exposure. Although recent call volumes have largely returned to prepandemic levels, EMS providers are still trying to catch up. Tim Frost, regional direct...
Source: JEMS Special Topics - December 16, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: JEMS Staff Tags: Coronavirus News Source Type: news