|
Job Opportunity |
|
|
|
|
|
Training |
|
|
|
Fall
EMT-Intermediate class slated |
|
Course starts
August 1 in Staunton |
|
 The
EMT–Intermediate program is designed to certify
technicians to a mid-level of pre-hospital
advanced life support care in Virginia. The
Intermediate program is designed to educate the
technician in the following areas of
pre-hospital care: preparatory skills, airway
management and ventilation, patient assessment,
trauma, medical, special considerations and
assessment based management. |
|
The CSEMS Council
will conduct an EMT-Intermediate program
starting August 1, 2012 and testing June 22,
2013. The program will be held at the
CSEMS Council office in Staunton, VA. For
more information, download the application
packet. Entrance examinations will be
conducted during the month of June.
On-line registration is required to sit for the
entrance examination. |
Announcement |
|
Upcoming Course Page
|
|
|
|
|
Training |
|
|
|
|
|
Regional EMS
Awards |
|
|
|
2012 EMS Awards Program |
|
State EMS Advisory Board and regional Councils
will recognize EMS providers, agencies and
organizations |
|
 Virginia’s
eleven regional EMS Councils will conduct
regional EMS Awards programs, hold recognition
ceremonies and publicize the regional winners in
their communities. This statewide regional
recognition will honor the exceptional
contributions that members of Virginia’s EMS
system make in their communities and help them
to be more visible to the people they serve.
Regional first place winners will announced on
July 25, 2012 at an awards ceremony sponsored by
the CSEMS Council at Gypsy Hill Park in
Staunton, VA. |
|
The regional winners will be
sent by the Regional EMS Councils to the State
EMS Advisory Board to compete at the state level
in the Governor’s EMS Awards. Recipients of the
2012 Governor’s EMS Awards will be announced and
presented a certificate signed by the Governor
and an awards trophy at the Virginia EMS Awards
Banquet on Saturday, November 10, 2012 during
the 2012 Virginia EMS Symposium at the Norfolk
Waterside Marriott, held November 7-11, 2012.
The nomination deadline is June 1, 2012. |
|
EMS Awards Page
|
|
|
|
|
Regional
Helicopter EMS |
|
|
|
LifeGuard 12 to start service in
CSEMS region |
|
Letter from Gary
Critzer, CSEMS Council Board President |
|
On March 27, 2012, a
contingent from CSEMS to include Executive
Director Dave Cullen, Regional Medical Director
Asher Brand, and myself, met with
representatives from Carilion LifeGuard in
Lexington to discuss the pending deployment of a
new medical helicopter to Stonewall Jackson
Hospital. The tentative start date for the
program is April 1. Discussion ensued regarding
LifeGuard 12 becoming a member of the CSEMS
Board of Directors and participation on PI and
MCRC committees to which they welcomed the
opportunity. They have also expressed
willingness to assist with regional training
programs and skills drills. |
|
Read
Full Letter
(3/28/12)
|
|
|
|
|
Regional Drug
Boxes |
|
|
|
Pharmacy committee approves drug
box changes |
|
MAD Nasal device
and medication count stickers added |
 The
regional pharmacies will begin stocking the
mucosal atomization device, or MAD Nasal device,
starting April 15, 2012. Two MAD nasal devices
will be stocked in the syringe baggie. Last
year, the MCRC approved the use of a mucosal
atomization device (MAD) to administer fentanyl.
In February, the Council conducted training on
the MAD nasal devices at regional skills drills.
A short presentation, EMS-109: Intranasal
Medication Administration is also available on
Edu-Net. |
|
Nationwide drug
shortages persist, affecting the availability of
drugs in the CSEMS Council region. The shortages
are dynamic, changing day-to-day and
hospital-to-hospital. While the Council has
maintained a listing of the shortages on its
website, the CSEMS/TJEMS regional pharmacy
committee moved to implement a new tool to
better communicate drug shortages in individual
boxes. |
|
The regional
pharmacies will begin using a ‘medication count’
sticker that will be placed on the exterior of
the drug boxes. This sticker will be used
primarily to reflect the count of midazolam
(Versed), diazepam (Valium), fentanyl and
morphine. Other medication shortages may be
listed on the sticker as well. |
|
Drug Box Changes Memo
(3/27/12)
IN med
delivery using the MAD
MAD
Nasal Check Sheet
|
|
|
|
|
Regional EMS
Education |
|
|
|
C.A.R.E. 2012 - Save the date! |
|
2nd annual
education event scheduled for August 18 |
 The
Central Shenandoah EMS Council and Augusta
Health are pleased to announce the 2nd annual
joint EMS education program, CARE 2012.
This day-long symposium, held on the campus of
Augusta Health, will feature many outstanding
speakers and presentations. Topics to be
presented at CARE 2012 will include stroke,
cardiology, basic and advanced airway
management, pediatrics, burns, infectious
diseases, poisoning, obstetrics and moulage
training for instructors. The program will
run from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and participants
will receive a t-shirt and door prizes. Save the
date! August 18. Class descriptions and times
will be posted at a future date. |
|
Remarks from CARE 2011 participants |
|
"Wonderful day! Great
organization, quality presenters,
healthy food choices! Thank you!" |
|
"Just
cannot wait until next year.
This set the standard for all
continuing education. Thank you for
providing this day!" |
|
"Truly
an excellent inaugural effort.
It is going to be a hard act to
follow, but I'm looking forward to
next year." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Skills Drill |
|
|
MCRC adopts new skills drill
testing format |
|
Changes take effect in June 2012 |
|
On
January 23, 2012, the Medical Control Review
Committee adopted a new testing format for CSEMS
Council skills drills. Starting in June
2012, ALS providers attending skills drills will
be tested on three specific skill stations.
For example, in June, IV medication
administration, BLS airway management, King LT
airway (EMT-E) and synchronized cardioversion
(EMT-I, EMT-P providers) will be tested. A
short written examination will still be
administered as in the past. |
|
The
schedule
for skill testing stations will be published one
year in advance to give providers ample opportunity
to practice the particular skills before attending a
skills drill. The
skill check sheets
for each skill will also be posted on the Council's
website. |
|
Visit the skills drill
page for the complete story, including skill station
schedules and skill check sheets. |
|
Skills Drill Page
|
|
|
Drug
Box Notice |
|
|
Medication
Shortages |
|
Regional
hospital pharmacies are experiencing shortages of
multiple drugs. See memo for full
details. |
Medication Shortages
Updated 3/26/12 |
|
|
Recall/Supply
Notices |
|
|
Oridian ETCO2 Alert
(Update)
1/24/12 |
|
Triad Alcohol Prep Pads
3/8/11 |
|
King
LTS-D Airways
3/4/11 |
|
King
Airway Lubricant
2/16/11 |
|
|
Council News |
|
|
McComas resigns
as EMS training specialist |
|
 It
is with regret that the Central Shenandoah EMS
Council must announce the resignation of Mandi
McComas, who is resigning from her position of
EMS Training Specialist. While Mandi’s
resignation is effective April 6, 2012, she will
continue working for the Council on a part-time
basis until June 30, 2012 to fulfill obligations
such as the EMT-Enhanced class, CE classes,
consolidated test sites and more. |
|
Mandi started with
the Council August 29, 2005 as the American
Heart Association Community Training Center
Coordinator. In January 2008, she assumed the
position of EMS Training Specialist. During the
nearly seven years Mandi has worked for the
Council, she has positively impacted the
regional EMS system by training hundreds of BLS
and ALS providers. We wish Mandi every
success with her new endeavors. |
|
Full Story
|
|
|
Protocols |
|
|
2011
protocol changes |
|
Starting in
November 2010, a subcommittee of the Medical Control
Review Committee (MCRC) was formed to begin working
on protocol modifications. After four work sessions
and numerous hours of work, the changes were
presented to and approved by the MCRC on February
10, 2011. On March 31, 2011, the operational medical
directors approved the protocols and the MCRC made a
few housekeeping updates on April 25, 2011. The
protocol changes became effective on June 1, 2011.
|
|
Field
Guides
Protocol Page
|
|
|
Virginia
DDNR |
|
|
Virginia
DDNR regulations updated |
|
The
revised Durable Do Not Resuscitate (DDNR)
regulations became effective on July 20, 2011. At
this time, the Office of EMS is developing
informational resources to provide education on the
changes. The amendments to the regulations regarding
DDNR orders add several definitions, specify that
DDNR forms may be obtained from the OEMS website,
and allow legible electronic copies of DDNR orders
to be used and recognized as valid by health care
facilities. The changes made since publication of
the proposed regulations amend and revise portions
of the regulations to highlight corrections in
terminology, clarify the honoring of the DDNR by all
levels of health care providers, and allow the use
of current technology to obtain and implement the
DDNR forms. |
|
Virginia DDNR Program
|
|
|
Drug
Boxes |
|
|
Regional
drug box system best practices released |
|
The Regional
Drug Box Program Best Practices relate to the use of
the CSEMS/TJEMS regional medication and IV kits. The
best practices serve to provide regional guidance on
the acquisition, storage, usage and maintenance of
the drug box system. Local pharmacies may issue
policies that supersede or supplement the best
practices. The success of the regional drug box
program is based on the full understanding and
support of the system by EMS providers, hospital
pharmacists, Operational Medical Directors and
emergency department attending physicians. |
|
Best Practices Document
Drug Box Page |
|
|
|
|
The
EMT-Enhanced: Virginia Standard Curriculum
represents an entry level advanced care provider
and can be used as either a terminal objective
in itself or a transition to higher levels of
education and/or certification at the
EMT-Intermediate or EMT-Paramedic levels. This
curriculum was developed as a sub-set of lessons
from the Emergency Medical
Technician-Intermediate: National Standard
Curriculum and contains lessons and didactic
information also included in the
EMT-Intermediate program. As a sub-set of the
EMT-Intermediate program, the EMT-Enhanced:
Virginia Standard Curriculum is designed to
maintain consistency with national prehospital
care guidelines, while meeting the specific
needs of Virginia’s EMS agencies and providers.