To All Midstate Providers,

First of all Congratulations and a job well done in 2020! To say the least, it wasn’t the best of years. But everyone stepped up to the plate and got through this pandemic with the best patient care possible! You are all to be commended! As I set here and reflect on years past, I remember EMS week with great memories. The celebrations, the tailgating before the banquet, the banquet itself and a time to come together as Midstate EMS. We are a proud group of people. We pride ourselves on top notch patient care and promote ourselves as the best in the business. Remember when you got your first Midstate ID card? What a great accomplishment! You sacrificed your time away from your family to achieve this goal and it was an effort that appreciated more than you’ll ever know! 

As we go forward, some things will be a little different while other things will remain the same.  Remember that we are the teachers to the new generation of Paramedics and EMT’s. Take this job seriously because our future depends on it. A perfect example of this is right here at the center of the Region.  After over 17 years with the Program Agency, Dan Broedel, paramedic, instructor, and Program Agency Director, is retiring. Starting new on June 1^st, Melissa Lockwood, paramedic, and an instructor herself, will transition from Clinical Coordinator to Program Agency Director. Thank you, Dan, from the bottom of our hearts for everything that you have done for EMS in this Region! No one deserves some R&R more than you do! And welcome, Melissa! We look forward to what the future brings working with you!

And again, thank YOU ALL for your time and your dedication to being the best EMS region in the state!  I am proud to be your Midstate REMSCO Chair!

Ray Jones

In January of 2020, the American Heart Association (AHA) released it’s new cardiac and stroke guidelines. Every 5 years the AHA reviews the past 5 year period and releases new cardiovascular care updates and guidelines for delivery of emergent and hospital based care. Here at Faxton – St. Luke’s Healthcare EMS Education, we immediately implement those guidelines and began delivering the most up to date science based cardiovascular care programs. Despite the restrictions placed during the pandemic, we implemented safety guidelines as outlined by federal, state and local health departments to continue our programs. I would like to commend all who participated in those programs.

Our Stop-the-bleed program has been implemented in all of our AHA and EMS programs. This has truly made an impact on the pre-hospital care and increase nation wide the survivability of the injured. We continue to work with local governmental and school agencies to promote this program with in the classroom as well as in the scholastic leadership in our schools. We hope to bring the program back into the classrooms in the fall of 2021 with the slowing of the pandemic in New York State. car

Tony Salce RN, EMTP CIC

Midstate REMSCO

Today Wednesday May 19, 2021 Emergency Medical Services for Children’s Day. Today we highlight the distinctive aspects of caring for children and raise awareness about the need to improve and expand specialized care for children in prehospital and acute care settings. As EMS Providers let’s remember that children are not just little adults.

“Nationwide, very few EMS calls involve children (on average 10%), and even fewer produce pediatrics with a level of acuity that challenges an EMT’s or paramedic’s skills (less than 1% of EMS calls).”  

• Not only do we need to know how to care for the pediatric patient, we also need to be aware of and deliver messaging that is focused on 3 key audiences: parents/caregiver, EMS providers, and hospital personnel. 

• Some ways we can develop or improve on our pediatric care skills is to participate in continuing education focused on pediatrics and pediatric specific equipment.

• Volunteer with children at your local school, EMS agency or fire department to introduce them to what we do in EMS so they are aware of what treatments we might deliver and equipment we might use if they have an emergency.

• Start a community safety or outreach program focused of injury prevention like a bike helmet program or becoming certified to conduct child safety seat inspections.

Eric Merrill, EMTP, CIC

Midstate REMSCO

*EMTs’ and paramedics’ mortality rates are three times the average worker.

*Transportation incidents are 30 times higher for EMTs and paramedics than the national average, with higher chance of fatalities. This is more than any other area of public safety.

*Non-fatal occupational injuries (lifting, slips, trips and falls) are six times that of the national rate for workers and almost two times that of the fire service

*The prevalence of violence against EMS providers is 22 times the national average.

EMS Safety is a phrase that is thrown around to often.  Most the time it is the forgotten or overlooked while trying to do what’s right for the patient.  We must always watch our back and watch our partners back.  The first thing you learn as a new EMS provider is BSI/scene safety, this is a Concept that we must never forget. Throughout the last year the EMS system has been put to the test due to a world wide pandemic, major riots, driver safety, and supply shortages.  And yet some how we have come through it all and continue to treat our patients.  According to Brian McGuire’s extensive research in the area of provider safety, we understand that a lot needs to be done to better protect our EMTs and paramedics:

The EMS system as a whole during the COVID pandemic was taxed and stressed to the max.  Every EMS provider needed to adapt and overcome many challenges.  First the providers needed to deal with very sick patients while needing to adapt to a new way of treatments.  The normal way of doing things is not the new normal.  The old way of BSI has changed.  The new normal consist of mask, gowns, gloves, goggles, hair nets, hand sanitizer.  To make matters worse at the beginning when we needed the supplies the most, they were unavailable.  Then came the riots.  All emergency services were under attack.  EMS and Fire departments needing to wear bullet proof vest.  While this is not new to some, it is to others.  Scene safety has never been more important.  To some this was just words they learned in class.  The bottom line is if the provider isn’t safe, the patient isn’t safe.

Over the last years, while some improvements have been made in areas such as technology, vehicle construction and other indications in the artifacts of our cultures (the things we wear and do) that safety is gaining in relevance and importance, we don’t know if we’ve really improved. Eye protection is more commonly seen hanging on the epaulettes of our uniforms or being worn during a call, but what about seatbelt use? A basic technology that has been shown to improve safety and is enforced for use by the public–are we using seatbelts in the back of the ambulance, or even consistently in the front?  More often then not you see or do not follow all rules of the road.  Emergency vehicles speeding to emergencies, lights and sirens asking other drivers for the right of way on the road.  Speeding, passing, passing through intersections.  But how safe are we?  Have we really been trained enough to make all these decisions?

In conclusion, while provider safety has become a hot topic, not much has changed.  At the end of the day every provider wants to be safe, treat their patients and then go home safe to their families.  Keep you head on a swivel, stage when needed, and if you feel unsafe then back out to a safe area and call for help.  Stay safe and happy EMS week.

Josh Stagner

Midstate REMSCO Safety Committee Chair

EMS Chief/Paramedic

Happy EMS Week!

The Bureau of EMS & Trauma System along with the EMS for Children Program are excited to announce during EMS Week 2021 we have partnered with the MURU team to release a statewide EMS protocol app for all of New York State EMS Providers.  

The Bureau has entered an agreement with MURU App to provide all EMS providers with the most up to date protocols FOR FREE via the basic portion of the MURU app.  In addition to protocols, the app will help providers navigate to newly released policy statements, hospital updates and other communications from the state and regions that help EMS providers best provide care to each of their patients on a daily basis.  We believe this will truly change the way NYS EMS providers are able to operate in the field.

The App includes: 

• Statewide BLS Protocols 
• Regional ALS Protocols 
• DOH Policy Statements 
• Hospital Information 
• And more…

• The app customizes itself to each provider based on their certification, region(s), and agency
• The app will instantly notify providers when there are new protocols or other updates
• The app is Statewide Partnership Portion is FREE to all providers in New York State
  • There are additional advanced features for purchase if a provider chooses

Three Steps to the NY Statewide EMS Protocol App:

1. Download the app from iOS App Store or Google Play for Android Devices
2. Go to www.murumed.com and select sign up to create a free account.
3. It will ask you for a zip code as well as several other questions so the app will customize itself to you.

• Any zip code in New York State will automatically provide you access to the statewide partnership plan that is free to all providers. 
• The zip code you enter needs to be any zip code in the county of the agency you work in.  Once you enter the zip code it will bring up a list of all the agencies in the county and allow you to select your specific agency.

If you have any questions, MURU provides a full help section on the app and website, including a live chat with their support staff. You can also reach out to them at support@murumed.com with any questions you have. 

The Bureau of EMS and NYS EMS for Children program want to say THANK YOU for everything you do and are excited to bring you a statewide protocol app that covers ALL of New York State and look forward to hearing all your feedback.  

Happy EMS Week and we hope this new EMS tool is one that helps you in the field!

Ryan 

_______________________________________________________________________

Ryan P. Greenberg, MBA, FACPE, NRP

Director

Bureau of Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Systems

New York State Department of Health

875 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12206

ryan.greenberg@health.ny.gov

www.health.ny.gov

As we celebrate EMS week, we can’t help reflect on all of the challenges of the past 12 months.  In the realm of education, we as educators face a variety of unique challenges.  During the COVID pandemic, the struggle and stress of teaching became clearly evident.  The countries whole education delivery system was challenged.  Here at Faxton-St. Luke’s, the education team showed their love and passion for the profession by rising to the unique challenges.  I am very proud of the team of men and women who did not let a national crisis stand in the way of continuing to deliver a quality education to our students.  These instructors needed to develop and deliver education to our students in way that have been unprecedented in the past.  They changed a classroom style of teaching into a web-based program standing in front of an empty classroom and delivering lectures and perform very small lab groups while adhering to the strictest of infection control.  Many of them gave of their time to assure they were still producing a quality student who will be delivering care to our community.  I am pleased to say that not one of our classes were cancelled and that classes that were in session on the onset of the pandemic in March of 2020 were completed and completed on time.  In addition, we continued at the end of 2020 and into 2021 to offer EMS classes to assure our community that when they needed EMS they would be there.  I would like to acknowledge the following instructors who deserve a huge thank you. 

Melissa Lockwood

Robert Paddock, Sr.

David Paddock

Erik Merrell

W. Joseph Taylor

Adam Shaver

Chad Smith

Ryan Ward

The education department at Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare EMS Education owe you a great debt of appreciation for all of your hard work and efforts.  You are examples of what EMS does everyday.  You have taken a bad situation and made it better.

Thank You!  That is what the New York State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services would like to say to all our EMS Providers during EMS Week 2021.  

EMS Week is just a few weeks away and we would like your help again this year recognizing those EMS providers who have gone above and beyond. 

Last year we had almost 100 EMS Week awards issued after review of all the nominations that were received.  

We are looking for your help to recognize outstanding NYS EMS Providers during EMS Week 2021 for the work they have done during this past year!

The Bureau, for the second year is offering EMS organizations the opportunity to directly nominate a team or provider to be recognized during EMS Week for their contributions to Emergency Medical Services. 

Below is a submission form where EMS agencies can make a nomination. 

EMS Week 2021 ~ Nominations for EMS Team / Provider Recognition | Survey Builder (ny.gov)

We have added a new option to upload a picture of the team or EMS provider.   Adding a photo is completely optional however a few award recipients may be selected for additional recognition by posting their story and photo on our social media. 

NOMINATION GUIDELINES: 

• ONE NOMINATION: One nomination is permitted per agency; however, the nomination can be an individual or a team (team being a department company, specific group, the agency, etc.)
• GOOD STANDING: Nominated individuals or team members must be in good standing with the Department of Health
• SUBMISSION BY: Submissions will be accepted from an EMS agency, Course Sponsor, County EMS Coordinator, REMSCO, REMAC or Program Agency (only one nomination is permitted per EMS organization)

NOMINATION INFORMATION (the info needed to complete the form):

• AGENCY CONTACT INFO: Contact information for the agency and the agency leader
• NOMINEE CONTACT INFO: the form does ask for contact information of the nominee or the primary point of contact for a team.  Please make sure you have an e-mail address.
• CATAGORIES: We have selected the following categories: 
  • Clinical Performance
  • Agency / Regional Leadership
  • Training and Education
  • Operations
  • Innovation and Teamwork 
  • Other: If your agency feels there is a different reason, we gave you an “other” option to create a different category!
• THREE HIGHLIGHTS: Think about three reasons (a few words or one sentence each) on why you feel they should be nominated. 

Submission for nominations are NOW OPEN!  

EMS Week 2021 ~ Nominations for EMS Team / Provider Recognition | Survey Builder (ny.gov)

The nominations will remain open during EMS Week until we have met our maximum number, so we encourage agencies to submit early, but remember, you can only submit once. 

Nominations should only take a few minutes to submit and can be done from a computer or smart phone device. 

Thank you to every NYS EMS Provider, we really appreciate all the work you are doing every day and especially during these very challenging times.  

Happy EMS Week! 

Ryan Greenberg 

EMS Week-EMS Strong Theme: 

“THIS IS EMS: CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES”

THE HEALTH OF EMS

a Virtual Series

June 1-10, 2021

Click HERE to register.

This six-part virtual program aims to review today’s overall Emergency Medical Response climate, and provide an educational forum for leaders in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to discuss the most pressing and critical issues that affect EMS for-profit and non-profit agencies and personnel. This unique program format and straight-forward discussion will support leaders in EMS with overviews of:

•  Post Pandemic Predictions, Mike McEvoy, PhD, NRP, RN, CCRN

•  Understanding and Recovering from Grief, Loss, and Moral Injury, Drew Anderson, PhD

•  The Times They are a Chang’in, Strategic Planning for EMS in the COVID-era, Doug Sauer

•  The Community of EMS: Ensuring Long-Term Viability Through Agency Cohesion, Dan Batsie, BA, NRP

•  Transformational Governance of EMS Organizations in a Rapidly Changing World, Steve Kroll

•  Surviving and Thriving EMS Financial Management, Maggie Adams

Visit the event website to register and view full program information.

• Agenda

• Presentation Summary / Learning Objectives

• Presenter Bios/CVs

• Continuing Education Credits

• Registration

• Sponsorship Opportunities

For additional information, please email Kathy Doyle at kdoyle@chahec.org  or contact our staff at 845-883-7260.

New York State Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits will be sponsored by E5 Support Services, LLC, NYS Certified Instructor Coordinator/NRP Douglas J. Wildermuth. Credits will be based in CME categories of Preparatory, Non-Core Content (Mandatory), and Operations for the allotted time that each participant spends participating in each program.