EMS Today

Modalities in EMS Education with Kelly Kirk

Hosts Bradley Dean and David Blevins bring on Kelly Kirk discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on EMS education, the shift to online education, and the challenges and potential solutions in online education, particularly in the context of skills-based courses.

They also explored the concept of competency-based medical education, the use of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in education, and the importance of intrinsic motivation and flexibility in response to changing circumstances.

Lastly, they discussed the upcoming changes in the National Registry and issues related to their respective states, agreeing to further discuss these in the future.

Mental Health Awareness Month

Doug Randell speaks with Nathaniel Metz, president of Phoenix Paramedic Solutions and the Indiana EMS Association, Tadd Whallon, the behavioral health and addiction program director at Phoenix Paramedic Solutions, about the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Customer Service in EMS

Hosts: Bradley Dean & David Blevins Guest: Jonathan Jenkins, Mutual Aid EMS

Summary: In this episode, Bradley Dean and David Blevins are joined by Jonathan Jenkins from Mutual Aid EMS to explore the integration of customer service principles into the EMS profession.

Does service excellence in EMS translate to better patient outcomes, more repeat business and stronger collections?  The evidence of this in other areas of health care is well documented, so it’s logical to assume those results could be possible in EMS.

The age-old argument, “Those who summon our service are patients and not customers,” completely misses the point. It really doesn’t matter what we call them; individuals who seek medical assistance from EMS deserve to receive excellent service from those who provide care.

Questions….that patients often ask that measure our customer service.

1. Did we arrive in a timely manner?
2. Did we explain the treatment they received?
3. Did we treat them in a respectful manner?
4. Did we take care of their pain and make them comfortable?

The top 10 things for delivering good customer service…..

1. Work together as a team to care for the patient.
2. Control the patient’s pain and suffering.
3. Include patients in their decision about their treatment.
4. Have good skills…. Be able to perform smoothly….
5. Have a good attitude toward the patient’s requests.
6. Address the patient’s emotional needs.
7. Keep the patient informed during your time with them.
8. Be responsive to patients concerns and complaints.
9. Be positive and interact with family when caring for the patient.
10. Be friendly and courteous.

A Review of the Avian Flu Outbreak

Infection Control Consultant Katherine West examines the current Bird Flu outbreak.

‘I Try to Balance Realism and Hope’

Marv Wayne, MD, gets real and shares his experiences with Eric Chase, talking everything  from the Vietnam War, 50 years of emergency medicine, EMS and more.

Honorable but Broken

Documentarian Bryony Gilbey joins the podcast to discuss her documentary, "Honorable but Broken: EMS in Crisis." She talks about what led her to make the film, what she found while making the film, and reactions to the film at screenings. She also shares how people can get involved to bring these challenges facing EMS to the attention of legislators. 

Proper Patient Restraint: EMS on Trial

JohnRey Hassan, JD, EMT-P, describes the legal and medical frameworks involved with patient death cases involving restraint and sedation.

Post-Exposure Medical Follow-Up is Different in Mobile Integrated Health/Community Paramedicine Work

Infectious disease expert Katherine West explains the new procedures for post-exposure medical follow-up and source patient testing that are now being required as EMS expands its role in the community setting.

You can read the article here.

This podcast is sponsored by ESO.

It’s that time again! ESO just dropped their 2024 EMS Index — a must-read benchmarking tool for every EMS agency. With insights from over 12 million EMS responses in 2023, it covers topics like bystander CPR, ambulance offload times, and opioid overdoses. Your FREE copy is available now at eso.com/ems-pod.

Fall Down, Stand Up: EMS Research on Fall Injuries

In this episode, we interview Will Chapleau, RN, EMT-P, from the International Prehospital Medicine Institute about research related to falls.

This podcast is sponsored by ESO.

It’s that time again! ESO just dropped their 2024 EMS Index — a must-read benchmarking tool for every EMS agency. With insights from over 12 million EMS responses in 2023, it covers topics like bystander CPR, ambulance offload times, and opioid overdoses. Your FREE copy is available now at eso.com/ems-pod.

A Sound Policy for Armed EMS Providers

Central Berkeley (SC) Fire and EMS Deputy Chief Justin Miles-Miller talks about his department’s policy of allowing select EMS providers to carry weapons on-duty. You can read more about an armed EMS policy here.

This podcast is sponsored by ESO.

It’s that time again! ESO just dropped their 2024 EMS Index — a must-read benchmarking tool for every EMS agency. With insights from over 12 million EMS responses in 2023, it covers topics like bystander CPR, ambulance offload times, and opioid overdoses. Your FREE copy is available now at eso.com/ems-pod.