EMS Today

EMS Improv with Aaron Rhone

Host Eric Chase speaks with Aaron Rhone, PhD, MPA, the bureau director at Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of EMS, about flexibility, connection, education, vision, bias, and integrity, among other subjects.

One Crazy Week

In this episode, Dov and Raphael delve into the week that was (August 5th-12th) wherein United Hatzalah, as a national EMS provider, responded to a war, a major terror attack and a series of horrific bus accidents. Give a listen to get a taste of what that one week was like for the EMS first responders in Israel.

EMS Systems in the Baltics

Hosts Scot Phelps and Maria Werner talk about Scot’s trip visiting EMS systems in Helsinki, Finland, Tallinn, Estonia and Vilnius, Lithuania.

It’s That Call

This episode discusses the really tough calls, the ones that leave us scarred and filled with emotional and psychological baggage. It gets into a lot of heartfelt and tense issues. It may not be suitable for all listeners.

In today's episode, Dov and Raphael dig way down and discuss “That Call,” the call that no one wants to respond to, the worst calls that we have ever responded to, the ones that leave us wrecked at the end. Both of the presenters talk about the worst call that they have ever responded to and paint a picture of what a first responder goes through when these things happen. They touch upon how to deal with it and focus on a positive outlook for the future. 

While this episode starts off very dark, both Dov and Raphael discuss what gives each of them hope and provides some lessons for other responders on how to keep focus both during and after “That Call.”

If you choose to listen, it is advised that you have some tissues on hand, and know that even in the darkest of times and the worst of calls, there is always hope.

The Start of the Athletic School Year: EMS and Athletic Training

On this week’s episode of the EMS Handoff, Bradley and David are joined by Jim Bazluki and Jeff Hinshaw where they take on the topic of the new school year and the rise in sports-related injuries. An extension of the “Jeff and Jim Show,” as they call it, our guests discuss the capabilities of athletic trainers at the local high school, university, and professional settings – as well as relationships with the EMS side during these events. As school years start up across the country, we will dive into what the athletic trainer knows, and how to integrate and collaborate for the highest level of care to our student athletes. 

Episode Highlights:

A History of Athletic Training Education

The history between AT and EMS

Numbers of High School Athletes and Injuries Annually

Do you want to practice when it rains?

Heat and Head emergencies

Emergency Action Planning

How to Reach us

Bradley Dean: Bradley.dean@handoffmedia.com

David Blevins: David.blevins@handoffmedia.com

Jeff Hinshaw: jhinshaw@wakehealth.edu

Jim Bazluki: James.Bazluki@atriumhealth.org

The TEMSEA Conference Compilation

This year, David had the opportunity to take the Handoff Podcast to the Tennessee EMS Educators Conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In this compilation, you will hear from Tennessee EMS Education Association (TEMSEA) President Shannon Morphis, Medcognition CEO Russell Unrath, Sumner County EMS Training Officer and TEMSEA Board Member Brent Dyer, and John Scullin from the National EMS Museum.

The Handoff Roundtable

On this week’s episode of the EMS Handoff, Bradley Dean and David Blevins take on multiple topics affecting EMS in today’s environment. From the proliferation of Monkeypox in the United States to the recently posted position from the NREMT on Accreditation, and lastly, retention efforts in EMS, Bradley and David take on these controversial topics to bring some conversational discussion. We would love to hear your feedback on these topics. 

Show Highlights:

• Monkeypox threat and guidance
• NREMT Resolution 22-Resolution-13 on accreditation requirement
• Retention and leadership

Don’t forget to go by our website at www.emshandoff.com or reach out to us on our Facebook pages. 

What’s a Tactical Medic?

On this week’s episode of The EMS Handoff Podcast, hosts Bradley Dean and David Blevins get back in the Handoff Media Studios for another episode after an extensive break. They welcome Mr. D. Todd Spence, 911 director, paramedic, and author of the book, “What’s a Tactical Medic,” available from Amazon and on Kindle.

During this episode, we talk with Mr. Spence about his process for writing the book, and how he has used it to help educate the community of what is EMS and specifically what is tactical medicine. Over his long career, he had many experiences and his kids knew what he did, but they did not understand it. By creating this book, he was able to let them know, and make an impact on the community. We then go into how to jump into projects like this if you have something that will help the community. 

Show Highlights:

• Putting pen to paper. The process for putting a project in motion.
• How to interact with the community and enhance the understanding of what is EMS
• Expanding your career into areas such as tactical medicine.

Contact with D. Todd Spence

• themedictodd.com
• Facebook @themedictodd

Resources:

• “What’s a Tactical Medic” by D. Todd Spence. Available in Hard copy of electronic at Amazon and Kindle.

Mobile Medicine in Rural Areas

Technologist Jonathon Feit has often said that the greatest innovations serving Mobile Medicine (Fire & EMS) come from rural spaces. The most obviously reason, perhaps, is that agencies have fewer resources to begin with, and it takes longer for their neighbors to arrive on-scene, therefore they have no choice but to learn how to do more for themselves.

This has always been the hallmark of those who live and work where the wild spirit of self-reliance abides. But there is something else, too: big skies, clean air, and the ability to better afford life and spend less time in traffic tend to attract those who need to be able to afford aspects of life that would be impossible where the norm is sitting in traffic going back-and-forth from long hours in an office: for example, the time to care for a child or parent who is seriously ill or disabled and need more regular attention.

For this reason, while they have fewer available resources that most cities, countrysides tend to attract a higher concentration of people who themselves — or whose parents or children — are more likely to need emergency healthcare. That sets up a Catch-22 and an important risk of health inequity that rural Mobile Medical agencies navigate around the clock. Reuben Farnsworth, who spearheaded Community Paramedicine, ET3, and other specialty care programs at Colorado’s Delta County Ambulance District — an agency that has won statewide honors, including as the first ambulance service to interoperate with the Quality Health Network health information exchange and local hospitals — will explain how a data — and economics-centric management style has powered his service’s success, from clinical medicine, to education and policy development, to advancing legislative priorities with partners.

The EMS Challenges of Israel’s Highway 90

In this episode, Dov and Raphael take an in-depth look into the challenges presented to first responders by one of Israel's deadliest highways, the Jordan Valley Highway, otherwise known as Highway 90.