EMS Today

Thinking Fast, Acting Slow

Dov and Raphael delve into common EMS incidents where taking a second to stop and think quickly on one's feet about how to proceed can actually save precious minutes when responding. Taking a moment to stop and think can help prevent operational miscues and allow for faster treatment and transport of the patient. From the mayhem of the Jerusalem Bus Terminal to treating a crane operator 30 floors up on his crane, and from a car hanging on the brink of a cliff to a more run-of-the-mill call for a fallen patient and needing to get them down six flights of stairs, thinking fast and acting slow can save a lot of time and anguish for both the providers and the patients while showing them an extra level of care. 

Michael Touchstone

This is a stirring conversation with Michael Touchstone. Be a change agent. Be a student. Treat other humans well.

Financial Health and Wellness for EMS Clinicians

Sean J. Britton, MPA, NRP, speaks about his recently published JEMS article, Financial Health and Wellness for EMS Clinicians.

Britton is a practicing paramedic and EMS educator at Superior Ambulance Service in Binghamton, New York. Sean is the principal and financial Planner at STAT Financial Health. He was formerly the chair of the EMS workforce committee of the NAEMT.

Getting Back To Basics

In this episode, Raphael and Dov discuss how remembering to focus on the basics of EMS saves lives. The duo talks about some humorous, and some not so humorous, stories that took place recently in Israel and how focusing on basic protocols ended up saving the lives of the patients. 

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.