On-Demand So You Want to Go to Medical School?
Did you ever think about going to medical school? What stopped you? Did you think that you couldn't get in, that it was too expensive, that it would take too long, or that they wouldn't accept a "street medic" into the hallowed halls of medicine? This lecture will review all of those questions and show you that with the right perseverance, you too can become a physician. Adding onto information borrowed from the popular lecture given by Baxter Larmon of UCLA (with permission, of course), my experience as an admissions committee member for medical school and residency will clarify how to go about this sometimes confusion and seemingly daunting process.
On-Demand Hunting for Unicorns
Wanted: One EMT/Paramedic. Requirements -- must be brilliant, compassionate, physically fit, psychologically sound, and have a strong work ethic. They should value teamwork and be flexible enough to change assignments on short notice. They should be patient and understanding, able to work easily with all kinds of personalities. Resilience and willingness to learn preferred.
Sound good? Sure does. Now, how do we find these unicorns?
Unfortunately, all we have to go on is our pre-employment process. If your applicants are not meeting your needs coming in the door, then look at the process that brought them there. The battery of tests that your agency uses to screen candidates needs to be optimized to elicit as much information as possible, focused on the attributes and skills your agency's culture values or is looking to develop.
This presentation will look at various ways to adapt and improve the interview process. What kind of questions should you ask? Should you use a written assessment or physical test? Will the scenario be simulation, live actor, or tabletop? Can you interview a distance applicant? No process is perfect, but come figure out what you should look for to get the most out of your screening.
Sound good? Sure does. Now, how do we find these unicorns?
Unfortunately, all we have to go on is our pre-employment process. If your applicants are not meeting your needs coming in the door, then look at the process that brought them there. The battery of tests that your agency uses to screen candidates needs to be optimized to elicit as much information as possible, focused on the attributes and skills your agency's culture values or is looking to develop.
This presentation will look at various ways to adapt and improve the interview process. What kind of questions should you ask? Should you use a written assessment or physical test? Will the scenario be simulation, live actor, or tabletop? Can you interview a distance applicant? No process is perfect, but come figure out what you should look for to get the most out of your screening.
On-Demand Traumatic Cardiac Arrest: Meaningful Interventions
How much closed chest compressions or epinephrine fixes hypovolemia or a tension pneumothorax? Successful resuscitation of the traumatic cardiac arrest patient requires the provider to focus on, and aggressively treat, the reversible causes of traumatic cardiac arrest. After this lecture, participants will understand the underlying problems, define the definitive treatment and identify specific actions to do, and what not to do, when treating the traumatic cardiac arrest patient.
On-Demand EMS Response To Patients With Mental Health Concerns
One in six adults (18%) in the United States live with mental illness or other mental health disorders. These can include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and many others. Individuals with mental health issues are at greater risk for substance abuse, homelessness, and chronic health issues. This session will provide an overview of several mental health concerns that pre-hospital providers might encounter in the field. Also covered are suggestions for communication, medical conditions that can mimic mental health issues, and implications for EMS.
On-Demand Real Opinions from Real Airway Management Experts
Wondering what practices in EMS airway management are or are not evidence-based? Come find out as Drs. Wang, Jarvis, Levy, and Crowe share the findings of the National Association of EMS Physicians Compendium of Position Statements on Prehospital Airway Management. The product of over 100 contributors, this monumental project pulled together scientific evidence and expert opinion supporting best practices for the entire spectrum of prehospital airway management, including interventions (manual ventilation, supraglottic airways, drug assisted intubation, surgical airways, peri-airway management, cardiac arrest and trauma airway management, non-invasive ventilation and mechanical ventilators), training and education, and quality management. The speakers will detail how these state-of-the-art recommendations will influence prehospital airway practice.
On-Demand EMS, Covid-19 and Paramedic Education: The UK Experience
Covid-19 had, and continues to have, a significant impact on EMS operations and education across the globe. Working in higher education, frontline clinical practice and for the College of Paramedics throughout the pandemic, I witnessed a whole range of practices and policy decisions which had a signicifant impact on clinicians, leaders and managers, educators, students, researchers and the wider EMS profession. This presentation will consider the UK experience sharing some of the challenges that we faced (and how they were overcome, or not in some cases), the positive changes that we are keeping as a result of Covid-19 and conclude with some thoughts about EMS students. The impact on students' education, training and experience during the pandemic did not create headline news but the challenges that lay ahead for the future workforce deserve some critical consideration as they graduate with little experience of 'normal' clinical practice. The presentation will utilise some testimony from my own experiences, as well as testimony from colleagues and professionals who held a variety of positions during the UK Covid-19 response.
On-Demand In-Booth Learning: Stryker
Capnography: From Pre-Hospital into the Hospital, let’s use it.
Speaker: Robbie Murray MS, NRP
Description:
While capnography has become the gold standard for tube verification it is only the beginning, and your peers are using it daily to do much more. Discover how capnography is guiding care and assisting healthcare professionals, both in- and out-of-hospital, in making clinically appropriate decisions that improve patient outcomes.
Cracking complex pediatric airway cases
Speaker: Peter Antevy, MD
Description:
Understand the pathophysiology of complex pediatric airway cases and the pitfalls to avoid when assessing the pediatric airway.
Understanding the complexities and management of the burned airway
Speaker: Carl Flores, Burn Outreach Coordinator and ABA Southern Regional Burn Disaster Coordinator
Description:
Airway management is the first component in the ABCs of assessment, and patients who have experienced a burn with damage to their airway need quick and precise care. Learn more about identifying, assessing, and managing a patient who has experienced an inhalation burn.
Closing the Loop – From EMS to Hospital
Speaker: Elizabeth Lacy MPS, NRP
Description:
How can you help EMS teams understand how their role in a medical response can potentially impact patient outcomes? Hear from Liz on how creating a feedback program can help with paramedics understanding of critical care by learning about patient outcomes. She will provide insight into the methodology of communicating feedback to the EMS crews and the importance of closing the loop.
On-Demand What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate: Top Communications Tips For EMS Leaders And Leaders-to-be
It is impossible to be a great leader without being a great communicator. It’s that simple, yet, at the same time, that complex.
There are some constants to effective communications that we can learn from great leaders. Drawing on examples from leaders in the political realm – such as Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy – as they endeavored to unite nations or even the business world - such as Stephen Covey and Steve Jobs – as they strategically led their companies, the lessons are myriad.
In this presentation, Ray Barishansky, an EMS and Public Health professional with over 25 years of experience in the field in positions of increasing responsibility, will share the various communication secrets – such as being a great listener, reading a crowd effectively and adapting your messaging to the environment - that leaders have utilized to success.
There are some constants to effective communications that we can learn from great leaders. Drawing on examples from leaders in the political realm – such as Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy – as they endeavored to unite nations or even the business world - such as Stephen Covey and Steve Jobs – as they strategically led their companies, the lessons are myriad.
In this presentation, Ray Barishansky, an EMS and Public Health professional with over 25 years of experience in the field in positions of increasing responsibility, will share the various communication secrets – such as being a great listener, reading a crowd effectively and adapting your messaging to the environment - that leaders have utilized to success.
On-Demand Trends in the Misuse/Abuse of Non-Prescription Medications and Exotic Plant Material
The incidence of prescription drug abuse, overdose and death has skyrocketed over the past few years and has been exacerbated by the isolation associated with the COVID pandemic. At the same time there has been a world-wide insurgence in the misuse and abuse of over-the counter (OTC) medications by adolescents and young adults. Individuals have false perceptions that OTC drugs are innocuous since they are easy to purchase, inexpensive, readily available and considered to be safe. The “pharming phenomenon” involving the non-medical use of OTC drugs often accompanies the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.
OTC drugs are typically abused to achieve a “high” that results in euphoria and a dissociative state with hallucinations. The consequences of misuse/abuse of OTC drugs may be severe resulting in agitation, tachycardia, psychosis and seizures and potential life-threatening complications. The risk of significant morbidity increases when OTC medications are used in combination with alcohol and other recreational drugs. Dependence and withdrawal symptoms (confusion, irritability, agitation, anxiety and mood changes) are not uncommon.
This session will cover the vaping as well as commonly abused OTC medications; as well as Tianeptine, exotic plant material Kratom, and their roles in the Opioid Epidemic.
OTC drugs are typically abused to achieve a “high” that results in euphoria and a dissociative state with hallucinations. The consequences of misuse/abuse of OTC drugs may be severe resulting in agitation, tachycardia, psychosis and seizures and potential life-threatening complications. The risk of significant morbidity increases when OTC medications are used in combination with alcohol and other recreational drugs. Dependence and withdrawal symptoms (confusion, irritability, agitation, anxiety and mood changes) are not uncommon.
This session will cover the vaping as well as commonly abused OTC medications; as well as Tianeptine, exotic plant material Kratom, and their roles in the Opioid Epidemic.
On-Demand The Night I Almost Jumped: EMS and the Stigma of Mental Health
Mental health - the elephant in every Emergency Services station and dispatch center. Mental health - the taboo subject no one talks about. Well, not anymore. We're going to have a talk about why Matt had a bout of depression that nearly ended his life. We are going to talk about some of our brothers and sisters who are no longer with us because they lost their battle with their demons. What is the extent of the problem? What's being done about it? We're going to talk about the stigma, and how to break it. We're going to learn how to cope, how to be resilient. Above all, we are going to learn it's ok to not be ok, and it's ok to talk about all of this. Because this time, the life we save may be our own.
On-Demand Texas Trauma Tactics – What’s Possible Prehospital in the Lone Star State
San Antonio Fire Department applies the latest in cutting-edge trauma care. This advanced level of trauma care is possible because Texas is a delegated medical practice state. This means that the EMS Medical Director can train and deploy advanced trauma care paramedics for critically injured trauma patients. San Antonio also deploys EMS Physicians in the prehospital setting. Discussion of open thoracostomies performed by all paramedics and a modified clamshell thoracotomy performed by EMS physicians will be discussed. The department has deployed and is reviewing the use of an abdominal aortic junctional tourniquet for critically injured trauma patients. SAFD medial special operations team has developed a novel prehospital amputation process where the paramedics will perform the amputation. San Antonio Fire Department has deployed digital blocks prehospital, resulting in true pain control for the injured digit. There will be a discussion about these advanced trauma tactics and how they can be deployed in EMS systems to treat patients and save lives.
On-Demand Risk and Resource Management for EMS providers; An Airline Pilot Perspective
In its 1999 report, “To Err is Human,” the Institute of Medicine brought the issue of medical errors to light stating that “more people die in a given year because of medical errors than motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS.” There is little evidence to indicate that there has been any progress made by the medical community to reduce these errors, and several recent studies show that the rate may be worsening. Commercial aviation, on the other hand, has made incredible progress over the last 50 years towards increasing safety and reducing risk in its operations. A large part of that effort has been addressing the role of human factors in mishaps and the use of risk and resource management techniques to minimize risk and reduce errors. This session will look at Risk and Resource Management (RRM) from an airline pilot perspective, draw similarities with EMS and show how providers can use similar strategies to reduce errors and minimize risk.
On-Demand Pump Vs. Squeeze; The Use Of Vasopressors And Inotropes In The Crashing Patient
Managing hemodynamically unstable and crashing patients in the back of an ambulance or 10,000 feet in the air with the use of vasopressors and inotropes is very stressful and tricky. Although only a subset of our patients present with hemodynamic collapse and shock, a fundamental understanding of the use of inotropes and vasopressors is imperative to ensure good patient outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality. This lecture will discuss the use of these pharmacological agents in differentiated (e.g., cardiogenic, distributive, hypovolemic, etc.) and undifferentiated/mixed shock states and ideal vasopressor/inotrope(s) to use as primary resuscitative agents. The most recent EMS literature surrounding these agents in different clinical scenarios will also be presented to ensure adequate understanding and comprehension.
On-Demand MIH Medical Education
Medical Education, both for medical students and graduate medical education for residents and subspecialist fellows is a critical opportunity for interprofessional collaboration between Community Paramedics and physicians at several stages of their careers. These education opportunities expose physicians and future physician leaders to factors outside their common areas of practice and provide a critical opportunity for physicians and advanced practice paramedics to develop collaborative relationships. Allegheny Health Network has provided formal physician and medical student training opportunities in Mobile Integrated Health for several years. Subjected to a continuous quality improvement process, the curriculum and model presents a framework for wider adoption.
On-Demand Look Beneath the Surface - Human Trafficking in America
Have you ever cared for a victim of human trafficking? According to research, up to 80% of human trafficking victims accessed healthcare while being trafficked. This means the chances are high that as a healthcare provider or emergency responder you have treated a victim and may have not recognized the signs. Learn how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and what to do should you identify a victim of human trafficking. This lecture includes key take away points from various national and international resources including the International Labour Organization, human trafficking victims, lessons from social services, Allies Against Slavery and more.
On-Demand Implementing Stop the Bleed to Your Community: Updates You Should Know
This interactive session will provide an overview and update on the opportunities, programs and resources available to EMS Agencies who have implemented, or are interested in implementing, Stop the Bleed programs. Best practices for program implementation will be highlighted, as well as new resources available for program growth and sustainment will be discussed.
On-Demand The Most Important Vital Sign: 20 Things EMS Can Do With Capnography
“Perhaps the most important monitoring tool prehospital providers can use” - end-tidal waveform Capnography - it isn’t just for respirations anymore. Using a simple four-step assessment technique, this program shows EMS providers of all levels how capnography can be used not only to confirm successful endotracheal intubation, but to evaluate shock in trauma patients, monitor for the return (or loss of) pulses during CPR, identify bronchospasm in asthma and hypoxic drive in COPD, to guide seizure management and paralytic medication administration, and much, much more. This case-driven session develops the fundamentals of capnography so that every EMS provider can improve the assessment, treatment, and outcome for their patients using the diagnostic tools of end-tidal waveform monitoring.
On-Demand Hold The Wall: Collaborative Strategies To Reduce Offload Delays
Offload delays are becoming too prevalent across the country inappropriately shifting workload and the burden on the EMS system and reducing availability for the next true emergency. Learn how a multi-agency, collaborative approach yielded a significant reduction in daily offloading delays through data, State statute, and frequent stakeholder group meetings.
On-Demand Autism Interactions With First Responders
Autism Interactions for First Responders was created to bring awareness to what autism is, and what it isn't. The discussion revolves around what we can do in emergencies to make our interactions better for those living with Autism and their families/caregivers while handling emergency situations. It also gives direction for emergency services to support the public and their own personnel in dealing with the day-to-day challenges that can come with living with being on the spectrum, or being a caregiver. This training was created by and vetted by EMS providers, mental health professionals, and caregivers of those on the Autism Spectrum.
On-Demand Why Conducting Research Improves Your Team's Care
You've read published research. Research guides evidence-based protocol development, improves outcomes, and increases patient (and provider) safety. Completing research within your team goes beyond the direct results, it can provide additional benefits to the provider, the patient and the system. Join Kevin as he discusses how his system has grown over 8 years of conducting research studies, how the results have been shared, and how the "so what" has been used to transform the system. This thought provoking conversation will inspire you to look at opportunities to conduct and share your own research and use it to drive your system forward.
Research can change the world, but what do you do with it, how do you share it, and why else can it tell you? Come join Kevin as he discusses how his team's clinical trials have improved engagement, clinical consistency, outcomes, and recruitment. Learn how your own original research can transform your team beyond the published results.
Research can change the world, but what do you do with it, how do you share it, and why else can it tell you? Come join Kevin as he discusses how his team's clinical trials have improved engagement, clinical consistency, outcomes, and recruitment. Learn how your own original research can transform your team beyond the published results.
