Next EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast

Milwaukee Fire Department has positioned Community Paramedicine (CP) as a means to be proactive and address its high-risk population with heart history, diabetes, and high infant mortality rates.

Captain Michael Wright with MFD has championed CP concepts, and now the data is in on what they have realized thus far.  Captain Wright is our guest during the next EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast.  He'll be joined by two company representatives they have worked closely with in pharmacy, and a new CP initiative Captain Wright will announce publicly for the first time during the streamed podcast.

Make sure to join us for the next EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast on Tuesday, June 14 starting at 9:00 a.m. central time and lasting 30 minutes.  Listener questions are invited.

Some of the questions we plan to discuss, include:

1. What has changed with Milwaukee Fire Dept.'s program since our last update?
2. What has been the most difficult aspect in your efforts to build your program?
3. Why has your company chosen to collaborate with the Milwaukee Fire Department's CP/MIH program.
4. What does your partnership with Milwaukee Fire Dept. represent to your organization?
5. What does the future look like for CP/MIH?

Listen to the live streamed podcast starting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 14 via the telephone at 646-929-1081, or on the internet at this link:  http://tobtr.com/8899259

Standby for Tones Blog

The officer meets us in the garage, and fills us in. It’s my partner, the medic student I’m precepting today, and myself.

The patient inside is 96 years old and fell around noon. It’s nearly 4pm now, and the officer is concerned about not just the skin tear on the elbow after the fall, he’s concerned about the heat of the house’s interior. He’s worried the patient may have dehydration issues. He tells us that the patient’s wife is a resident of a local nursing home and he always goes to see her at 12:30pm. Every day. For the entire four years since she became a resident there. Today, 12:30 came and went and he did not appear. Staff members became concerned, and went to the house. The officer got them inside, and together the three of them discovered our patient on the floor.

We enter the garage and make our way past the large four door mid 1980s sedan parked sedately inside. Winding our way past paneled walls, we climb the three stairs from the finished garage stall to the vintage kitchen. Spotless. Everything our eyes touch, from the countertops and cabinets of the kitchen, to the antiquated appliances and on into the bedspread visible through the doorway off the kitchen – every single thing is pristine, and centered. Meticulously up kept. Winding our way past more paneling to the front living room of the shotgun home, we find our patient.

And Marcy. And Deanna.  >> Click to read more.

EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast
During the EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast on Tuesday, May 24, our guest was Jeff Grady, Senior Director with Three Pillars Security Solutions in Madison.

>> Click to listen to this podcast.

HIPAA compliance has moved well past simply handing the patient a HIPAA brochure explaining their rights and getting a signature.  HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Conducting a periodic HIPAA Security Risk Analysis is definitely a required mandate of HIPAA compliance for ambulance services as the organization and its employees and volunteers come in contact with ePHI (electronic patient health information).

The developing best practice is to complete a Security Risk Analysis on an annual basis (or after any significant change in your technology environment) due to some relatively recent pronouncements that apply to those organizations who need to comply with ‘meaningful use’ reporting requirements.

Some of the questions discussed, include:

1. HIPAA has been around for quite some time now – what’s changed and why is there a renewed sense of urgency in making sure you’re compliant?
2. What are some basic differences between meeting compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule as compared to the Privacy Rule of HIPAA?
3. What is ‘willful neglect’ and why is it critical to avoid the potential of being found in ‘willful neglect’ under HIPAA?
4. If your Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor states that they meet HIPAA compliance – does that meet your obligation under HIPAA?
5. What would be the key steps to make sure that you’re meeting “today’s” HIPAA compliance standards?

Information collected will be used to identify EMS agency needs and target support and funding.

On May 20, State of Wisconsin EMS Director James Newlun announced the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health and the Wisconsin EMS Section were collaborating to perform a sweeping “snapshot” of EMS in Wisconsin by conducting a statewide survey.

The survey was developed by a national group of EMS providers and partners to assess 18 attributes of a successful ambulance service.  The data from the survey will be used by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health and the Wisconsin EMS Section to obtain baseline information to better target support and funding.

In his email to EMS professionals Newlun wrote, "We will be transparent with survey results.  We will report state averages, regional numbers, service type results, etc., which will allow your (ambulance) service to benchmark statewide and regional results against similar service types".  The assessment will provide data to help answer some questions that would not be possible with anonymous data.

Every patient transporting EMS/EMT/First Responder provider is encouraged to complete the survey, not just the Service Director. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

>> Click to start the survey.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is offering a 3-part “EMS Grant Writing 101 Virtual Conference” in mid to late June.  Rural EMS agencies and other interested partners will learn how to write and submit a complete grant proposal, understand rural relevant data important to EMS and identify funding opportunities.

>> Click for more information and how to register.

EMS Grant Writing 101 Virtual Conference

June 15, 22 & 29, All classes 2:00 to 3:00 central time

Session 1: June 15 - Getting Started: Understanding Need, Collecting Data and Developing Community Support

Session 2: June 22 - Building Your Proposal: Telling Your Story

An Adams County ambulance service has been shut down, leading the county to scramble to cover 911 services.

The State Department of Health Services confirmed there is an investigation into Adams County Emergency Services, a private ambulance company that contracts with eight municipalities in central Adams county for 911 service.

A DHS spokeswoman said the investigation involves several agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement. The company was directed to cease operation and not to respond to calls.

>> Click to read more.

EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast

Join us for our next live podcast of EMS Live in Wisconsin on Tuesday, May 24, 2016.  The program is streamed live over the phone and via the internet.  The dial-in number is 646-929-1081, or listen on any internet connected device at this link:  http://tobtr.com/8835299.

Our guest is Jeff Grady, Senior Director with Three Pillars Security Solutions in Madison, WI.

Conducting a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis is definitely a required mandate of HIPAA compliance if an entity or business associate is in contact with ePHI (electronic patient health information) –  technically the law and HIPAA regulations state it must be performed periodically. 

The developing best practice trend and recommendation is to conduct one on an annual basis (or after any significant change in your technology environment) due to some relatively recent pronouncements that apply to those organizations who need to comply with ‘meaningful use’ reporting requirements – which do require those entities conduct a Security Risk Analysis on an annual reporting basis.   More commentators and practitioners are picking up on this as setting the standard for all and being promoted as a recommended practice trend -- that all entities subject to compliance with the HIPAA Security Rule adopt an approach which provides for an annual conducting/review of the ‘periodic’ security risk analysis.

Co-hosts include Chris Anderson, Joe Covelli, Patrick Ryan, Dan Williams.  >> Click for more information.

EMS Compass, a national initiative dedicated to creating data and analytic measures for EMS, has released a new set of performance measures for public comment in the areas of cardiac arrest and STEMI.  All members of the EMS community are encouraged to view the measures and provide comments.  The public comment period for these measures is open through June 3, 2016.

>> Click to provide comment. 

EMS agencies at the local, regional and state levels are encouraged to evaluate these measures immediately and to provide feedback on how important these measures will be for improving patient care and outcomes. Specific questions about the measures should be sent to EMS Compass Project Manager Nick Nudell at nick@nasemso.org.

The 2016 Midwest Route of the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride beginning in Chicago, IL is a special bicycling event to honor and celebrate the lives of EMS providers who were dedicated to EMS or have died while performing their duties. Funds raised during this ride benefit the families of fallen EMS practitioners through the Fallen Angel Fund.

The ride starts in Chicago, IL June 26 and ends June 30 with a Memorial Service at 3:30p at Woodbury Public Safety, 2100 Radio Drive in Woodbury, MN. Routes along the way include Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse, June 26 to 29. This cycling event raises awareness of fallen Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. The week concludes with a memorial service to which all participants, local EMS personnel, and friends and families of the honorees participate. Shuttling of riders and bikes will be done.

National Stars of Life, Washington D.C.

Ashippun Fire and EMS Chief Deonne Eske was presented National Stars of Life honors and recognition at an event in Washington D.C., April 11-13, which was produced by the American Ambulance Association.  At the event, the AAA recognized 103 Stars of Life honorees from 29 states and 90 communities.  Eske was presented her award by AAA President Mike Hall.

According to Eske, “What an amazing, awesome experience at the National Stars of Life awards.  It was a highlight of my EMS and fire career”.

Eske, an EMT-Basic, has been involved in fire and EMS for 33 years.   She has been a volunteer EMT/firefighter, lieutenant, captain and is currently chief. 

Eske was named Wisconsin’s representative to attend the National Stars of Life awards by the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin at its state event this past September.  She advanced from a group of 26 Wisconsin Stars of Life honorees, individuals nominated by their local ambulance service for outstanding achievements or work performance.