The Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board announced it will have sub-committee elections.  Interested persons are encouraged to apply for committee positions by May 26, 2015.  Elections will take place at the June 3 EMS Advisory Board meeting at the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.  All applicants are invited to address the EMS Advisory Board at the June 3 meeting. 

Subcommittees are formed to address specific issues and develop recommendations for EMS Advisory Board consideration.  There are four subcommittees accepting applications:

1. System Quality and Data
2. EMS Education and Training
3. EMS System Development and Management
4. EMS Physician Advisory Committee

All persons interested in serving on a subcommittee should submit their application (Form F-00568) to dhsemssmail@wisconsin.gov by Tuesday, May 26, 2015. For more information about the WI EMS Board information, please visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ems/boards/index.htm.

Within the past few weeks, the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin began featuring  writings on its website by Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance employee and Critical Care Paramedic Crystal Wallin.

According to PAAW Executive Director Joe Covelli, "We never considered a writers blog until PAAW board member and Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance Executive Director Tom Tornstrom shared the idea."  He added, "Tom shared a few of Crystal's writings with me.  She has the ability to put you, as the reader, right in the human experience as an EMT and patient caregiver - and the range of emotions the job and work life deliver." 

Covelli shared Wallin's featured writings with EMS World Editorial Director Nancy Perry, who quickly agreed it is very good.  Perry offered Wallin space at EMSWorld.com for her writings and visibility to an audience of 50,000 online readers.  EMS World is a leading national EMS magazine and online publisher of EMS news, information and content.

According to Wallin, "This is all so surreal".

>> Click to review Wallin's featured blog, "Standby for Tones".

(Picture insert:  Crystal Wallin, featured writer and Critical Care Paramedic at Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance, La Crosse.  Photo credit: Peter Thomson, La Crosse Tribune)

On April 27, Bound Tree Medical Product Manager Stacy Barksdale-Price reported short supply of critical EMS drugs, and that their company is on allocation status with two of the manufacturers.

According to Ms. Barksdale-Price, "Both Hospira and IMS have reported their emergency prefilled syringes (Atropine, Cal Chl, Epi, D50 and Bicarb) are now on allocation and the shortage status is expected to continue until September.  The allocation status means that they are only fulfilling quantities that are consistent with each of their customer’s (e.g., Bound Tree) average monthly demand (based on the last 12 months).  To prevent lengthy backorders, as these manufacturers are restricting our purchases to average monthly volumes, we encourage our customers to maintain their usual ordering patterns on these items at this time."

>> Click for April 27, 2015 Pharmaceutical backorder report

On April 16 a letter was sent to fellow Wisconsin legislators about changing the minimum ambulance staffing requirements to allow one member of a two-person legal crew to be an Emergency Medical Responder (LRB 1636/1 and LRB 15-2224/1). 

With input from local providers, state Representatives Jeff Mursau and Bob Kulp and Senator Terry Moulton intend to introduce legislation to change ambulance staffing requirements and help struggling volunteer ambulance services across Wisconsin.  Their letter is seeking co-sponsors to the proposal with a reply date of April 24.

Currently, two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), licensed registered nurse, registered physician assistant, physician, or a combination of these individuals are required when transporting an individual. This legislation would allow an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) to act as one member of a legal ambulance crew.  The bill also requires the EMT (or higher license level) to remain with the patient at all times during care and transport of the patient.

In their letter seeking co-sponsors they stated, “The proposal would immediately provide necessary relief for the staffing shortages caused by the difficulty of recruiting and retaining EMTs, especially in the volunteer services providing coverage in rural areas. Additionally, it would be a valuable tool to recruit new squad members as First Responders without the pressure to immediately commit to the additional education requirements of an EMT”.  They also stated, “Many rural emergency ambulance volunteer services are in a state of crisis with few staff to cover a necessary 24/7 service to their communities”.

Those interested in considering or currently developing Community Paramedicine concepts and programs in their local area are invited to join a conference call dedicated to the topic.  The call is scheduled every other week and open to anyone interested.  It is led by Patrick Ryan with Ryan Brothers Ambulance (Madison) and PAAW President.

The number of participants continues to grow.  Currently, there are 15 to 20 who join on a regular basis, mostly in ambulance administration, from throughout the state.  Current topics include CP curriculum, training, drafting CP legislation, community health "gap filling", and more.

If you have a question, wish to be added to the contact list, or receive the dial in phone number, email Patrick Ryan at president@paaw.us.

>> Read more

On Monday, May 4 starting at 12 noon central time, we have a special live broadcast planned for Wisconsin EMS Live.  Our guests include Dr. Eugene Nagel, Randolph Mantooth and Nancy McFarland.  If these names aren’t familiar to you, that’s okay.  Just know they are some of the EMS industry’s strongest advocates.

The 60 minute program is dedicated to discussing the start of Paramedic systems, those responsible for its rise in the 1960's and 70's, the determination and vision it took, and based on their experiences how they see the industry evolving into Community Paramedicine!  Listener questions will be invited during the live show.

Guests include:

Dr. Eugene Nagel – is still deeply involved in EMS – even at age 90.  He continues to speak to groups and at community college paramedic classes in Florida.  Dr. Nagel is a retired anesthesiologist. He was an innovative pioneer who served as medical director for the City of Miami Fire Department's rescue operation from 1964 to 1974. During those 10 years, Dr. Nagel developed the first paramedic program utilizing voice medical control and telemetry to send a patient’s heart rhythm from the field to the receiving hospital.  The biophone or “orange box” was a familiar piece of equipment used by paramedics and on the TV show EMERENCY!  The TV show’s unit now resides on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. 

Nancy McFarland – (Retired) LA County Fire Museum board director and Chair of the Pioneers of Paramedicine Committee. Ms. McFarland was instrumental in uniting the four doctors credited with starting the first (fire-based) paramedic programs in the United States in the late 1960s for taped interviews and a Lifetime Achievement Awards Gala in May of 2010. 

Don't miss this inspiring conversation.  Call in using 646-929-1081 or listen on any internet connected device.   Listener questions can be called in during the live show or by emailing wisconsinemslive@paaw.us.

Don’t miss a beat of the action – listen to Wisconsin EMS Live.

A word from Randolph Mantooth

I’ve traveled the country speaking about the history of paramedics, and about the people whose visionary ideas changed the face of emergency medicine.  I find that many men and women in the EMS profession and its related industries aren’t aware of their own history. They don’t know the names of the “Pioneers of Paramedicine.” Keeping that history alive, and telling the story of the journey of EMS in America has become a passion of mine -- a torch passed on to me by my good friend, Jim Page.

As with many ideas, this one started with a simple conversation during a road trip in Minnesota in 2009. We asked one another -- what if we were able to bring together the four doctors who started these paramedic programs, and have Eugene Nagel from Miami, Leonard Cobb from Seattle and Michael Criley and Walter Graf from Los Angeles record their personal stories on video. These four doctors weren’t just witnesses to the birth of modern EMS -- they conceived the idea, and delivered it.

Click below to hear the stories told by the people who lived them as visionaries of modern day EMS.

>> Click here for the Pioneers of Paramedicine video produced in 2010.

By Kevin Jacobson, Wisconsin Office of Rural Health

The Wisconsin Office of Rural Health has been a strong supporter of Community Paramedic programs, or Mobile Integrated Healthcare, in the State. 

We thought it would be beneficial to have a forum where those working on CP program development and implementation had a place to share their progress and ask questions of each other.  We feel it’s also important for those new to the concept or just beginning to explore these programs, to have a place to find out more information.  With that in mind, we have created the Community Paramedic Listserv.  We hope this will fill a need in Wisconsin.  Our Office will host the list, but its members will create the content. 

You are welcome to subscribe by navigating to this website: https://lists.wisc.edu/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=cp  where you’ll enter your name and email address.  You’ll receive a confirmation email after you subscribe.

In addition, PAAW President Patrick Ryan hosts a conference call every other Friday for those interested in mapping out and discussing Community Paramedicine in more detail and to share information.  Contact Patrick directly for more information at email president@paaw.us.

If you missed today's live show, no need to worry.  The recording of the broadcast was just posted online.

>> Click to listen now!

Today's conversation was dedicated to Community Paramedicine and the Physician Advisory Committee recommendations with nitrous oxide and medication assisted advanced airway.

Our guests included Minnesota Ambulance Association’s Buck McAlpin, PAAW President Patrick Ryan, and city of Milwaukee Fire Department’s Michael Wright.  All three are deeply involved in CP and building the infrastructure to deliver it the right way here in Wisconsin.  Like anything new or evolving some education and learning is required to move forward, and there will be many questions to ask and answer.

Community Paramedicine programs have been evolving in Minnesota, Colorado and Texas.  An architect in Minnesota’s CP development is Buck McAlpin, director of government affairs for the Minnesota Ambulance Association and North Memorial Medical Transportation in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.  Given his experience in leading CP concepts in Minnesota, McAlpin’s knowledge and expertise is being sought nationally, to include by the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin.

We were also joined by Dr. Suzanne Martens, Chair of the Physicians Advisory Committee.  Her group recently recommended use of nitrous oxide as an option to control pain management at the Advanced EMT level and higher.  Another recommendation is allowing one paramedic and one trained airway technician to perform a medication assisted advanced airway procedure that under current situations requires two paramedics.

Don't miss a beat of the action - listen to Wisconsin EMS Live!