EMS Office Hours

Each day we pretty much do our jobs with minimal interactions with other agencies like Fire or Police. Sometimes though we end up in situations where close coordination and clear communication is needed between agencies to get the job done and do it in a safe manner for both victims and providers. Too often though these highly stressful and not so common situations can cause confusion, agency turf wars and dare I say, hurt feelings. A recent issue in NYC got me to thinking that perhaps giving some opinion to this matter is well worth an Office Hours episode. Join us as we talk about inter agency conflicts, paid vs. volunteer, Fire, Police and getting along in the sandbox.

This week we talk about paramedics doing dumb things, why, it's effect on public perception and things to do to avoid it personally.

Join us this week on increasing the EMT role in EMS. Giving nitro, albuterol treatments, epi pens and now intranasal narcan. While giving or assisting patients with these medications can be beneficial, is proper training and oversight being provided along with these added responsibilities.  How many EMT's want these added responsibilities? How many EMT's should even have these resposibilities? Come chat live or call in toll free.

Join us for this episode where we will discuss any number of EMS topics. Chat live or call in with your own topic.

With EMS Office Hours beng nominated for EMS Blog Of The Year. I sent out a call for the other nominees and bloggers to join in this episode to discuss why we blog, talk about feedback we get and why being part of this event is important. Join us to listen to why we do what we do.

A recent YouTube video showcases a recorded conversation between an employee and management. Right or wrong, this is yet another perception issue in EMS on what is expected, entitlement and reality. Come join us for this discussion so you can weigh in on how you may have handled this situation, what might have been a better method or if you would have acted at all on this event.

Now don't get me wrong, Spam can be tasty if done right. When it comes to EMS though it seems we pay more attention and put more energy into topics that really won't help us as professionals. Like Spam that special meat that satisfies for the moment but not what we really want. It seems more commentary is given to whether we are called ambulance drivers or EMT's rather than focusing on topics like intubation success, the drugs we use and treatments we give. Sure it's out there. Just like that nice T Bone steak or fresh lobster. But we settle for the Spam, the stuff that just gets us by, not what really matters and not what we should want as a profession. Join in this weeks discussion and give your opinion on why this is. What can we do to start targeting the real issues facing the EMS profession?

EMS systems vary across the US. Some run one medic one EMT crews, some run double medic crews. There are even those that have 3-5 medics show up on a call. Beyond cost, many are gearing towards the one medic one EMT model and tout better patient care and provider proficiency. Join us for this episode and be sure to roll up your sleeves for this one. Here is the article that inspired this episode. http://www.emsworld.com/article/10627683/texas-ems-system-plan-to-decrease-number-of-paramedics-on-units-all-about-patient-care

This week Jim and Josh discuss owning and operating your own business as an EMS provider. Many providers have started their own ventures, created products, written books and pursue their passions in and outside of EMS as entrepreneurs. For most its a different view than your average small business. Listen in for this behind the scenes look at what it takes, challenges faced and what a definition of success really means.

It's time for another topic filled show at Office Hours. This month promises to get really get the dialog started. Be sure to join us by calling in or via the live chat room for discussion on the current hot EMS news and topics.

How EMS is perceived is important for many reasons. Some of this perception can be controlled by what you do or how active your agency is in it's community. The media can also have a part in this as well and many times it is more negative than we would like. Join us this week to discuss the media role in how EMS is perceived. What can we do better? Is there anything we can change or control? Call in live or chat with your opinion.

We are conditioned to work lots of overtime and second jobs, but recent studies done by Dan Patterson show how dangerous this can be. At what point does our health and patient care suffer from lack of sleep. Join us with your stories of too much work and not enough sleep.

EMS goes beyond just you and your partner. Other EMS agencies, first responders, law enforcement and even doctors all may be a part of your next call. How do you deal with this interaction, decide on patient care and transport? Is it as simple as higher medical authority? Should it be? Join us for this episode and come discuss your interagency interactions, patient treatment transport decisions and whose patient is it anyway?

As a new feature here at Office Hours, once a month we will do a show that focuses on numerous topics in EMS. Taken from the headlines of various EMS publications, online and off. We will give our take on the subject. Anything goes in this episode. Be sure to join us early so you don't miss a headline. Nothing is set and we may spend anywhere from 5-30 minutes on a topic. It's an open forum and we hope to see you in the chat room or calling in live.  

In this installment of Office Hours we revisit the series "The Protocol Effect" and discuss airway management. Should this be controlled by written guidelines, clinical impressions or current research? Anyone who has been in the field knows a GCS of less than 8 or 10 doesn’t always mean a patient requires intubation or advanced airway management. Yet many protocols say to do just that. This may just be another time when providers need to prove their understanding of these skills, their need and the patients we treat. Be sure to come join us for this episode and tell us about your guidelines and how you interpret them.