District #3 Board Meeting January 8, 2004

In attendance:

• Paul Arthaud Charlotte ( R)                                                     

• Chris Putnam Hinesburg FD ( R)

• Joseph Pare UVM ( R)                                                            

• Jessica Buck UVM ( A)

• Darren Adams Milton ( R)                                                       

•  Charles Cole EJFD (A)

• Jesi Valentine SMRS (A)                                                         

• Mike Akerlind Colchester ( R)

• Jessica Gagne SMRS ( R)                                                       

• Colin Shea Essex FD ( R)

• Lisa Whittemore FAHC ( R)                                                    

• Tara Pacy FAHC-ED (V)

• April S. Johns Lamoille (V)                                                      

• Brian E. Johns Lamoille ( R)

• Mark Willis Shelburne ( R)                                                      

• Mike Richard BFD ( R)

• Rae Patrick South Hero Rescue ( R)    

• Greg Cluver Essex Rescue ( R)

• Jackie Goss IREMS (A)                                                          

• Peter Wiemersheimer FAHC/Medical Direction ( R)

• Lee Jones Richmond IBM ( R)                                                                                                            

• Kirstin Jaquith FAHC-Radio room ( R)           

• Jason Savoy Milton (A)                                                           

• Rebecca Webb District #3 clerk

• Jason Ziter Colchester Rescue , District #3 Training Chair ( A)

• Doug Brent SBFD, District #3 Chair ( R)

• Chris McCarthy Williston Rescue, District Treasurer (A)

Meeting called to order at 1935

Introductions: Paul Arthaud- New Assistant Chief for Charlotte

Minutes approved from November (corrected) and December

Correspondence: none

Certification Issues: none

Treasurer’s report-        

• classes $0.37

• dues $10696.73

• equipment $7113.76

• total $17810.86. 

• Merrill Lynch $3,253.74.

In the last month there were some general equipment purchases made for District #3 class use.

Medical Direction: Peter W.

Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement- The first bimonthly newsletter has been published.  It can be e-mailed to those who want it.  Currently it will be mailed to the training officer of each service and also left at the medical center.  Please continue to give cases that you want to have reviewed.

EMT-I-03 protocols are on-line with medical control.  Please remember to give them all pertinent history of present illness and vitals.  You will need to ask to speak to an attending for an order.

Proposal was passed out for a phase 3 study.  This is the last study needed prior to the drug being approved.  Peter is looking for the boards approval to support this study.  Our patients would receive either polyheme or saline.  Polyheme is used for patients showing signs of hemorrhagic shock.  It is designed for rural areas where there is a lack of immediate blood product access.  Please look at the proposal that was passed out and bring your feedback to the next board meeting.  A question was posed: if the drug is approved would it fall under a future scope of practice?  At this time we do not know.  Peter will also check about the storage concerns associated with First Responder services partaking in this study or if only transporting ambulances are able to participate in the study.

The spinal immobilization protocol is almost through the study approval phase.  It should be considered to still be in draft form.

Questions:

-Now that we are using the glucometers do we still need to do blood draws prior to D50?  Peter will write a protocol stating that we can substitute glucometer readings for blood draws.  Services should keep the green tops as a backup if the glucometer fails.  These are available free of charge from FAHC.

-Should our EMT-B order requests  also go through an attending (ex.  pt’s epi, glucose).  At this time please ask for an attending for all on-line orders regardless of the levels.  Reminder to EMTs to review standing order protocols.  There are many orders being asked for that are off-line.

-Should we have off-line standard of glucometer of <60?  Peter will work on this.

Upcoming transition courses: current one, February daytime, Pre-conference course, and May/June evening.  All were approved.  $150 for class contact Jackie Goss to register: jacquelinegoss@aol.com or Kate Soons katesoons@adelphia.net    Dates listed below.   A motion was made and passed to approve all upcoming future transition courses after review by Doug and Peter.  They will not need to come before the board. 

February 24-April 29^th 1300-1630 state exam to be announced.

Preconference March 24th-26th : people attending this course should have reviewed and be comfortable with the material prior to attending the class due to its short format.  There is also no clinical time.  This clinical time needs to be completed prior to taking the state exam.

Mondays May 3-June 14th (6-9) with June 5 as a Saturday lab (8-4)State exam to be announced.

2/14, 2/15 When Violence Erupts- This is a program sponsored by IREMS.  It is designed for public safety personnel.  A flyer was passed out.  Register Early!  There is a free telemed lecture on Friday 2/13 in the evening.  Please contact Pat to register and for the location.

Radio Room-

The new Zoll program is installed.  Please bring the defibrillator to the radio room and they will help you download.  This looks like a more friendly program than previous versions.  Although services’ individual machines may have the ability to print the information back, please download the information at the hospital so that it can easily be stored. 

Question posed about ages for using the AED.  Peter stated we can use biphasic machines on those 8 y/o and older.  The monophasic machines may still only be used on those 12 y/o and older.  Peter will adjust the protocol.

Updates are becoming much better in terms of the information presented within them.  Please work on giving updates earlier!  Thank you for being patient with waiting for the hospital to move patients off the stretchers.

MRN#s need to be on our forms!  They can be stamped or written.  Also remember that pre-hospital report sheets are a part of the patient’s permanent medical record.

ED- (Tara Pacy)

Apologies for the lack of notice about the latest round of construction.  It is believed that the parking lot construction is done until the summer of 2004.

It is winter again- Please be considerate of the patients in room #4.  Patients can be brought in this way, but crews should not be using this as an entrance to walk back and forth to.  We are all seen by the patients as extensions of FAHC, it reflects badly on all of us.

A message from environmental services.  Please don’t put linens in the garbage even if they are bloody/vomited.  If they need to be destroyed due to there condition please throw them out off hospital grounds.

Biohazard bags must be used for blood soaked material.  Empty biohazard bags are considered biohazards.  The hospital can be fined if they are put in the regular trash.

Thank you for the patience with the new computer system.

MCI-

BFD has 98% of the equipment for their new trailer.  It should be in service ~2/04.  It will be housed at BFD, but will be able to go to other areas.  BFD is currently drafting a protocol for where it may travel and how supplies will be reimbursed/replaced.

Policies/Procedures: none

Logistics: none

Heavy rescue/fire: none

Training Committee: (please look at medical direction report for more)

Module 1 & 2 classes and First Responder classes held at Colchester Center still have room in them.  Contact Becca for more information.

Please check the placement of the combitube carefully.  There was recently a case where the tube was placed in the esophagus and the wrong port was used to oxygenate.

Evaluator training will soon be required by the district.  The first evaluator training will be held 2/18 from 1830-2030.  Dinner is included free and it will be taught by EMS office staff.  Please register with Jason Z.

Recertification dates are 3/18 &3/30.   If you can help please contact Jason Z. (Having taken the evaluators class is not required for this one.)  If you need to register to take the exam - you will need to fill out an exam request form with the state office.

The pre-conference and EMS conference is 3/24-3/28.

An AHA CPR Instructor’s course will be held at Colchester Rescue in March.  Please contact Jason Z. For more information.

This month’s Friday morning training at Colchester will be Hazmat review.

The refresher course scheduled for ½ on line and ½ practical will not happen.  Chris McCarthy has offered to teach the class in a traditional format.  Please let her know ASAP if interested in attending (update since meeting: class cx due to lack of interest)

Old Business: none

New Business: Paramedics are grand fathered through the EMT-I03 transition curriculum.

Meeting adjourned: 1944

submitted by R.Webb, clerk