Vermont Emergency Medical Services

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VTEMSD#3 Board minutes for March 8, 2007 - called to order at 1833 by Chair O’Neil.

INTRODUCTIONS (O’Neil) 

• From UVM Rescue, Stewart Hall as the new Director of Operations
• From Milton Rescue, Jason Ziter as the new Chief of Rescue

APPROVAL OF MINUTES (O’Neil) 

• Motion to approve the minutes for the February 2007 meeting (Barron/Brent).  Motion approved.

CORRESPONDENCE (O’Neil) 

• From VT EMS Office, Steve Salengo, via email:  recall notice for Lifeline AED & ReviveR AED.  Forwarded to VTEMSD#3 service directors.  (Lindquist) Should the District forward this to local news agencies for the purpose of advising any PAD or home defib owners?  Group agreement.  Lindquist to contact news agencies.
• From Becca Webb, via email:  course proposals (see Training)

TREASURY (Danaher) 

• Checking $4,355.29
• Savings $13,047.34
• There are a few outstanding checks from the old BankNorth account.  The treasurer will be contacting individuals and re-issuing new checks.

MEDICAL DIRECTION (James) 

• HeART Foundation – Medtronic is off the market for the immediate future.  Are we going to go with Zolls? They are the product currently on the table - any discussion?  We would like to order machines and begin training.  (AkerlindM) Was Zoll able to provide answers for the perceived shortcomings of their units? (James) There was a very detailed presentation from Zoll leadership that was very enlightening.  {a discussion regarding data transmission, defibrillation energy delivery, and data download/transfer ensued}.  (James) All the money has been raised – HeART would like to move forward.  (Brent) Is a waiver necessary since 12-lead is out of our scope of practice?  (O’Neil) No – we are covered under VT EMS rules for non-invasive technology improvements {VT EMS Rule….}.  (James) Pulse ox, 12-lead EKG – all non-invasive monitoring.  Zoll indicates they can deliver within 60 days.  Then, we can begin train-the-trainer sessions.  The plan is to train a service representative, and then send that individual back for squad training, accompanied by a representative from the program.  (Brent) Will there be options for how we want to transmit? (James) Yes.  There are multiple ways to transmit data.  (O’Neil) Next month, we would like to include service heads at the meeting to discuss a variety of topics (see Administration), but it would also be an opportunity to get all the stakeholders for this project together as well.  (James) Good – we will push forward and order the machines.
• QA/QI – As FAHC prepares for its Level 1 Trauma re-verification, we have learned that we will be required to present monthly case reviews in a format very similar to the old “Critique”.  Monthly sessions would rotate between trauma, medical, and interesting topics; and be presented in a very similar format to the online QA/QI case reviews that Dr. Wolfson has been presenting.  A proposal is to hold the case review before this meeting (1800-1900), provide dinner from 1900-1930, and then convene the Board meeting at 1930.  How do folks feel about this?  (Soons)  We talked about moving the venue to the new Davis Auditorium, in the Medical Education Center at UVM.  It adjoins the new FAHC structure, would afford plenty of parking (perhaps at Given), allow for ambulances to park nearby, and provide enough seating.  This is just a thought.  {positive feedback from group – will begin to work on details}
• Questions/issues for District Medical Advisor:
  • If Dr. James needs to be contacted in a timely fashion, email not the best option.  She can be reached on her cell phone or her hospital pager 24/7.  Those numbers are:
    • Cell - 233-4685
    • FAHC pager
      • 1 – dial the paging system at 847-1000, then enter pager 0021 at the prompt
      • 2 - dial the FAHC operator at 847-0000, ask the operator to page Dr. Wendy James (as there is another Dr. James – Ted). 
  • Pediatric defibrillation – specialty pedi pads will attenuate the energy to a range appropriate for pediatrics.  The new knowledge is this – you will not harm the child significantly if you use adult pads – use anterior-posterior placement (one pad on chest, one pad on back).

FAHC (Jaquith) 

• (Cross) What should we do about the construction trucks that park in the designated ambulance parking spots?  (Jaquith) Call the ED Comm Center if there are no spots for EMS vehicles; we are trying to balance their needs for access with the primary function of those spots.
• (Lindquist) Recent discussion regarding where EMS should bring patients for triage.  Is it to the back hall of triage or around to the front in the waiting room.  (Jaquith) Around to the WR is the best.  (Lindquist) Wait to give report?  (Jaquith) Yes – speak to a nurse and hand off the patient.

TRAINING (Malone)                         

• Course Updates:                                                      [  ] = Course Coordinator
  • FR-ECA [Longe] – (Butkus) Halfway through, 16 of 18 students continue, recent exam 81% average with good feedback.  Lots of help from District folks.  (Malone) As District course, a District course evaluation needs to be completed.  (Soons) They are on the District website.
  • Spring EMT-B twice weekly [Malone] – (Malone) Skill sheets handed out, due in April.  March 27 & 29 will be Hazmat Awareness (one night weekly class will join).
  • EMT-B once weekly [Ziter] – (Ziter) Going well, skill sheets also handed out.
  • EMT-I [Malone] – (Malone) 12 applications on hand, need 16 – some late applicants going through entrance exam.  Start date is 4/03/07 and the course will meet on Tuesday & Thursday evenings, with a few Saturdays.  Certification exam is Thursday 6/28/07.
  • Summer EMT-B [Malone] – (Malone) Receiving applications, start date is 5/11/07.  (Cross) Meeting days?  (Malone) Every other Friday/Saturday/Sunday beginning Friday 5/11; accompanied by some distance learning that reduces the number of weekday sessions.
• Course Proposals:
  • FR-ECA in Huntington [Webb] – (Webb) schedules distributed, to be held at the Huntington FD, max 24, with Earl Dionne mentoring as an instructor.  Motion to approve FR-ECA course as presented (Brent/Lasker).  Course approved.  (Malone) District course evaluation form completion is required.
  • Module 1 & 2 in Vergennes [Webb] – (Webb) schedules distributed, to be held at VARS, teaching with Chuck Welch, text = AAOS 9E.
  • Module 3 in Vergennes [Webb] – (Webb) same as for Modules 1 &2.  Motion to approve Modules 1 & 2 course and Module 3 course as presented (Brent/Jones).  Courses approved.
• Upcoming Training Opportunities:
  • (Malone) VT EMS Conference March 28 – April 1
    • IREMS doing pre-conf workshops - contact Patrick.Malone@uvm.edu (656-3489) regarding:
      • Grant money for MCI Instructor class – 2 seats
      • Scholarship for athletic training session
  • (Malone) HAZMAT Awareness training at the EMT-Basic twice weekly class (with once weekly class joining in).  Any District member desiring to sit in should contact Patrick.Malone@uvm.edu (656-3489).
• Certification/Recertification:
  • (Malone) Saturday March 10^th 0900 EMT-Basic Recert @ UVM/Rowell.  Per VT EMS, 43 of 45 requested AM session.
  • (Malone) Saturday May 5^th – this is a date change - only EMT-Basic initial practical stations (45-50 students)
  • (Malone) Thursday June 28^th Anything Goes Clean-Up Exam with EMT-I and summer EMT-B initial exams, statewide straggler recerts, and re-tests
  • (Malone) BFD recert held recently with 57 EMTs recertifying.  These dates take a lot of pressure off the District recert sessions. (Lasker) Thanks very, very much – well coordinated.
• Other
  • (Malone/Webb) Hilda Tallman has finished the checklist for FR-ECA instructor
  • (Putnam) Is pulse ox training on the horizon?  (Malone/James) Program is ready – need to create an implementation schedule.  Module is set up – we were waiting for the HeART project.  Will re-link and roll out the training in conjunction with the 12-lead instruction at the squad level.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (Lindquist) 

• MCI – ongoing project work, will take some time to evolve.
• Code 3 – working to provide District with specific criteria regarding code 2/3.  Intend to provide certain aspects of a written policy that are obligate.  (O’Neil) What about clearly non-emergent calls, such as a 911 activation for  “I can’t sleep”?  (James) Committee discussed this at length.  Need to get State to weigh in.  (O’Neil) Recently, BFD instituted a stop at every intersection policy.  Everyone can benefit from a review of their guidelines.
  • (Ziter) VFIS instructor- training EVOC course in May – will send information via list serv again.  Register via VFIS – will run over the course of one evening and the following day.  National standard curriculum.
• Grants – no discussion.
• List servs (Malone) – Greg Thweatt helped establish our District list servs several years ago.  UVM maintains four list servs – two for VTEMSD#3 (EMS Issues and EMS Training); and one for EMS-Children, and one for EMS instructors.  Thweatt will be reassigning the list servs so that the District will have one list serv and our vacated slot will become a statewide EMS list serv.

ADMINISTRATION (Soons) 

• Annual meeting in April, as prescribed by State statute and District bylaws.  Elections for District leadership will take place.  In the past, the District has hosted an evening that included Service Directors, Training Officers, District Representatives, and others.  We would like to “revive” this tradition next month, so please advise your service officers that a letter will be forthcoming and to save the date for next month’s Board meeting:  Thursday April 12, 2007.  We will secure a larger venue and cater dinner.  More agenda details to come – see Old Business.
• Nominations for all District leadership positions can be communicated directly to the Nominating Committee.  They are:
  • Seth Lasker, BFD (slasker@ci.burlington.vt.us) cell = 316-1722
  • Mike Akerlind, Colchester Rescue (colpd171@yahoo.com)
  • Jim Laskarzewski, VTANGFD (james.laskarzewski@VTBURL.ANG.AF.MIL)

PUBLIC INFORMATION (O’Neil) 

• http:/www.acep.org/webportal/Advocacy/EMS/Week/default.htm
• (O’Neil) Perhaps we should use EMS Week to raise awareness about safe response; media ride along, PSA?  Some agreeable discussion. 
• (Soons) Are any services doing anything individually?  (Ziter) Colchester Family Fun night will happen again.  There are lots of opportunities to purchase drastically discounted bike & ski helmets for re-sale or to give away.

OLD BUSINESS (O’Neil) 

• We need to obtain an assessment of the EMS system in VTEMSD#3 (The Clerk will contact Sue Prentiss, Bureau Chief of EMS, Department of Public Safety, State of New Hampshire; and former VTEMSD#3 Chair).  (Malone)  Several towns had EMS issues on their agendas this year.  EMS is much more visible than in the past.  (Ziter) We discussed inviting our legislators to a Board meeting, we need to get the reps here.  The VAA meeting this week focused on the lack of legislation aimed at protecting workers.  (O’Neil)  We need our own road map. (Jones) If EMS worker is exposed – mandated blood draw needs to be legislated.   

NEW BUSINESS (O’Neil) 

• None.
• Motion to adjourn at 1925 (Linquist/Jones).  Next meeting is Thursday April 12, 2007 – location TBA for Annual Meeting & Dinner.

Respectfully submitted on 3/11/07, 

Kate Soons

VTEMSD#3 Clerk

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Last updated: March 26, 2007