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NASEMSO Update:
Implementing the EMS Education Agenda: A Systems Approach

View Archive of Webcast Held June 2, 2008

 
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The National EMS Education Agenda Web Site

Dia Gainor Appointed First Chair of National EMS Advisory Council

(04/08/08) Dia Gainor, Bureau Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for the State of Idaho and a Past President of NASEMSO, has been appointed the first chair of the 25-member National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC). She has been an active participant in many national-level EMS activities and is an expert in the field of quality improvement. Ms. Gainor is also well known for her work with the Intelligent Transportation Systems' Public Safety Advisory Group and with the Strategic Highway Safety Plan Peer Exchange. The purpose of NEMSAC is to provide advice and counsel to the Department of Transportation on national EMS initiatives, while offering a forum for the non-federal deliberation of national EMS issues.

NASEMSO Provides Issue Brief on Repeal of Emergency Responder Provisions in Ryan White Act

(04/04/08) NASEMSO has responded to a national “Call for Action” on the repeal of the emergency responder provisions in the Ryan White Act by publishing an Issue Brief on the topic to inform its members of the concern. The provisions apply to situations where the Designated Infection Control Officer of an emergency response agency determines through investigation that an employee (including volunteers) was exposed to a patient’s blood or body fluids and provides a signed written request to the receiving hospital for notification of the patient’s infectious status. The provisions also provide for automatic notification of the emergency response employee if a transported patient was found to have infectious tuberculosis. Although the repeal has been in effect for nearly six months, NASEMSO is not aware that any hospital has begun refusing to provide exposure incident information to EMS providers through their Designated Infection Control Officer. Instead of waiting for federal intervention by Congress in this matter, some states have already begun addressing the issue by implementing their own state level regulatory requirements to protect emergency responders.  One benefit of the repeal is that states would no longer have to seek a federal waiver to impose state notification laws that was required by previous versions of the Ryan White Act. To access the brief, click here.

EMS News & Resources

FICEMS Endorses Position that All Emergency Medical Services Should Be Provided under Medical Direction

(08/27/08) At its last meeting, the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS) approved language to be sent to all federal agencies that have any grant programs for which EMS is eligible, urging them to incorporate in such grant guidance a requirement for the applicant to be operating under medical direction. In his letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Jeffrey Runge, M.D., Chair of FICEMS, noted, "One of FICEMS' highest priorities is to assure effective medical oversight for every Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system, for both daily emergency medical services and for their response to catastrophic events. The FICEMS recognizes the importance of medical oversight in assuring the quality of EMS care, driving evidence-based practice guidelines, supporting EMS research and providing overall system medical accountability. Download Dr. Runge's letter.

NASEMSO and NPM Coalition Support 5th Annual National Preparedness Month

(08/26/08) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign (www.ready.gov) is sponsoring the fifth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) in September, with support from more than 2,700 NPM coalition members, the largest amount to date. NASEMSO is a member of the National Preparedness Month Coalition. NPM coalition members, consisting of national, regional, state and local organizations, will combine efforts throughout the month of September to encourage all Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies before they happen. press release

National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Releases 2008 Report

(08/22/08) HRSA and the Office of Rural Health Policy have announced the release of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services' 2008 Report to the Secretary.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Committee, this report includes a 20-year retrospective consideration of rural health and human services, highlights key issues for rural health care delivery, human services, and community development, and makes recommendations to the Secretary. Download the report here .

NHTSA Publishes Update on Education Agenda Implementation

(08/22/08) The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of EMS has developed and revised educational materials and resources for EMS personnel, programs and systems for more than 40 years. The recent release of theNational EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach will enable NHTSA, its federal partners and the national EMS community to collaborate, systematize and improve the future EMS education process. Click here to obtain an Aug. 21 update on the Education Agenda implementation, as well as links to the National Standard Curricula; Education Agenda for the Future; National EMS Core Content; National Scope of Practice Model; Education Standards; and National Registration and the Continuing Competence of EMT-Paramedics.

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