Wisconsin EMS Advisory Board

Governor Scott Walker recently announced the appointments to the EMS Advisory Board of Don Kimlicka, Director, Clintonville EMS, and Dustin Ridings, Captain, Green Bay Fire Dept.  Each appointment is for a three-year term, but renewable.

The EMS Advisory Board makes recommendations to the Department of Health on general EMS issues either assigned by legislation or raised by members of the public. Medical issues are referred to the Physician Advisory Committee.  EMS Advisory Board members are appointed by the Governor.

The statutory duties of the EMS Advisory Board, include:

• Appoints EMS Physician Advisory Committee
• Periodically reviews and makes recommendations on rules changes
• Provides review and recommendations to the Department on department-proposed rule changes
• Provides recommendations to the Department on the funding assistance program
• Provides review and recommendations to the Department on preparation of mandated reports

The address was straightforward enough – until we got in the neighborhood. The streets curved around and the numerics visible all were for the cross street. We had been told the patient would meet us in the parking lot, then updated information from MedComm was that he was advised to wait in his apartment. Inquiring for an apartment number, we were told the dispatcher would call back to find out. Updated information? The subject was indeed waiting in the parking lot; we were to go to the rear of the building. Finding the alley, we rolled slowly along, our right flood lights illuminating the successive row of apartment buildings. The problem with this method was that the rear of apartment buildings – including these – often does not have numerics displayed. We’d rolled along behind half a dozen when the radio came to life again. “301, caller is on the line again, advises you to come out of alley, take a left and you will see him outside.” We acknowledge, follow directions and emerge from the alley to find a front light across the street furiously winking on, off, on and off again. I flick our floods on and off in acknowledgement but the furious winking does not subside. Driving up alongside the curb directly in front of the door where the light lives does not make it stop, either. Directly beneath the light, cast by turns into stark relief and pitch blackness in paroxysms of the continuing on, off – is our caller. I roll my window down and he barks with extreme agitation, “I said to tell ya, go around back! AROUND BACK!” “Yes, sir, we…..” “GO AROUND BACK!” “yes, sir.”

>> Click to read more of the story...

EMS Agenda for the Future

The two-year project aims to bring the EMS community together and develop a vision for the nation's EMS systems    

Twenty years ago, pioneers and leaders in the EMS industry described a vision of data-driven and evidence-based EMS systems in the EMS Agenda for the Future. Since then, the profession has worked tirelessly to fulfill the vision set out in that landmark document.

The Office of EMS, alongside colleagues at EMS for Children in the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Office of Health Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security are pleased to announce joint funding of the NHTSA-awarded contract to support the process to create a new Agenda for the Future.

A two-year contract was awarded to a respected consulting firm, Redhorse Corporation, to ensure an organized, transparent and inclusive approach to creating a new Agenda that engages the entire EMS community. Redhorse Corporation has partnered with a well-known EMS leader and facilitator, Mike Taigman, and the writing team at the RedFlash Group to support the development process.

EMS community members, stakeholder organizations and the public are all encouraged to get involved by attending public meetings and providing feedback during public comment periods.

State EMS Office Memo 1606

At the October 2016 EMS Board meeting, the System Quality and Data Committee reviewed the current status and the dates associated with the transition to WARDS Elite. They still encourage all services to make the transition by January 1, 2017, if at all possible. This would allow all of Wisconsin’s data to continue being shared with the NEMSIS national database. The January 1, 2017, date also provides a clean cut-off date for all services when running reports. Any data entered prior to the cut-off date would come from WARDS, while any data entered after that date will be available in WARDS Elite.

Because NEMSIS will not extend their December 31, 2016 transition date and will only accept v2 data through December 31, 2016, the System Quality and Data Committee recommended extending the transition date an additional three months. Therefore, all services will have until March 31, 2017, to complete the migration. To allow services to enter any data occurring through March 31, 2017, Wisconsin will maintain the WARDS database until June 30, 2017. During this time we will work with our vendor, ImageTrend, to combine the WARDS data with the WARDS Elite data so everyone will only need to access one database for any reports going forward.

To migrate to WARDS Elite your Service Director needs to email the EMS office at dhsemssmail@Wisconsin.gov.

Tribute

EMT Instructor of 42 years at Fox Valley Technical College passes away

Before his passing peacefully on November 3 following a diagnosis of cancer, Robert (Bob) Sternhagen of Appleton was recognized for his considerable contributions to emergency medical services.

Bob spent his 40+ year career in EMS, an interest that started when he was a teen in the late 1960's going on emergency calls.  In 1974, Bob was hired by the Wisconsin Technical school system as its first EMS instructor, and in 1975 he began training paramedics. His dream of human patient simulation training became reality in 2013 with building a state-of-the art 66,000 square-foot, three-story Health Simulation and Technology Center on the Appleton campus at Fox Valley Technical College.

This past October, just a few weeks before Bob's passing, Gold Cross Ambulance, Menasha, the ambulance service he began his career at in the 1960's, celebrated its 25th year of service.  At this occasion, Bob received the Honorary Star of Life award from the Professional Ambulance Association of Wisconsin (PAAW) for his commitment to, and support of, emergency medical services throughout the Fox Valley.  Pictured at the event with Bob, center, are Dr. F. Mark Moore, left, and Jim Welch, right, former owner of Gold Cross Ambulance.  All three gentlemen were instrumental in the early days of EMS in the Fox River Valley.

Another of Bob's highest honors came in September 2016 when Dr. Susan May, President of Fox Valley Technical College, established the annual Robert G. Sternhagen Innovation through Technology Award as a tribute to his pioneering work in advancing technology and innovation at the college.  At the time of his death, Bob was in his 42nd year of teaching at Fox Valley Technical College.

Community Paramedicine/MIH

Recently, the Minnesota Department of Health released a Community Paramedicine (CP) Toolkit.  The kit is intended to be a resource for Minnesota ambulance services, hospitals, and other stakeholders considering the development or expansion of a community paramedicine program.

The Toolkit contains a series of helpful tools and resources that can be used by a wide variety of stakeholders, but primarily prospective employers interested in hiring and integrating (CP) into their organization. While the Toolkit contains information reflecting the current state of the profession in Minnesota, not all aspects of the CP profession are defined in the state.  Statute, policy, and procedure defining the profession will continue to evolve.

The tools contained in the Toolkit are intended to be both actionable and measurable, and will help streamline an employer’s decision-making and, hopefully, the successful adoption of a community paramedicine program. The Toolkit also includes references, resources and examples to help planners get started quickly.  >> Click to download the Toolkit.

Minnesota began several years ago with its introduction of Community Paramedicine.  Wisconsin has had a few ambulance services integrate a variety of Community Paramedicine delivery methods; however, most of them have targeted reducing repeat callers into 911 systems for an ambulance. 

Wisconsin's fire and EMS stakeholders, including PAAW, have prepared a bill draft and vetted it among stakeholders the past many months.  They intend to ask legislators to introduce the bill draft this February, so Community Paramedicine is formally recognized by the state.  With the Governor's signature, the bill becomes law allowing Wisconsin's ambulance services and other providers to bill Medicare for CP services provided.

Advanced Training

Gundersen Health System will be offering the University of Maryland Baltimore County's CCEMTP course in La Crosse this coming April and May. Class dates will be every Thursday and Friday, 8am - 5pm, April 6 - May 25.

UMBC’s CCEMTPs course is one of three critical care paramedic courses approved by the Wisconsin EMS Section office.

Contact Rick Barton, course site coordinator, via email at rkbarton@gundersenhealth.org for course brochure, registration, and other information.

Leadership Training

Waushara County EMS recently announced they will be sponsoring an EMS supervisors "Boot Camp", April 13 and 14, in Wautoma.  It will be facilitated by nationally recognized presenter Jon Politis.

The 16-hour training course is a powerful-interactive workshop intended to ease the sometimes painful transition to EMS leadership.  The two-day course tuition is $250.

>> Click for more information or to register.
>> Click for area lodging and dining information.

EMS Live in Wisconsin Podcast

Mailed ballots were due today from members of the Legislative Study Committee on Volunteer Firefighter and EMT Shortages.  Based on their discussions, members are voting on legislation drafted to address one of Wisconsin's, and the nation's for that matter, longstanding concerns - ways to increase volunteer recruitment and retention in emergency services.  >> Click for the Study Committee's website.

According to committee member Dana Sechler, photo insert left, "Once the ballots are counted they will be given to the Joint Legislative Council, which established the study committee this past summer".  According to the Joint Legislative Council's website, the Council reviews the legislation recommended by the study committees and, if a majority of Council members vote for introduction, the legislation is sponsored by the Joint Legislative Council.  The next legislative session begins in February.

PAAW would like to extend its appreciation to Legislative Study Committee members and those who testified before the committee or provided documents and letters.

On Tuesday, December 13, PAAW completed an EMS Live in Wisconsin podcast with Legislative Study Committee members John Eich and Dana Sechler.  Both offered an update on work of the committee, pending vote and what it all means.  >> Click for on-demand podcast playback.

Standby for Tones Blog

He called 911 when the symptoms began. He explained that he was a diabetic and he was not feeling well. By the time we were knocking on his door along with the fire rescue crew, things had gone downhill. When there was no response, we opened the door and entered. And stopped, all of us. Three firemen, my partner, and finally myself. I recall walking directly into the back of my partner as he abruptly stopped. Peering around him, I saw that the group of firemen had all stopped as well. Peering further, I saw the source of our sudden collective halt.

His dog was very large, and very protective, and very unhappy with the group of strangers who had just entered her human’s house. Her human who would not wake up. She stood over him, and the low sound in her throat didn’t need any extra volume. It meant business. The caller, our patient, was now unresponsive. I was thanking God I did not have care on this call, and that my partner that day was a senior medic. Unhurried in speech and manner, he was just the ticket to teach the brand new medic that I was on this winter day. Eight months in to my career, I stood, dumb struck at this spectacle in front of me.

>> Click to read more of the story...

"Standby for Tones" is a monthly blog written by Crystal Wallin, a La Crosse paramedic.  Her stories, written from real life events, bring to light the human experience in having an EMS career and work life.  >> Click to read Crystal's blog.