Pennsylvania EMSC Webinar on Pediatric Decontamination (12/03/2015)

At 6:00 pm (Eastern) on Thursday, December 3, the Pennsylvania EMSC Program will present the free one-hour webinar “When Mr. Yuk Meets Mr. Bubble: A Primer on Pediatric Decontamination.” The focus of this webinar will be on unique challenges EMS providers face when responding to a hazmat incident involving children. Nurse educator Joyce Foresman-Capuzzi, MSN, RN, EMT-P will be the featured speaker.

Pre-registration is not required for this educational event; attendance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. To attend the webinar, select the "Enter as a Guest" option and input your first and last name (or EMS agency name if multiple attendees from same agency) then click the 'Enter Room' button. Audio will be broadcast through your computer speakers – there will be no phone-bridge set up.


Journal of Emergency Nursing Publishes Peds Ready Article on IHS and Tribal EDs (11/12/2015)

"Pediatric Readiness in Indian Health Service and Tribal Emergency Departments: Results from the National Pediatric Readiness Project," authored by Juliana Sadovich, PhD, RN; Terry Adirim, MD, MPH; Russell Telford, MAS; Lenora Olson, PhD, MA; Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD; and Elizabeth Edgerton, MD, MPH, is being published in the Journal of Emergency Nursing (currently in press). The article presents the results of the National Pediatric Readiness Project (Peds Ready) assessment of the 45 Indian Health Service (IHS)/Tribal emergency departments (ED). In 2014, these EDs treated approximately 650,000 patients, of which 185,000 (28%) were children and youth younger than 19 years.

Despite serving a historically vulnerable population, IHS/Tribal EDs scored favorably when compared with national Peds Ready data. The survey identified areas for improvement, including implementation of quality improvement processes, stocking of pediatric specific equipment, implementation of policies and procedures on interfacility transport, and maintaining staff pediatric competencies.


Register Today for Next Steps in Quality Improvement Webinar (11/12/2015)

On Tuesday, November 17, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm (Eastern), the EMSC Program will host "Next Steps in Quality Improvement: Measuring Your ED Readiness Improvement - Peds Ready Assessment Portal Now Open."

To assist emergency departments (ED) in measuring their progress in becoming ready for children, the Peds Ready assessment portal has reopened. Participating in the reassessment provides an opportunity for all EDs to measure incremental changes and define next steps for improving their pediatric readiness. First time assessment participants will receive a baseline score regarding the pediatric readiness of their ED along with helpful resources to make improvements.

This webinar will discuss the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle of quality improvement and its application to Pediatric Readiness efforts; define the importance of regular assessment/monitoring of change as related to Pediatric Readiness initiatives; discuss the process for accessing and engaging in the assessment; list information that will be provided to respondents upon completion of the assessment; and discuss potential next steps, based on reassessment findings, for reducing the gaps in pediatric emergency care in your ED.

The content for this webinar is appropriate for ED directors, ED physicians and nurses, hospital administrators, state EMSC Program managers, state health department and hospital regulators, health care planners, trauma program coordinators and managers, and others interested in improving pediatric emergency care.

All attendees must pre-register for the event. Once registered, an automated email message will provide registrants with call in/log in information. No continuing education credits will be available for this education event. A certificate of attendance will be available for attendance at the live presentation. To obtain a certificate, submit a completed evaluation form and document your attendance electronically on the sign-in record.


New Research Highlights Fact Sheet Now Available; Focus on Head Injuries and Need for CT Scans (10/30/2015)

Your child has hit her head and you take her to the emergency department. Does she need a computed tomography (CT) scan? According to the latest EMSC research, CT scans are not needed for all head injuries.

This research is the focus of the third fact sheet in the series known as EMSC Research Highlights. The series is designed to increase awareness among parents and caregivers about pediatric health care best practices utilizing results from recently completed Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network studies.


Pediatric Readiness Assessment Portal Re-opens Nov. 1; Special Webinar Planned (10/29/2015)

The Pediatric Readiness (Peds Ready) assessment portal will reopen on November 1, providing hospitals an opportunity to reassess their readiness in caring for ill and injured children. Upon completion of the assessment, respondents will receive an electronic gap analysis report containing their new Readiness Score, compared to their 2013-14 Readiness Score (if applicable), as well as a breakdown of the overall scoring. To access the portal on November 1, go to www.pedsready.org.

Wondering how your efforts are reducing the gaps in pediatric emergency department (ED) readiness? In conjunction with the re-opening of the Peds Ready assessment, the EMSC Program, the EMSC National Resource Center, and the National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center will host a special webinar at 4:00 (Eastern) on Tuesday, November 17. Speakers will discuss the importance of monitoring one's efforts towards improvement as part of the quality quest while showcasing some of the new features of the updated assessment portal. More information about the webinar will be forthcoming.


Improving Flow and Care of Pediatric Patients in the ED (10/16/2015)

Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released the technical report "Best Practices for Improving Flow and Care of Pediatric Patients in the Emergency Department." The report provides a summary of best practices for improving flow, reducing waiting times, and improving the quality of care of pediatric patients in the emergency department (ED).

Many EDs are facing crowding and ambulance diversion because of increased patient volume and decreased resources. Between 1993-2003, the number of patients who visited EDs rose from 90.3 million to 113.9 million. Approximately 21% of these patients were younger than 15 years. During the same time span, the number of hospitals decreased by 703 (198,000 hospital beds). This has, in many instances, resulted in critical shortfalls. EDs are not always able to provide timely, quality care, which adversely impacts patient safety.

Authors of the report include Isabel Barata, MD; EMSC National Resource Center Medical and Scientific Director Kathleen Brown, MD; Laura Fitzmaurice, MD; Elizabeth Stone Griffin, RN; and Sally Snow, BSN, RN.


Indiana EMSC October 2015 Newsletter (10/15/2015)

Indiana EMSC has released the October 2015 edition of it's monthly newsletter. This month's issue features information about nominating a pediatric healthcare provider for the 2016 Healthcare Heroes Awards and information about the new quarterly newsletter designed specifically for organizations interested in developing a pediatric care coordinator role. Each edition will focus on specific, achievable and impactful areas for improvement.


Pennsylvania EMSC Helps 17 EMS Agencies Become "Experts" in Providing Pediatric Care (10/01/2015)

In October 2014, the Pennsylvania EMSC program launched its Pediatric Voluntary Recognition Program. Nearly 100 EMS agencies have now been recognized for providing basic, intermediate, advanced, or master care. The program added an expert competency level in June 2015, and 17 agencies have now achieved this distinction. Last week, the program was featured in the local press (see "6 EMS Agencies in Western Pa. Deemed 'Expert' in Pediatric Care").


TEEX and NERRTC Develop Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness Course (09/18/2015)

Developed by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) and the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center (NERRTC), the "Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness" course provides information for anyone who might be involved in planning for or addressing the needs of children in a disaster.

Special emergency management issues are addressed, such as pediatric decontamination, triage, and reunification. Although not a clinical class, the course covers some clinical aspects strictly from a resource management/allocation perspective.

The target audience includes hospital- and community-based emergency management personnel, first-receiver staff (particularly those who work in hospital emergency departments), jurisdictional emergency managers, and hospital planners. Continuing education credits are available.


CDC Releases Toolkit on Safe Driving in Tribal Communities (09/18/2015)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a toolkit on safe driving in Tribal communities. The toolkit features proven strategies to reduce drinking and driving and increase the use of car seats to reduce crash-related injuries and death in Tribal Nations.


New AAP Clinical Report on Providing Psychosocial Support to Children and Families in the Aftermath of Disaster and Crises (09/17/2015)

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released a clinical report on providing psychosocial support to children and families in the aftermath of disaster and crises. This clinical report provides practical suggestions on how to identify common adjustment difficulties in children in the aftermath of a disaster and to promote effective coping strategies to mitigate the impact of the disaster, as well as any associated bereavement and secondary stressors.

This information can serve as a guide to pediatricians as it offers anticipatory guidance to families or consultation to schools, childcare centers, and other child congregate care sites. Knowledge of risk factors for adjustment difficulties can serve as the basis for mental health triage.


Pediatric Readiness Continues to Gain Momentum to Reduce the Gaps in Pediatric Emergency Care (09/17/2015)

In a recent editorial in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, author and journal editor Deborah McBride, PhD, RN, provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive evaluation of pediatric readiness of U.S. emergency departments (EDs). The editorial mentions the updated 2006 National Pediatric Readiness Project report which found that overall pediatric readiness had improved over the last 10 years, but that many U.S. EDs continue to lack pediatric equipment and pediatric-specific training for healthcare workers.

Through a national assessment the National Pediatric Readiness Project found having a pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC) increased the likelihood of the hospital having: equipment, supplies, and medicines for children; pediatric-specific policies and protocols; and quality improvement plans for children. In addition, PECCs increased the likelihood of the hospital implementing initiatives to improve pediatric patient safety.

The editorial stresses that reported data clearly illustrates existing gaps, providing numerous improvement opportunities for those participating in the emergency care of our nation's youngest citizens.


AAP Policy Statement on the Use of Telemedicine to Address Access and Physician Workforce Shortages (09/04/2015)

The American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Committee on Pediatric Workforce, including Workforce Member James Marcin, MD, MPH, California EMSC State Partnership Regionalization of Care grantee, published a policy statement in Pediatrics describing the expected and potential impact that telemedicine will have on pediatric physicians' efforts to improve access and physician workforce shortages. The policy statement also describes how AAP can advocate for its members and their patients to best use telemedicine technologies to improve access to care, provide more patient- and family-centered care, increase efficiencies in practice, enhance the quality of care, and address projected shortages in the clinical workforce.


Upcoming New Mexico SPROC Child Ready Web Talk (09/04/2015)

From 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Eastern) on Tuesday, November 17, the New Mexico State Partnership Regionalization of Care (SPROC) program will host its third Child Ready Web Talk webinar on neonatal emergencies. These quarterly interactive (call in/write in) webinars are recorded and archived for on demand viewing; however, only the live webinar offers free continuing education for EMS providers.


September is National Preparedness Month! (09/03/2015)

  • September marks National Preparedness Month and this year's theme is "Don't Wait. Communicate. Make Your Emergency Plan Today." Listed below are a few ways organizations are commemorating the event.

  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency released America's PrepareAthon, a grassroots campaign for action to increase community preparedness and resilience. It provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, and communities to prepare for specific hazards through drills, group discussions, and exercises. The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of individuals who understand which disasters could happen in their community, know what to do to be safe and mitigate damage, take action to increase their preparedness, and participate in community resilience planning.

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its Children and Disasters website and has a dedicated page for National Preparedness Month. This page includes ideas for members who wish to get involved or implement general preparedness activities, including strategies to address influenza prevention and control in high-risk children.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response will focus on developing communities of preparedness during National Preparedness Month. Weekly messages via its website and social media channels will focus on family, neighborhood, workplace and school, and global preparedness. The final four days will focus on sharing preparedness resources with the online social media community.


DC EMSC to Host Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness Course (08/21/2015)

From Monday October 19 through Tuesday, October 20, Washington, DC EMSC will host the course, Pediatric Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness in Washington, DC. This course will prepare students to effectively, appropriately, and safely plan for and respond to a disaster incident involving children. Pediatric-specific planning considerations include mass sheltering, pediatric triage, reunification planning, and pediatric decontamination considerations.

This is not a hands-on technical course, but instead a management resource course for stakeholders, such as pediatric physicians, emergency managers, emergency planners, and members of public emergency departments like EMS, Fire, Police, and Public Health, as well as hospitals.


Now Available: PECARN's CHaMP Research Node Releases New Video (08/20/2015)

The next installment of the Charlotte, Houston, and Milwaukee Prehospital (CHaMP) Research Node Center's EMS Research Education series is now available. The new video, Conducting a Literature Search in PubMed, demonstrates the search process, starting with finding keywords and ending with executing a search and accessing the literature. Topics covered include advanced searching techniques, using filters in PubMed, and accessing literature through open access websites like PubMed Central.


HRSA Invests $14.4 Million in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (08/20/2015)

The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces its continued support of high-priority pediatric emergency care research by investing $14.4 million over the next four years into the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). Founded in 2001, PECARN is the first federally-funded pediatric emergency medicine research network in the United States. PECARN consists of six research node centers, each of which is comprised of three hospital emergency department affiliates and a newly added prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency affiliate. The six research nodes include:

  • Great Lakes Emergency Medical Services for Children Research Network (GLEMSCRN) led by principal investigator, Rachel Stanley, MD, MHSA.

  • Hospitals of the Midwest Emergency Research Node (HOMERUN) led by principal investigator, Richard Ruddy, MD.

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine Northeast, West and South (PEM-NEWS) led by principal investigator, Peter Dayan, MD, MSc.

  • Pediatric Research in Injuries and Medical Emergencies (PRIME) led by principal investigator, Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH.

  • Washington, Boston, Chicago Applied Research Node (WBCARN) led by principal investigator James Chamberlain, MD.

  • And a new node, the Southwest Research Node Center (SW-RNC) at the University of Arizona led by principal investigator Kurt Denninghoff, MD.

PECARN will also continue its collaboration on prehospital emergency research with Brooke Lerner, PhD, principal investigator of the Charlotte, Houston, Milwaukee Prehospital EMS Research Node (CHaMP) by conducting research in the prehospital setting.

More information on SW-RNC, CHaMP, and the five other research centers that make up PECARN is available on the EMSC National Resource Center website.


New CDC Report on Concussion Research (08/07/2015)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new report, Concussion at Play: Opportunities to Reshape the Culture Around Concussion. This report provides a snapshot on the current concussion research pertaining to knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. It also describes opportunities to help build a culture in sports where athletes take steps to: lower their chances of getting a concussion, recognize concussion symptoms, and report concussion symptoms.


EMSC and CECBEMS Announce New Continuing Education Credits for Pediatric Disaster Triage Product (08/07/2015)

The EMSC Program, in collaboration with the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS), is pleased to announce that the online training program, Pediatric Disaster Triage: Doing the Most Good for the Most Patients in the Least Time, is now available with continuing education hours (CEH) for EMS providers. Developed by Connecticut EMSC Targeted Issue Grantee Mark Cicero, MD, the training targets prehospital providers and contains five narrated modules addressing the following: Recognizing a Disaster; Disaster Triage Rationale; Pediatric Triage Considerations; Triage Methodologies (JumpSTART, SMART, SALT, and clinical decision making); and Special Triage Decisions.


2015 State and Territory SnapShot Data Now Available for Viewing/Download (08/06/2015)

The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program is pleased to announce the release of the EMSC State and Territory SnapShot Data Tool. This online tool allows users to view and filter results from the 2015 EMSC State and Territory Partnership SnapShot Self-Assessment. Use it to compare data between states/territories and regions in order to look for trends and perhaps contact managers in other states to learn from them and develop collaborative projects.

The interactive tool allows users to display the data by assessment question, region, or by comparison of states/territories. The entire dataset is also available for download.

Help NHTSA Spread Heatstroke Prevention and Awareness (07/24/2015)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) heatstroke prevention and awareness efforts are in full swing. This marks the fourth summer that NHTSA has spread awareness about the dangers of child heatstroke in hot cars, while urging parents and caregivers to think, "Where's Baby? Look Before You Lock." NHTSA is asking highway traffic safety partners to ramp up activities this summer to augment the national effort.


EMSC and ENA Pilot Project "Creating State Champion Teams" (07/23/2015)

EMSC and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) received an enthusiastic response from states interested in participating in a joint pilot project on creating state champion teams for PedsReady. Congratulations to the following states selected to participate:

  1. Pennsylvania
  2. Louisiana
  3. Colorado
  4. Illinois
  5. Indiana

Once again, thanks to everyone for the many great applications. EMSC will keep everyone informed on the progress of the pilot over the next year, and hope to share best practices with everyone to utilize in their states.


West Virginia EMSC Supplies Communication Boards to Ambulances Statewide (07/23/2015)

In the world of emergency medicine, there is not a routine or typical call. A recent example of the challenges crews face happened when field providers from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority (KCEAA) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were dispatched to a 911 emergency call. Upon arrival, the crew quickly determined that the patient had communication difficulties resulting from strokes. The crew was still able to communicate with the patient thanks to a new tool, the First Responder Communication Board. According to Captain Thomas Bibb, education supervisor for KCEAA, "The EMS field providers were not only able to utilize the communication board to determine the patient's chief complaint, which was unrelated to a stroke, but also the level of pain and onset time." First Responder Communication Boards had been placed on all KCEAA ambulances just two hours prior to this emergency call.

The boards were purchased by the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, EMSC program. West Virginia EMSC recognized a need to communicate with nonverbal patients and utilized federal funding to purchase a communication board for every transporting unit in the state of West Virginia. This tool allows an EMS field provider to appropriately assess and treat the nonverbal patient medically and with dignity. The First Responder Communication Boards may be used on pediatric, adolescent, or adult patients.


NEDARC Releases Infographic on Peds Ready Data (07/10/2015)

The National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC) has created an infographic based on data from the Pediatric Readiness Assessment. The infographic states the importance of weighing children and recording the weight in kilograms, based on a patient safety recommendation from the 'Guidelines for Care of Children in the Emergency Department.'

The Pediatric Readiness Assessment revealed that half of the hospitals in the nation do not weigh and record in kilograms, which is a concern because it can lead to medication dosing errors. Having a pediatric emergency care coordinator is the single most important item that hospitals can implement to ensure pediatric readiness including patient safety.


Save the Date: California EMSC's 18th Annual Educational Forum> (07/09/2015)

On Thursday, November 5, California EMSC will host the "18th Annual EMS for Children Educational Forum" in Sacramento, CA. This forum will bring prehospital professionals together to network and discuss current and evolving pediatric topics. More information will be forthcoming.


Texas EMSC Holds its EMS for Children Crew of the Year Award (07/09/2015)

Recently Texas EMSC held its annual EMS for Children Crew of the Year Award. This award is granted to an EMS crew or station who has displayed outstanding care for a child in an emergency medical or trauma event, demonstrated exceptional effort in the development of pediatric training or quality improvement programs, or was instrumental in planning and conducting creative injury prevention programs. This year Texas EMSC received ten nominations and the Committee honored the Cy-Fair Volunteer Fire Department, Memorial Hermann Life Flight, and Harris County Sheriff's Department for their service. Congratulations to all!


PCORI's First Free CME/CE Activity Focuses on Pediatric Care (06/29/2015)

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) introduces the first continuing medical education/continuing education (CME/CE) activity focused on pediatric care. The activity Comparative Effectiveness of Intravenous vs. Oral Antibiotics for Postdischarge Treatment of Acute Osteomyelitis in Children describes the effectiveness of different forms of antibiotic therapy for children once they leave the hospital after treatment for serious bone infections. This program is accredited for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, case managers, and certified health education specialists.


State EMSC Programs Showcasing Pediatric Readiness Initiatives at Regional Symposiums this Summer (06/26/2015)

Many state EMSC Programs continue to actively engage in initiatives to assist hospitals in reducing the gaps to providing pediatric emergency care. In an effort to share these initiatives with one another and capture lessons learned, regional EMSC symposiums are including specific pediatric readiness sessions to highlight their efforts. These sessions will provide opportunities to discuss individual initiatives and challenges encountered in assisting facilities to move the pediatric readiness needle.


Montana EMSC Announces Pediatric Facility Recognition Program (06/25/2015)

The EMSC/Child Ready program at the Montana Department of Health and Human Services EMS & Trauma Systems Section announced implementation of their Pediatric Facility Recognition Program. The voluntary certification program recognizes hospitals that meet specific criteria for personnel training, equipment, and facilities that support optimal care for ill or injured infants, children, and adolescents. Montana EMSC is working towards a state wide goal of standards of care for pediatrics to help ensure the right care, in the right place, at the right time with the right resources no matter where the child lives.

The program recognizes hospitals as Pediatric Prepared or Pediatric Capable facilities. A Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care facility demonstrates its ability to provide advanced pediatric care for the majority of pediatric medical emergencies including illness and injury. A Pediatric Capable Emergency Care facility, generally smaller facilities in rural and frontier communities with more limited resources, demonstrates that it has a system in place to stabilize a patient's condition and to transfer them to a pediatric prepared facility as needed. Both levels are required to show a well-developed partnership among hospitals, physicians, nurses, and emergency medical personnel.

For more information on the Program, please email Robin Suzor, program manager.


FEMA's Post-Disaster Reunification of Children - A Nationwide Approach (06/15/2015)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed a document which reflects the Nation's first attempt to establish a holistic and fundamental baseline for reunifying children separated as a result of a disaster and aims to assist local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area governments and those responsible for the temporary care of children, such as educational, child care, medical, juvenile justice, and recreational facilities, in enhancing the reunification elements of existent emergency preparedness plans and/or conducting new all-hazards reunification planning.


Now Available: Peds Ready Data Webinar Converted to On-Demand Learning Module (06/12/2015)

The EMSC-hosted webinar Pediatric Readiness Data: An Opportunity to Improve Quality of Care in Your Emergency Department, which originally aired in December 2014, is now available as an on-demand online learning module.

The module defines quality improvement, highlights key components of the quality improvement process, and discusses how to apply essential quality improvement methodologies to improve pediatric emergency care using the National Pediatric Readiness data. Specifically, Charles Macias, MD, MPH, and Kate Remick, MD, discuss the importance of quality improvement in pediatric emergency care, a key quality improvement framework, and potential for quality improvement projects using the National Pediatric Readiness data. Evelyn Lyons, RN, MPH, illustrates the real life application of quality improvement in pediatric emergency care.

This educational event targets hospital emergency department (ED) Pediatric Readiness respondents. Content is appropriate for all ED leaders, including ED medical directors, managers, education specialists, quality improvement coordinators, as well as hospital leadership, quality improvement department staff, EMSC program managers, and state departments of health/hospital regulatory staff. Continuing education credits are available for those that complete the module, the evaluation, and score a 70% or higher on the post-assessment.


Tennessee EMSC in the News! (06/11/2015)

Tennessee EMSC was featured in EMS World for their Seventh Annual State of Life Awards held in Nashville on Thursday, May 14. This year the Eastman Chemical Company Emergency Services was honored.

The mission of the Tennessee Emergency Medical Services for Children Foundation, the host of the Star of Life Awards, is to ensure that every child in Tennessee receives the best pediatric emergency care in order to eliminate the effects of severe illness and injury.

The Star of Life Awards are designed to honor Tennessee's excellent prehospital providers for their lifesaving care. The evening recognizes these individuals who are on the frontlines of emergency care. Congratulations to all!


West Virginia EMSC Program Coordinator Honored for Dedication to EMS (06/11/2015)

Bureau of Public Health Commissioner Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH; West Virginia Office of EMS Director Melissa Kinnaird; Medical Director Michael Mills; and EMSC Program Coordinator Vicki Hildreth were honored for their hard work and dedication to West Virginia's EMS system. The team has gone above and beyond to make West Virginia a national leader in public health and emergency medical services. Congratulations to the West Virginia EMSC program!

A Tale of Two Populations: Addressing Pediatric Needs in the Continuum of Emergency Care (06/11/2015)

The Annals of Emergency Medicine recently published an article by Elizabeth Edgerton, MD, MPH, and Ellen Schenk, MPH, both of the Health Resources and Services Administration, on the role of the EMSC Program in the development and continued improvements of the pediatric emergency care system. This is a good article describing the background and history of the EMSC Program and its future goals.


Now Available: Winter/Spring Edition of Research Highlights (05/29/2015)

The Winter/Spring 2015 edition of Research Highlights developed by the EMSC National Resource Center is now available. This issue addresses the use of steroids to treat infants diagnosed with bronchiolitis.

Research Highlights is a quarterly fact sheet intended to increase awareness of EMSC research best practices through dissemination above and beyond peer reviewed publications, and to establish a mechanism for the targeted dissemination of EMSC research best practices to families and the general public


Florida EMSC Publishes, Presents Poster on EMS Encounters and Cardiac Arrests Utilizing Incident Level Data from EMS Tracking and Reporting System (05/29/2015)

Florida EMSC worked collaboratively with the Florida EMS Advisory Council's (EMSAC) Data Committee and Data Reporting and Performance Improvement Subcommittee to study pediatric data in the Emergency Medical Services Tracking and Reporting System (EMSTARS). Phyllis Hendry, MD, a pediatric emergency physician and member of Florida's EMSC Advisory Committee, served as the lead on this two-year project.

The study's primary objective was to describe the epidemiology of pediatric EMS events and cardiac arrests during a 5-year period using EMSTARS data.

Study results were accepted for presentation at the annual Society for Academic Emergency Medicine meeting in San Diego on May 14, 2015. The study abstract "The Epidemiology of Pediatric Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Encounters and Cardiac Arrests Utilizing Incident Level Data From Florida's EMS Tracking and Reporting System (EMSTARS) Over Five Years (2009-2013)" was published in Academic Emergency Medicine (May 2015) and can be accessed at www.aemj.org.

Study results revealed that the most frequent EMS calls were for age groups 14 to 19 years and <1 year of age. Home was the most common incident location and the most common injury types were falls followed by motor vehicle crashes.

The state median pediatric response time was nine minutes. Most common critical procedures performed were intubation (26%), BMV (25%), and CPR (22%). In patients with cardiac arrest, the average time from EMS arriving at patient to CPR was 1.4 minutes, to intubation 12.11 minutes, and to epinephrine administration 8.33 minutes. Further analysis of the cardiac arrest subset and comparison to adult data is ongoing.

Results from this study will be used to determine future focus areas for pediatric EMS educational and quality improvement initiatives, protocols, and data collection.

For further information, email [email protected].


Now Archived: "Repeat" Webinar on Essential Pediatric Domains and Considerations for Hospital Disaster Preparedness (05/28/2015)

The webinar "Essential Pediatric Domains and Considerations for Hospital Disaster Preparedness: Where Do We Begin?," which was repeated on Monday, May 18, due to popular demand is now archived. This educational event included in-depth discussion about the Checklist of Essential Pediatric Domains and Considerations for Every Hospital's Disaster Preparedness Policies and how hospital leadership can use this tool to incorporate pediatric considerations into existing hospital disaster policies. Users can download one of two versions of the Checklist: an electronic interactive pdf or a static, printable pdf.

This webinar was planned specifically for hospital administrators; clinical managers; physicians; nurses; disaster management specialist; community disaster planners; state and local policy makers; and EMSC grantees, partners, and stakeholders.


Save the Date! 2016 EMSC Program Meeting (05/28/2015)

Mark your calendars! The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program Meeting will be held from Wednesday, June 22 to Friday, June 24, in Bethesda, MD, with a half-day pre-conference scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, 2016. More information about the meeting, including a draft agenda and registration details will be forthcoming.


DOT Secretary Appoints New NEMSAC Members (05/15/2015)

On Tuesday, May 12, the Secretary of Transportation appointed 25 emergency medical services (EMS) executives and practitioners, physicians, researchers, and patient advocates to serve on the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC), which is authorized by Congress to advise the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS). Read more about who was appointed and which of the 25 segments of EMS they represent within the Council.


THAPCA Trial Investigators with PECARN Support Publish Landmark Study on Therapeutic Hypothermia after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Children (05/10/2015)

A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine compares the efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia with therapeutic normothemia among pediatric patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

In a randomized clinical trial, eligible pediatric patients (children ≥48 hours and <18 years) who presented at one of 38 children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada between September 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012, were evaluated. Study participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive therapeutic hypothermia or therapeutic normothermia. Patients were randomized using permuted blocks stratified by clinical center and age at entry. The primary study outcome was survival at 12 months post cardiac arrest with a Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, second edition (VABS-II) score of 70 or higher.

A total of 1,355 patients were screened for eligibility; 475 were eligible to enroll in the study and 295 patients underwent randomization. Of the 295 patients who underwent randomization, 35 were not eligible for the primary outcome, and the final study sample was n=260.

Investigators found that there was no significant difference in the primary outcome between the therapeutic hypothermia and therapeutic normothermia groups (20% vs. 12%, relative likelihood, 1.54, 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 2.76, p=0.14). In addition, the change in VABS-II score from baseline to 12 months was not statistically different (p=0.13). These findings were similar for 1-year survival (38% in the hypothermia vs. 29% in the normothermia group, relative likelihood 1.29, 95% confidence interval, 0.93 to 1.79, p=0.13).

The investigators concluded that pediatric patients who survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest did not benefit more from therapeutic hypothermia compared to therapeutic normothermia at 1-year post event.

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The study trails were conducted in partnership with the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network and the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network.

AAP to Celebrate National EMS Week with PEPP Module Giveaway (04/30/2015)

In celebration of National EMS Week (May 17-23) and EMS for Children Day (May 20), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its publishing partner, Jones and Bartlett Learning, will give away a Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP) online module on trauma to the EMS community. The free module will be available following National EMS Week and may be accessed in the future from the PEPP website at PEPPSite.com.


Pediatric Readiness Manuscript Continues to Generate Interest (04/30/2015)

The first published paper from the National Pediatric Readiness Assessment, released online Monday, April 13, in JAMA Pediatrics, continues to generate national attention in the media. On Monday, April 27, The Wall Street Journal featured a story on emergency department readiness, which included interviews with numerous EMSC grantees, project partners, and even a family impacted by ED readiness.


Pittsburgh SPROC Grantee Releases Primer on Pediatric Emergency Telemedicine (04/17/2015)

The Pittsburgh State Partnership Regionalization of Care (SPROC) grantee released the video resource Pediatric Emergency Telemedicine - A Primer. This video describes pediatric emergency medicine, the utilization of telemedicine for pediatric patients, what evidence exists for the benefits of telemedicine, and what is in the future for pediatric emergency telemedicine.


EMSC Targeted Issue Grantee Releases New Mobile Simulation Unit (04/17/2015)

The 2013 Targeted Issue grant, the Center for Rural Emergency Services and Trauma (CREST) Network for EMS Providers, announces it has put into service a new mobile simulation unit. The CREST demonstration project centers on increasing the knowledge and competency of EMS providers in rural settings through the establishment of a rural EMS training network. The mobile simulation unit provides a unique opportunity for EMS providers to receive hands-on, pediatric prehospital training on-the-go. This is accomplished through a large, retrofitted ambulance with cameras and microphones that allow the recording of simulation trainings.


EMSC NRC Seeks Applicants for Advisory Council (04/16/2015)

The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center (NRC) Advisory Council is as an informal, sitting panel that provides input on and assists with the implementation of EMSC NRC activities as prescribed by the federal EMSC Program. At this time, the EMSC NRC is reseating a council for the 2015 to 2016 term; an extension of this term through 2018 is contingent upon the continuation of grant funding after its current federal funding expires in June 2016. In particular, the Center is seeking applicants who are new to the field of pediatric emergency care, either through their professional career or personal experience with the pediatric emergency care system, or who have had limited engagement in EMSC Program activities. More information on the council and application instructions are available on the EMSC NRC website.

Please note, all applications are due by 5:00 pm, April 30, 2015.


First Pediatric Readiness Manuscript Published with Burst of Media Enthusiasm! (04/16/2015)

The first paper from the National Pediatric Readiness (Peds Ready) Project was released online Monday, April 13, and will be released in print in the near future. Authored by Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, the online article, "A National Assessment of Pediatric Readiness of Emergency Departments," appears in JAMA Pediatrics, along with an editorial by Joseph Wright, MD, MPH, and Evaline Alessandrini MD, MSCE.

Release of findings created a stir in the media. Listed below are a few of the stories generated from the article. Please feel free to share (tweet or re-post) these stories with your membership and stakeholders.


Wyoming EMSC Initiates Program to Ensure Safer Transport of Children (03/23/2015)

The Wyoming Department of Health and the Wyoming EMSC program initiated a state-wide program to ensure safer transport of children in ambulances. The Wyoming Responders Safe Transport Initiative officially moved into the implementation phase on March 1, 2015. Thirteen Wyoming EMS agencies are in the process of getting their ambulances certified as "Pediatric Safe." Ninety percent of agencies are expected to participate in the program by August 31, 2015.

To be certified as "Pediatric Safe" an EMS agency must have:

  1. Device or combination of devices capable of safely restraining a pediatric patient (22-99 pounds) to an ambulance cot. Includes, but not limited to:
    • Car seat(s) (must be rigid in design, inflatable car seats do not count)
    • Commercial devices designed for this task (examples: Pedi-Mate, Quantum ACR, Safe Guard Transport System, Others)
  2. Long-spine board (with strapping systems capable of addressing a patient between 11 and 99 pounds) or pediatric-specific immobilization device.
  3. Ability to secure a pediatric patient on the "captain's chair" with an integrated device or a car seat that is age/size appropriate for pediatric patients.
  4. Any equipment that weighs more than two pounds secured in such a manner that if a vehicular accident occurs during transport of a pediatric patient, those objects will not become missiles in the patient compartment.

Aside from this equipment, all agencies will have at least one member of their staff certified (through the EMSC program) to provide training on the safe transport of pediatric patients and the use of the equipment. Agencies will also incorporate the Statewide Pediatric Transport Protocol into their agencies operating procedures, through their physician medical director.

This project is a partnership between the Wyoming Office of EMS, EMSC program; Maternal Child Health; the Pennsylvania EMSC program; Safe Kids Wyoming; the Wyoming Trauma and Injury Prevention programs; and the Wyoming Hospital Preparedness Program. Note that this group secured 103 Quantum ACRs and will distribute them to "Pediatric Safe" agencies who might not otherwise be able to afford them due to the high cost.


Indiana EMSC Welcomes New Program Manager (03/20/2015)

Indiana EMSC welcomes its new program manager, Courtney VanJelgerhuis. Courtney comes to Indiana EMSC from the MESH Coalition, a non-profit healthcare emergency management organization, where she worked for five years, most recently as its chief of staff. She has extensive experience in building community partnerships, grants management, and program development. Courtney pairs her skills in program development and execution with a true passion for advocacy for children.


NEDARC to Host Webinar on State Snapshot Tool for State Partnership Grantees (03/20/2015)

From 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm (Eastern) on Thursday, April 16, the National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC) will host the webinar State Snapshot Tool for State Partnership Grantees. During the webinar, NEDARC and EMSC National Resource Center staff will preview the newest State Partnership resource, the state "Snapshot" tool. Grantees will be given a tour of the upcoming tool and its many uses, review the state data that will be used to populate the tool, and have an opportunity to ask questions.


Save the Date! EMS for Children Day is May 20 (03/19/2015)

The EMSC Program is partnering with the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Emergency Nurses Association to celebrate EMS for Children Day 2015. The daylong celebration will be held the Wednesday of EMS Week (May 17-23). More information about the 2015 EMS for Children Day celebration, including key messages, promotional materials, artwork, and children's activity sheets, can be found on the EMSC National Resource Center website.

The 2015 EMS Week Promotional Guide will feature a two-page article detailing the EMSC Program's many new initiatives and resources geared toward supporting the vital work of EMS practitioners and administrators.


EMSC NRC Seeks Applicants for Advisory Council (03/19/2015)

The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) National Resource Center (NRC) Advisory Council is as an informal, sitting panel that provides input on and assists with the implementation of EMSC NRC activities as prescribed by the federal EMSC Program. At this time, the EMSC NRC is reseating a council for the 2015 to 2016 term; an extension of this term through 2018 is contingent upon the continuation of grant funding after its current federal funding expires in June 2016. In particular, the Center is seeking applicants who are new to the field of pediatric emergency care, either through their professional career or personal experience with the pediatric emergency care system, or who have had limited engagement in EMSC Program activities. More information on the council and application instructions are available on the EMSC NRC website.

Please note, all applications are due by 5:00 pm, April 30, 2015.


New Mexico SPROC Presents Poster on Pediatric Emergency Care and Regionalization at the 2015 AMCHP Annual Conference (03/06/2015)

New Mexico State Partnership Regionalization of Care recently presented a poster, Child Ready-A Model of Regionalizing Pediatric Emergency Care Through Community Engagement at the 2015 Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference. The Child Ready project aims to develop a model of regionalized pediatric emergency care suitable to rural populations, and ultimately 1) to prepare communities to care for ill and injured children and to conduct injury prevention activities; 2) to prepare health care facilities and systems to care for the ill or injured child; and 3) to create a multi-disciplinary workforce of health care providers who are Child Ready and support them with online continuing education products and clinical, bedside telehealth consultation.


South Carolina EMSC Provides EMS Agencies with Tools to Help Increase Response Times in Pediatric Emergencies (03/05/2015)

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) EMSC program recently provided 12 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) agencies from across the state with pediatric response bags and training essential to quickly responding to critically injured infants and children. A primary challenge in dealing with a pediatric patient is that all children, based on their age, weight, and height requires a different medication dose and equipment size.

To assist South Carolina's EMS agencies in meeting this challenge, DHEC recently purchased 50 Handtevy pediatric system response bags. Purchased through funding from a grant provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which also funds DHEC's EMSC program, the bags will provide local EMS providers with organized pediatric equipment and education necessary to take swift action when confronted with a pediatric patient


Pennsylvania EMSC Produces Educational Video on Concussion Awareness and Response (02/19/2015)

Pennsylvania EMSC, through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health, has produced a short educational video on concussion awareness and response. The video, titled Concussions: Be Aware, Be Prepared, briefly discusses the physiology of a concussion, signs and symptoms, and when to activate the 9-1-1 system.


Statewide Pediatric Emergency Care System Helps Arizona's Children and Families (01/22/2015)

Through seven years of efforts to establish a new regionalization system to improve care for children and years of creating criteria and encouraging hospitals to participate, Arizona now has a statewide pediatric prepared emergency care system. Pediatric Prepared Emergency Care (PPEC) is a voluntary certification program established to improve outcomes for Arizona's ill and injured children through an inclusive system of regionalizing pediatric emergency care for the emergency department. The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) serves as the certifying body for PPEC. It is a public/private partnership between hospitals, physicians, nurses, emergency personnel, the AzAAP, and the Arizona EMSC program at the Arizona Department of Health Services.