|NASEMSO News

The 411

(06/21/17) Here's the latest update on NASEMSO projects and activities:

• Fatigue in EMS – The team is heading down the home stretch with final evidence tables, guidelines, and performance measures expected this summer. Next up: experimental study on the effect of a fatigue management program on an EMS agency AND a free scheduling tool based on a biomathematical model of fatigue for EMS personnel!
• National EMS Scope of Practice Model Revision – The Expert Panel met in Washington, D.C., on June 1-2, 2017. A systematic review of literature was discussed related to 5 important metrics: the use of opioid antagonists by all BLS personnel, hemorrhage control, targeted temperature management following cardiac arrest, the use of CPAP by EMTs, and pharmacological pain management. The Panel’s input is being incorporated into the first draft and a broader public engagement is anticipated in August 2017.
• National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines – Draft Version 2 is now accepting public comments until June 26, 2017.
• REPLICA – REPLICA member states have EXCEEDED the threshold needed to activate! Congratulations and thank youto Colorado, Texas, Virginia, Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama!! Eight more states have introduced legislation that could bring the total to 38% of the nation. Advocate Sue Prentiss is still available to work with states that are supportive of or filing compact legislation to provide resources and informational needs. The member states are in the process of forming a REPLICA Commission to handle the day-to-day needs of the compact.

NASEMSO Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Draft Version 2, Accepting Public Comments until June 26, 2017

(05/10/17) The NASEMSO Model EMS Clinical Guidelines project team is delighted to unveil the draft Version 2 of the Model EMS Clinical Guidelines. The document may be downloaded here. In completing Version 2, the project team has reviewed and updated all existing guidelines, as well as added 15 new guidelines.

Version 2 of the Guidelines, similar to the original version released in 2014, was completed by a team of EMS and specialty physicians comprised of members of the NASEMSO Medical Directors Council and representatives from seven EMS medical director stakeholder organizations (AAEM, AAP, ACEP, ACOEP, ACS-COT, AMPA, and NAEMSP). In addition, all guidelines have been reviewed by a team of pediatric emergency medicine physicians, pharmacologists and other technical reviewers.

To Submit Comments: When submitting comments, please specify the guideline(s) and page number(s) to which you are referring. In addition, indicate if the comments are submitted on behalf of an organization or by an individual. The draft of Version 2 of the Model EMS Clinical Guidelines can be downloaded here. Please submit your comments to Mary Hedges at hedges@nasemso.org no later than June 26, 2017.

This project is supported by funding provided by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of EMS and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Most project team members and reviewers have volunteered their time to develop this resource.

These guidelines are intended to be a patient-centric resource for EMS medical directors and EMS systems of care. Because of the variety in scopes of practice for the different levels of EMS practitioners, the guidelines have been drafted without reference to the level of practitioner.

NASEMSO Announces Final Military to Civilian EMS Transition Project Resources

(04/26/17) A new report available from NASEMSO summarizes the key components of the Military to Civilian EMS Integration Transition project. The project was conducted by NASEMSO with funding support from the Office of EMS of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the EMS for Children Program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The project comprised several distinct military-to-civilian integration components and deliverables. Download the individual components or the summary document. Download press release.

NASEMSO Releases Guidance on Safe Transport of Children by EMS

(03/24/17) NASEMSO announces the release of Safe Transport of Children by EMS: Interim Guidance. The guidance is a result of the work of NASEMSO’s Safe Transport of Children Ad Hoc Committee, which is focused on establishing evidence-based standards for safely transporting children by ground ambulance. Download press release. While there are a variety of products available to secure children being transported in ambulances, the EMS provider (and the children being transported) must depend on the manufacturer for determining if the restraint would operate as intended in an ambulance crash. Unlike the child restraints (car seats) used in passenger vehicles, which must meet the crash standards defined by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 213, there are no required crash-testing standards for these devices in the United States.
 

|EMS News & Resources

NASEMSO Joins National EMS Organizations to Oppose Elimination of EMSC Program

(06/12/17) The federal Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program has been the only federal program dedicated to improving emergency medical care for children. The following organizations have issued a joint statement, opposing President Donald Trump's proposal to eliminate funding for the EMSC program in his fiscal year 2018 budget: the American Ambulance Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Children's Health Fund, Emergency Nurses Association, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, National Association of State EMS Officials, National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute, National EMS Management Association and Save the Children. Read more.

FEMA Seeks Comments on Continuity Guidance Circular

(06/06/17) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released the draft Continuity Guidance Circular, which guides whole community efforts to develop and maintain the capability to ensure continuity of operations, continuity of government, and enduring constitutional government during an emergency that disrupts normal operations. The draft document is now beginning a 30-day national engagement period. National engagement provides interested parties with an opportunity to comment on the draft documents to ensure that the final document reflects the collective expertise and experience of the whole community. The national engagement period will conclude at 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 5, 2017. Review the draft Continuity Guidance Circular, and to obtain additional information online. To provide comments on the drafts, complete the feedback form and submit it to FEMA-CGC@fema.dhs.gov.

National EMS Scope of Practice Model Revision Launches

(06/02/17) The National EMS Scope of Practice Model Revision launched with a meeting of the Subject Matter Expert Panel (click on image above to see full size photo) on June 1-2, 2017, at the U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Comments or questions that the EMS community or the public wish to submit to the expert panel and/or research team for consideration are welcome at any time! Submit comments or questions here.

NASEMSO Releases New Report: Home State Regulatory Practices of Out-of-State EMS Agencies (Ground and Helicopter)

(05/18/17) NASEMSO is pleased to announce the release of a new report, Home State Regulatory Practices of Out-of-State EMS Agencies (Ground and Helicopter), which summarizes the findings from a 2016 survey of state EMS offices on licensure requirements, exemptions, and special conditions for ground and helicopter EMS agencies that are based out-of-state. Through the work of the NASEMSO Agency and Vehicle Licensure (AVL) Committee, issues with out-of-state agencies (OOS) performing regulated services in their states were identified. Within the charge of the committee, NASEMSO leadership approved a proposal to develop and execute a survey to further identify and verify the issues and challenges in order to, when appropriate, develop model language for rules or laws and/or policy solutions to effect more standardization among states on their approach to agency licensure. Download news release.

REPLICA Becomes Official with its 10th Member State Enactment

(05/15/17) With the 10th member state enactment, the Recognition of Emergency Medical Services Licensure Interstate Compact (REPLICA) has become official. Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia signed Senate Bill 109 on today activating the nation’s first EMS licensure compact. States that have passed REPLICA to date include: Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Virginia, Tennessee, Idaho, Utah, Mississippi, Wyoming and Georgia.

Released in 2014, REPLICA’s model legislation creates a formal pathway for the licensed individual to provide pre-hospital care across state lines under authorized circumstances. According to Keith Wages, president of the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), “REPLICA represents a collective, nationwide effort to address the problems faced by responders when needing to cross state borders in the line of their duties.” Wages highlighted the compact’s abilities to “increase access to healthcare, reduce regulatory barriers for EMS responders, and place an umbrella of quality over cross border practice not previously seen in the EMS profession.” Download news release.