“Challenging the notion of volunteers in EMS is like saying bad things about somebody’s mom – it’s one of those things you just don’t do,” writes author Thom Dick in his controversial cover report, EMS’ Dirty Secret. “But maybe it’s time to ask whether America’s volunteers are hurting themselves in their efforts to help others. Maybe… maybe they’re even hurting us.”

Listen as Thom discusses issues long ignored in EMS regarding the health and safety of its providers, as well as the health of the industry. Thom also explains that the article came about as a result of feedback to EMS Magazine editor Nancy Perry’s Oct. 2007 editorial entitled EMS’ Dirty Secret: Are You Paying the Price for Being In EMS?

Look for Thom’s article in your Feb. issue of EMS Magazine or online. To discuss Thom’s article visit our forums.

Thom Dick has been involved in EMS for 37 years, 23 of them as a full-time EMT and paramedic in San Diego County. He is the quality care coordinator for Platte Valley Ambulance Service, a community-owned, hospital-based 9-1-1 provider in Brighton, CO. Thom is also a member of EMS Magazine’s editorial advisory board. Reach him at boxcar_414@yahoo.com.

“Before you start breathing for a newborn, take a deep breath for yourself,” Scott says.

Scott DeBoer, RN, MSN, CEN, CCRN, CFRN, is a flight nurse at the University of Chicago Hospitals, a transport nurse with Superior Ambulance Service in Elmhurst, IL, and founder of Peds-R-Us Medical Education. Listen as he discusses why two of the main issues in breathing for babies are managing your own stress and using the most appropriate equipment available. “If it’s baby equipment, use it,” Scott writes in his January EMS Magazine article Breathing for Babies. “If not, get it.”

Breathing for Babies was written by Scott DeBoer in conjunction with Debbie Andrews, RN, RM, MN, a clinical nurse consultant for NSW Newborn & Paediatric Emergency Transport Service in Sydney, Australia and with Michael Seaver, RN, BA, a senior consultant with ACS HealthCare Solutions in Dearborn, MI. Read the full article in your January 2008 issue of EMS Magazine or online.

Also, look for Scott’s training DVD “Expressway & Elevator Deliveries” and his EMS/ER newborn resuscitation book, “Emergency Newborn Care: The First Moments of Life” available at www.peds-r-us.com. Contact Scott at scott@peds-r-us.com.

Rod Brouhard has been a paramedic in Modesto, CA with AMR for 16 years. He has also been a preceptor for many years and authored this month’s article, Paramedic Preceptors: the Key to Creating a Successful Medic.

Rod explains that he began to research this topic when he was asked to design a preceptor training program for California State University in Stanislaus. “I discovered that there was a wildly different model depending on where you were in the country,” he says.

In this podcast Rod elaborates on his article, which is a discussion on these different ways we train paramedic students. His goal for the article is to show training officials that, “Maybe the way we do it isn’t the only way it could be done,” he says.

Rod also explains how he became involved in EMS and his other projects today, including serving as the First Aid and EMS “Guide” on About.com.

Look for Rod’s full article, Paramedic Preceptors: the Key to Creating a Successful Medic, in your December issue of EMS Magazine, and soon on EMSResponder.com.

Rob is a pathophysiology instructor for the State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center as well as a human anatomy instructor at Brooklyn College, and in this podcast he explains how EMS responders can benefit from additional knowledge of cardiac anatomy.

“… In New York City we get a lot of calls for people who say they have heart murmurs, or we go to children and mom says they have a hole in their heart,” Rob says. “The look on my colleague’s face goes immediately pale and they have no idea what’s going on, and they’re calling for backup.”

Patients and paramedics alike are throwing around more medical terms these days, and some additional cardiac knowledge will help EMTs understand more about what they’re seeing on the street, Rob says.

He provides this information in an approachable manner for all levels of EMS responders in his November article, Straight to the Heart, a primer in cardiac anatomy for field clinical operations.

In this podcast Rob also discusses the very personal story of how he was hit by a car when he was in sixth grade, leading to his interest in medicine and rescue at a young age.

Look for Straight to the Heart in your November issue of EMS Magazine or online.

Primum non nocere (first do no harm) is the prime directive for all medical professionals. EMS educators can reinforce this philosophy by discouraging prehospital practices that not only lack evidence of effectiveness, but may be hazardous to patients, says educator Mike Rubin, BS, NREMT-P. His October article, What Not to Do in EMS, presents a top 10 list of what to avoid in the field, including overuse of lights and sirens, inadequate patient documentation and tube misplacement during endotracheal intubation.

Listen as Martha Bonnie, MSE, gives an overview of the article and shares the inspiration behind its creation. She notes who is most at risk, which foods to suspect, and what to do if you suspect a foodborne illness.

Listen as Mike introduces himself and elaborates on this topic. He begins with the story of his unexpected transition into EMS after a career in engineering, and how he advises others to seek fulfillment as well.

Look for Mike’s full article, What Not to Do in EMS, in your October issue of EMS Magazine.

Food recalls and foodborne illnesses have been a frequent phenomenon in the news this year, making this September feature a particularly timely topic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne microorganisms cause 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and over 5,000 deaths each year.

Listen as Martha Bonnie, MSE, gives an overview of the article and shares the inspiration behind its creation. She notes who is most at risk, which foods to suspect, and what to do if you suspect a foodborne illness.

Martha is the lead writer for Emergency Preparedness Systems LLC, and collaborated on this piece with EPS president Greg Friese. They touch on assessment and reporting tips, food bioterrorism and more.

To read the full article visit A Sickening Situation: Prehospital assessment and treatment of foodborne illnesses. To contact Martha Bonnie, email her at mbonnie@eps411.com.

Co-author Randall Benner, MEd, CCEMT-P discusses the August feature article “Beyond the Basics: Bariatric Emergencies,” which covers the increasing issues of obesity and complications from bariatric surgery.

Randall explains that obese patients present differences in anatomy and physiology that change the way medical providers need to approach them. In addition, more and more of these patients are undergoing bariatric surgery, which sometimes results in complications that require the care of emergency medical personnel.

Obesity affects almost every organ system, Randall explains, and needs to be considered even for things EMS personnel do routinely. Providers in the field can expect to encounter such patients more often as obesity becomes more prevalent. Surgical complications will be less common, but Randall estimates that busy EMS systems may begin to see these on a monthly basis.

Listen to learn more about Randall’s background in EMS and EMS education, as well as his upcoming presentations at EMS Expo:

Beyond the Basics: EKGs for EMTs and EMT-Is
(2-Day pre-conference workshop co-presented with Tim Duncan)

Zoning in on Neck Trauma
(Oct. 12 at 4:30 pm)

CPAP and BiPAP Use in EMS

Learn more and register at www.emsexpo2007.com.

Steve opens up in this podcast about a topic that is both a fear and a reality for nearly every EMS provider: making mistakes in medical care. He explains why in his July article he shares his personal errors, and believes that responders have much to gain by openly discussing such a difficult topic.

None of us are immune to mistakes, he says, and while perfection is an admirable goal, we have to accept that mistakes – and hopefully learning from them – are an ongoing and necessary process.

Steve goes on to share some of the ideas presented in his article, “Fallible Medicine: Responding to Errors in Medical Care.” These include the questions, “Why do we make errors? How much is it inevitable, as human beings, and how much can we control and improve?” Steve examines different kinds of EMS errors, such as skills-based errors, knowledge-based errors, and latent errors due to fatigue, etc.

Steve Whitehead is a paramedic/firefighter at the Parker Fire Protection District in Colorado. Click on this podcast to hear his discussion on medical errors, and look for his article in the July issue of EMS Magazine.

Marc has been involved in EMS as a field provider, training officer and operations manager, as well as a teacher and writer. He is currently a firefighter/paramedic in Portland, Maine and a professor at York County Community College in the paramedic degree program.

He has previously provided materials for emergency care textbooks and manuals, and now begins as a regular contributor for EMS magazine. Listen as he discusses his goals for this series, which include reviews for the maintenance of important and sometimes rarely used skills. Marc hopes these refreshers will give providers the confidence to use those skills rather than avoid them because of inexperience, and lead to better patient outcomes.

The columns will also help providers stay educated on various related protocols for patient care. Listen as Marc explains why he considers it important for field providers to regularly re-examine these issues at their own services, and remain a part of the protocol development process.

Marc’s first Advanced Skills Lab column, on intraosseous insertion, appears in the June issue of EMS Magazine.

Part 1: Timothy Perkins

Tim Perkins is the EMS Systems Planner for the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of EMS in Richmond, VA. He authored the first column in the new Basic Skills Lab series, titled Fracture Management, which appeared in April. Tim explains how he saw a need, in a time when there are so many new issues in EMS, to return to the basics and assist EMTs in providing the best every-day care possible.

Tim also previews his sessions at EMS Expo this October, on emergencies involving bariatric patients, and how to become an EMS “detective” to raise awareness of your surroundings and find clues to better assess and treat patients. For more information on these sessions visit the EMS Expo 2007 website.

Part 2: Orlando Dominguez

Orlando Dominguez, Jr., is Chief of EMS and Public Information Officer at Brevard County Fire Rescue in Rockledge, Florida, as well as an EMS program educator for Health First Training Center in Melbourne. His first column in the Basic Skills Lab appears this May and discusses the scenario of pediatric cardiac arrest.

Orlando explains that his plan is to present case scenarios and protocols involving ALS skills, and to illustrate what that means to the basic provider on the scene. He says his goal is to provide insight to EMTs so that they feel comfortable and empowered, and can better assist ALS providers. He hopes the column will also serve as a useful review for advanced providers.