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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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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

CDC Issues Call for Papers on Model Communities

(08/19/08) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its Terrorism Injuries: Information Dissemination and Exchange (TIIDE) Project, is examining the relationship between the emergency care community and public health in relation to preparedness for mass casualty incidents. The emergency care community is composed of emergency medical services, emergency departments, trauma centers, and acute care hospitals. The CDC TIIDE Project is seeking examples of “model communities” in which the relationship between the emergency care community and public health is well-established and operationally functional in terms of its capacity to respond to events that might produce large numbers of injuries. Download Call for Model Communities 2008. Deadline: Sept. 15, 2008.

Advocates for EMS Work Toward Reinstatement of Ryan White Provisions

(08/14/08) When the Ryan White provisions designed to protect emergency responders following a body fluid exposure were inadvertently repealed last year, Advocates for EMS convened a group of national EMS and fire organizations to help resolve the issue. Following several conversations with representatives from NIOSH and the CDC, Advocates is now meeting with relevant Congressional staff during the August recess to help reinstate the provisions.  NASEMSO members who learn of statewide activities to enforce the repeal are asked to contact NASEMSO Program Advisor, Kathy Robinson for follow-up by the Government Affairs Committee. Download the Quick Reference Comparison of the Ryan White Notification Law and OSHA, courtesy of EMS Magazine and EMSResponder.com.

State Issues Warning on Ambulance Stretchers

(08/14/08) Ferno-Washington Inc. has released a "Notice of Investigation" in response to a number of problems reported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of EMS for the Ferno PROFlexx Model 35-X with serial numbers between 06 002156 and 07 054091 manufactured between Jan. 17, 2006 and Aug. 16, 2007. Massachusetts OEMS has instructed all ambulance services using the stretcher to immediately inspect them for signs of metal fatigue (shavings, bent support arms, cracks, etc.). Ambulance services have been encouraged to remove any stretcher showing signs of metal fatigue from service immediately and to have all Ferno PROFlexx Model 35-X stretchers inspected by a factory authorized representative as soon as possible. The notice does not affect Ferno’s current production line. Ambulance services that experience an equipment failure are reminded to file a “Medical Devices Report” report with the FDA. Ferno notice | Massachusetts notice

U.S. District Court Reaches Decision in Eagle Air Case

(08/13/08) In a civil case between Eagle Air Med Corporation and the state of Colorado, the U.S. District Court has ruled in favor of the state. According to court documents, Eagle Air maintained that the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 (the “ADA”) prohibits states from enacting or enforcing laws or regulations that relate to the prices, routes, or services of FAA certified air carriers. In particular, Eagle Air challenged the statutory and regulatory requirements that entities seeking to provide air ambulance services in Colorado must acquire and maintain--specifically accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS), whose standards they claim primarily address aviation safety issues. State directors may contact Colorado State EMS Director Randy Kuykendall at randy.kuykendall@state.co.us with related questions. The background of the case and decision is available for download here.

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