Virginia
LIFELINE 1st Quarter 2022
The Official Publication of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads
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Deadline for the Upcoming Issues of the VIRGINIA LIFELINE Deadline for future issues are as follows: December 15 for the 1st Quarter Issue March 15 for the 2nd Quarter Issue June 15 for the 3rd Quarter Issue September 15 for the 4th Quarter Issue
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The VAVRS implemented an updated Emergency Vehicle Operators Course that started January 1, 2022. There are 160 certified instructors available to teach basic and refresher courses. Contact the VAVRS Office or your District Vice President for information or to schedule a course. We want to thank our instructors for their attendance to one of the 16 updates offered in 2021 and to our Instructor Trainers for teaching the updates. Your dedication to training our membership and promoting driving safety within the first responder community is deeply appreciated.
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Full Page…………………..$ 275.00 Quarter Page……………....$100.00 Business Card……………..$ 50.00
EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATORS COURSE
Updated 3/7/21 2022
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2021 Governor’s EMS Award Winners! By the virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized: The Governor’s EMS Award for Excellence in EMS Craig DeAtley For almost 40 years, Craig DeAtley, has been on the leading edge of advancing prehospital patient care. Craig is a Physician’s Assistant by profession and a prehospital EMS provider by passion. In his very early days, Craig was a founding member of the Hampton Sydney College Fire Department and went on to serve his community as a local fire department member, educator and leader in EMS. Craig has been a United States Presidential Appointee, an integral medical leader in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team and an innovator in the region’s emergency preparedness and disaster management. He also served as a highly influential principal in the development of EMS education with George Washington University and its regional EMS education center in Northern Virginia. He is a model for compassionate patient care in every role that he has filled. One of Craig’s most notable achievements includes his more than 30 year commitment as a medical director for the Fairfax County Police Department. He has been instrumental in developing a tactical medical program and safety officer program. He is a critical leader and advisor in the department’s responses to a myriad of medical and health-related challenges, including Ebola, Avian Flu, and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. He has demonstrated great passion, integrity and the highest degree of skill to, not only those he instructs and oversees, but also to the field of EMS. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to Leadership in EMS The Kent J. Weber Trophy Gregory Woods Greg Woods has served nearly 20 years in EMS leadership at the local, regional and state level. He began his EMS career as a volunteer with Saltville Rescue Squad and was hired as a Field Coordinator by the Southwest Virginia EMS Council in 2004. In that role, he led the Council’s training and testing programs until being promoted to Executive Director. As a Regional EMS Council Director, he has overseen a complete corporate reorganization. He also managed the implementation of numerous programs and initiatives necessary to support EMS. Among these, Greg oversaw the establishment of an AHA Training Center, accreditation of an ALS certification training program, and the establishment of a regional training center to support EMS education. Greg has been highly involved in EMS at the state level by serving on numerous state committees, including chair of Virginia’s Regional EMS Councils. Currently, Greg is the longest-tenured regional EMS council director in Virginia.
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This year, two extraordinary physicians were selected. – The Governor’s EMS Award for Physician with Outstanding Contribution to EMS The Frank M. Yeiser Trophy John Morgan, M.D. Dr. John Morgan has served as the Operational Medical Director (OMD) for the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System since late 2003. He has been instrumental in continually elevating the organization to the next level to benefit the communities in Loudoun County while overseeing nearly 1,000 certified EMS providers. In addition to serving on multiple committees in the Loudoun County System, he is very active with the Northern Virginia EMS Council, serving on the Regional Board of Directors and the Regional OMD Committee. Dr. Morgan is closely involved with, and dedicated to, all aspects of EMS, including training, dispatch, quality assurance and operations. One of the most outstanding attributes of his leadership as an OMD is his commitment to providing the highest quality prehospital emergency care. The Governor’s EMS Award for Physician with Outstanding Contribution to EMS The Frank M. Yeiser Trophy Norman Rexrode, M.D., Russell County Hospital Dr. Norman Rexrode has served nearly 40 years of continuous active service to the local and regional EMS system in Southwest Virginia. He currently serves as the Operational Medical Director (OMD) for nine licensed EMS agencies on a strictly volunteer basis. Dr. Rexrode has built a positive reputation for being highly involved with the agencies he serves. He is recognized for his accessibility while maintaining high expectations for quality improvement. Dr. Rexrode’s long career has also involved an extraordinary commitment to EMS education. He is credited with bringing the very first advanced life support training to Russell County and was directly responsible for the advancement of prehospital care in the county. Today, he continues to mentor, precept and train prehospital students. His investment in the lives and careers of countless EMS providers has been profound and serves as an example of service and dedication to many. The Governor’s EMS Award for Nurse with Outstanding Contribution to EMS Greta Morrison Greta Morrison provides outstanding contributions to the local and regional emergency medical services system in both nursing and the direct provision of EMS care. Her leadership roles in nursing administration over two decades has created valuable partnerships between Russell County Hospital and the EMS agencies serving Russell County. She has implemented programs to support EMS agencies and to improve the quality of care. Greta is a life member of Lebanon Life Saving Crew and held numerous leadership positions over the years. She previously served as a flight nurse with Wings Air Rescue, and is currently active with New Garden Rescue Squad. Over the years, Greta has served on numerous local, regional and state committees and has demonstrated uncommon commitment to improve the delivery of EMS.
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The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding EMS Prehospital Educator Kelsey Rideout As a firefighter and paramedic for the past nine years, Kelsey Rideout has discovered that her true passion within EMS is training and teaching other providers. As an instructor, she demonstrates patience, empathy, drive for selfimprovement and adaptability. Whether teaching EMS Continuing Education classes for Fredericksburg Fire Department, providing a lecture at hospital EMS events, coordinating large-scale regional disaster exercises, educating EMS and hospital providers in ACLS/PALS or serving her community with CPR class opportunities, Kelsey Rideout exemplifies outstanding teaching and leadership qualities at the local, regional and statewide level. She is a member of the Rappahannock EMS Council CISM Team and has served on the Regional Guidelines and Training Committee. Kelsey is an educator that is willing to not only teach quality education but also learn as well. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding EMS Prehospital Provider Candace Brown Candace Brown has been a member of the Lynchburg Fire Department since 2007. She has progressed to the level of Advanced Practice Paramedic and currently serves as Fire Captain and EMS Supervisor for the agency. Candace also holds multiple certifications in both EMS and fire. In addition to being a full time Paramedic/Firefighter, Candace is also active in the community. She is a guest speaker routinely for special conferences in the City of Lynchburg and is an adjunct professor for Randolph College, where she teaches health, safety and CPR. She is also a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, which she performs both in her official capacity at Lynchburg Fire Department and during her personal time for the community. Candace is currently completing her master’s degree in Public Health and has plans to pursue her Doctorate.
The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Health and Safety Kelley Rumsey Kelley Rumsey is an asset to the EMS community through her continued work in mental health first-aid. She is currently the Trauma Program Manager for Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and has been a long time member of the Old Dominion EMS Alliance (ODEMSA) Peer Support Team (PST). In 2018, Kelley initiated a new stress control model developed by the U.S. Navy called the Stress First Aid (SFA) model that uses a peer-to- peer approach to help team members better understand and confront their trauma versus having them relive the ordeal. Her passion for provider well-being created an opportunity to assist the ODEMSA Regional PST with sound evidence and a keen eye for system improvements. Kelley has worked tirelessly to help shape the ODEMSA PST into a group of individuals that is sought after by other regional agencies in a time of need.
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The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS for Children Jill Lucas Drakeford Jill Lucas Drakeford has made it her mission to reverse the statistic that preventable injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States. As a Community Health Educator for the past 18 years and Carilion Clinic’s Safe Kids Southwest Virginia Coordinator, Jill goes above and beyond to protect the health and safety of children. She is dedicated to educating parents, caregivers and children throughout Southwest Virginia on injury prevention. Since 2008, Jill has participated in 873 child safety events, serving more than 26,671 people. Whether giving a safety demonstration for hundreds of people at a health fair or performing one-on-one car seat safety checks, her work has made a real and significant impact on the families in her region. Jill has dedicated her life to serving others and her passion to ensure the safety of the children in her community is remarkable. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding EMS Agency Botetourt County Department of Fire and EMS The Botetourt County Department of Fire and EMS began in 2001, and has experienced immense growth and development within its complex combination fire and EMS system. The agency provides superb care and excellent community engagement, while ensuring personnel are well trained, equipped and safe to perform their extremely difficult jobs. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the department accomplished numerous achievements that strongly supported the community and response efforts. The department established its own in-house processes for COVID-19 testing and improved patient care initiatives. Throughout the pandemic, the Department was also a source of hope and inspiration. They recorded community outreach videos to bring the community up to speed, and developed a bi-weekly conference call with local officials to maintain situational awareness. The Botetourt County Department of Fire & EMS strives to be an exemplary organization for the betterment of the community they serve. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Telecommunication Daniel Hartsock Daniel Hartsock has served more than 23 years as an EMS provider in the regional EMS system and 18 years as a professional telecommunicator for Washington County 911. In his capacity with Washington County, Daniel has demonstrated a willingness to go beyond what is expected in his job, and serve as a leader who strives to improve the effectiveness of the dispatch system. Daniel has demonstrated a commitment to take on new projects and responsibilities, including undertaking significant roles in training as a Public Safety Answering Points Training Officer since 2008. He also staffs the Sheriff's Office Command Post when activated for mass casualty, (Continued on page 8)
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severe weather events and any situations that may warrant deployment. Daniel is an advocate for EMS and provides exceptional support and service to the public. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response
The James A. Nogle, Jr. Trophy Cindy Williams Cindy Williams currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer for Riverside Health System in Newport News. She has also worked to become a reliable and accessible resource for EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response in the region, community and the Commonwealth. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Cindy has worked tirelessly in coordinating vaccination efforts, participating in daily and weekly COVID-19 related conference calls, meetings and planning sessions. She was a member of the Virginia Department of Health’s COVID-19 Pharmacy Committee, COVID-19 Vaccine Committee, COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Sub-Committee and COVID-19 Vaccine Community Partnerships Sub-Committee. She has been a true advocate for EMS Emergency Preparedness and Response, using all of her knowledge and abilities to leverage vaccines for the community’s vaccination efforts. The Governor’s EMS Award for Innovation Excellence in EMS
James Huffman Jim Huffman has been assisting Virginia’s EMS System for 25 years, beginning with an offer to donate web hosting services to Western Virginia EMS Council in 1996. In 2014, the council was pleased to extend an employment offer to Jim on behalf of the 11 Regional EMS Councils. Since hired as the Director of Technology Services, he has established Regional Council Technology Support, a program supported by the Office of EMS and regional council office contributions for continuing his efforts to advance technology. Jim’s commitment to innovation and modernization have kept the regional council offices safe and allowed them to operate in a more effective and efficient manner. His work has allowed for increased collaboration capabilities across regions while reducing costs for services. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim anticipated, built and activated services that were invaluable to the Regional EMS Council offices’ response efforts. An additional award is presented at the ceremony to recognize the outstanding contributions to EMS by a high school senior. This is a scholarship award provided by the Virginia Office of EMS in conjunction with the State EMS Advisory Board. The Governor’s EMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS by a High School Senior The Dr. Carol Gilbert $5,000 Scholarship Madyson Wilkerson, Halifax County Rescue Squad Madyson Wilkerson joined Halifax County Rescue Squad as soon as she turned sixteen, with a desire to serve her community. Her colleagues have expressed that from her first day at the squad, as soon as her boots touched the ambulance bay floors, her eagerness to learn and willingness to help others has echoed the halls of the squad building. If given the opportunity to improve the EMS system in Virginia, Madyson shared that she would find ways to encourage more people to become EMS volunteers, through recruitment campaigns, community outreach and collaboration with the high schools. Madyson believes Official
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Loudoun County Rescue Squad Juniors Submitted by Jim Cromer, LCVRS We say the junior members are the lifeblood of our organization, but do we really believe that? Loudoun Rescue does.
Not only are they EMTs, they will be future leaders not only in the squad but as leaders in their life’s profession and in the community where they live. They are all highly motivated to serve. While they are small in numbers they have accomplish much since they got together in October. At that time, they developed their own strategic plan and elect their own officers. Hitting the ground running they have accomplished much in a short time. They ran an in-house Halloween pumpkin carving contest, provided dinner for the volunteer and career personal on Thanksgiving, and visited the Loudoun County 911 communication center and PHI (INOVA) Helicopter service. The biggest and most important event they scheduled this year is to host an INOVA Blood Drive (Dec. 23rd). This event will support the county’s Fire and Rescues EMS FACTR (Field Available Component Transfusion Response) program. This life-saving program was started by the county’s Fire and Rescue Medical Director, Dr. John Morgan, and provides critically injured citizen with blood products prior to be arriving at the hospital. Talk about a future leader here’s one: Katherine Homa. She attends Loudoun County High School and is ROTC Jr. cadet colonel. Recently she was awarded the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award for service to the program.
Special thanks go out to our Juniors: Jason Nguyen, Tegan Powers, Kathryn Homa, and Madison Grove. Thanks for all you do. Much would not have been accomplished if it were not for their Mentors: Augie Rosas and Anna Peach.
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From the Legislative Attic Submitted by Ed Rhodes The Attic" Well, take a good look at the picture above, last time you will see it. During October and November, the family room was painted and so, the “attic” was also. It is now gray and white with new trim around the skylights finally completed the first of November. As I start this article, I am still moving furniture (ever tried to move a roll top desk by yourself?) and trying to get everything situated correctly. Not fun. Still dusting and polishing to get rid of the sheet rock dust and mud sanding dust even with plastic coverings is still everywhere. I know now how people feel working out of their kitchen. Your legislative committee met in early October and recommended support on a couple of issues to the Board of Directors who approved support at their November meeting. They are: VRS enhanced benefits for 9-1-1 dispatchers with local option Expansion of the cancer presumption section beyond 5 years To oppose any weakening of the assault and battery code sections These positions are included in the Virginia Fire Services Council of Legislative Priorities for 2022, of which VAVRS is a member. We also have the legislative package from both VML and VACO, which have been reviewed. Legislation for the 2022 session, at this writing, is coming out slowly since the end of November. I am thinking that between Christmas and January 12th it will become fast and furious or whenever the ransomware is disabled. I will be keeping the Legislative Committee apprised of any legislation that I feel affects the EMS community. One proposal addresses tax breaks for the purchase of an AED and this has been sent to two of the EMS Advisory Board’s committees for review. I have only heard from two members of the committee. Right now it is only a proposal with no patron. In early December I attended the Joint Commission on Health Care meeting regarding items for the 2022 year studies. One of these is to study “Reducing unnecessary ED utilization”. So we will also be following this one closely. Additionally, I attended a summit of healthcare organizations, also in December, coordinated by the (Continued on page 13)
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Virginia Healthcare and Hospital Association. I had the opportunity to discuss a couple of issues with the facilitator of the program concerning the longevity of EMS crews being held up in the ED’s awaiting bed space and/or transfer. This includes the medical calls and mental calls to the ED. More on this in later issues. The VAVRS sponsored legislation and a budget amendment which are progressing slowly but surely. The legislation I believe has been drafted a couple of times by different legislators but not introduced as of yet. The budget amendment is in the hands of a delegate and a senator for their review. Another item that has come up, the Virginia State Code Commission has authorized the recodification of §§ 32.1 and 35.1. §32.1 is Health and covers EMS and lots of other items that fall within that and §35.1 covers Hotels, etc. but it is included as there are areas that the Health Department covers. VAVRS, VAGEMSA and VAA were included in the original listing of stakeholders but that has reach well over 100. When the sections that pertain to EMS are reached I will be contacted for input. As you are very well aware we have a new governor who will take office on January 15th 2022, and there are new legislative districts that have been drawn. I feel that the Commonwealth is in for a change in the General Assembly. Check them as some of our best supporters are now in a district with another incumbent or even two. Next election should be very interesting is possible the end of 2022 and another one in 2023. This probably should conclude my article to the members, but I will hold onto it for another few days in case something else needs to be added. I hope that everyone had a very Happy Holiday season with you and your families. Of course any questions please feel to contact me.
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Traffic Incident Management Submitted by Bubby Bish Scene safety is a major problem throughout our country. There are excess of 5 Firefighters/EMS personal killed each year, excess of 1 Police officer killed each month. We here in Virginia especially fire/EMS are below the national average of providers being trained. We must push the efforts to obtain training for our brothers and sisters. VAVRS have instructors throughout the state and we as an organization much push to have all First Responders trained and work to lower the numbers. In the past year there has been a 6% increase of secondary crashes. Why? The secondary crashes come from crashes, breakdowns, fires, and weather. The secondary crashes have become a major concern. Again, why? The number of emergency vehicles being struck have increased Why? Some reasons that has been discussed, warning lights too bright, too many lights, too many emergency vehicles on scene, and scene not protected properly. Why? Should we package our patient and perform the secondary evaluation of the patient off the main roadway? Maybe! CoVID19 has been a problem for all training. As of now, we have trained 472 First Responders in Virginia in 2021. The training for Fire/ EMS providers are low in Virginia, but we are hoping to increase that number in 2022. Unfortunately, the number of First Responders injured or killed are going in the wrong direction.
Lets make 2022 a better year on scene safety. Be safe!
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Petersburg native saves lives for 50+ years: Progress-Index Newsmaker Bubby Bish Jr. 'I never thought about staying there most of my life, but I did and loved every minute of it.' - Edward "Bubby" Bish, Jr. Kristi K. Higgins—The Progress-Index
PETERSBURG — Edward "Bubby" Bish Jr., well-known all over the state for his service and leadership, retired from his position as the Director of Operations of Southside Virginia Emergency Crew in October. His illustrious, rewarding career of saving lives spans 55 years, and why he's been named a Progress-Index Newsmaker for 2021. Bish, born and raised in the City of Petersburg, graduated from Petersburg High School in 1969 where he played football, baseball, and basketball. Inspiration
Bish, at age 16, joined the Southside Virginia Emergency Crew [SVEC], the primary EMS organization for the City of Petersburg, as a Junior volunteer. At age four, while living at 118 Clayton Street in the Blandford area, Bish suffered a severe bronchitis attack. His mother Blanche Bish called for help, and SVEC arrived first on the scene. Bubby Bish was destined to be a member of the Southside VA Emergency Crew, his mother told him so when he was 4 years old! With more than 50 years of service at SVEC, Bubby has been a member of the Governor's State EMS Advisory Board, responded to the Pentagon on 9/11, and is an inductee into Virginia's Rescue Hall of Fame. A quiet and humble leader in Virginia EMS, Bubby has influenced thousands of EMS providers with his teaching and mentorship over the years. Enjoy.. "Their headquarters, at that time, was on Wythe Street less than a mile from where we lived," Bish said, who presently resides in Colonial Heights. "My mother thought I was going to die, and she believed the Crew saved my life." Bish's mom reminded him about the life-saving moment often. She encouraged him to join the Crew when he was old enough. "I never thought about staying there most of my life, but I did and loved every minute of it," Bish said. "Every day seemed like my first day."
Bubby is the current chair of First Responder-Virginia (VAVRS Convention), VAVRS Legislative Committee and also serves as a CoCoordinator for the EVOC program. He is Life Member and a member of the Virginia State Rescue Hall of Fame. Page
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Photo of Bubby when he was a member of the Southside-Virginia Emergency Crew Juniors.
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COLONIAL BEACH VOLUNTEER RESCUE SQUAD Cares for Kids
Submitted by Sara Hunt PR for Colonial Beach VRS Junior, Senior and Support team members of Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad packaged 73 boxes of toys, crafts and personal care items that Samaritan’s Purse will distribute to children in need around the world. From left to right are Kirsten Straughan, Samantha Straughan, Amber Straughan, Pat FitzGerald, Troy Green, Ray Eldred, Jean Eldred, Nick Szobota, Anthony Irby, Heather Posey, Zedda Viets and Tammy Preston. Photo taken by Les Greeley, who also worked on the project. Other CBVRS members who helped but had to leave before the photo was taken included Krystal Eldred, Maria MarilloValdez, Ruby McNeel, Elta Melson, Holden Oliff and Donna Shelar. Also, thanks to Mary Parker and Ethel Jenkyns from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church for their assistance. Official
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VIRGINIA TO OUTFIT ALL EMS AGENCIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH WITH NATIONALLY RENOWNED HANDTEVY SYSTEM Posted on January 5, 2022 by marianhunter (Richmond, Va.) – After an extensive evaluation process, the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has chosen to offer the Handtevy suite of lifesaving tools to EMS agencies in the state. Handtevy is a national leader in pediatric emergency technology, and their partnership with the Virginia Office of EMS will provide the groundbreaking Handtevy resuscitation system to all EMS agencies in the Commonwealth. “The Virginia Office of EMS is very excited to enter into this collaboration with Virginia’s Regional EMS Councils and Handtevy to bring this technology to the EMS system,” said Gary Brown, director, Virginia Office of EMS. “Giving pediatric patients the highest level of treatment and transport has always been a priority for our office, and this collaboration will serve to enhance that level of treatment now, and in the future.” The Handtevy resuscitation system will empower Virginia EMS agencies to consistently deliver the highest quality emergency care to approximately 8.6 million residents. In order to get the most out of the system and the latest in lifesaving techniques, the rollout will be paired with Handtevy’s signature educational offerings, which include the highly acclaimed nationally accredited Handtevy Course that has received great feedback from municipal agencies that have already launched the system with positive results. The company’s core technology solution, known as Handtevy Mobile, will also be deployed on cellular devices, including tablets and cellphones, putting crucial, lifesaving technology at the EMS team’s fingertips. The combination of high impact education with an application that can be used in real-time and that integrates with the prehospital medical record is the breakthrough pioneered by the Handtevy team. EMS personnel and other frontline healthcare professionals in all 50 States use Handtevy Mobile to obtain accurate medication dosing for pediatric emergencies in seconds. These doses are customized around each department’s unique formulary and seamlessly crossover to the electronic health record to ensure timely and precise documentation. Included with Handtevy Mobile is “CPR Assist,” an app feature that leads high-performance EMS teams through the highly regimented Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) bundle. By using the auditory and visual cues provided by the app, clinicians accurately maintain compression and ventilation rates, defibrillate as needed, and administer accurate medications and equipment, all while documenting the event in real time. It’s a unique feature that brings calm to the chaos of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest for both children and adults. In pediatric emergency situations, seconds count and leading EMS departments count on Handtevy to help them save lives. Virginia’s decision to utilize Handtevy across the Commonwealth as their go-to, frontline, lifesaving tool will undoubtedly lead to many additional lives saved each year. Handtevy was founded by Dr. Peter Antevy, a nationally recognized expert in the field of pre-hospital pediatrics. His passion for solving this complex issue stemmed from a medication error he made early in his career that led him to drastically impact currently accepted practice. He is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and also serves as the EMS Medical Director for Davie Fire-Rescue, Coral Springs Fire Department, Southwest Ranches Fire Rescue and American Ambulance. Dr. Antevy is also the Associate Medical Director for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and serves as the President of the Greater Broward EMS Medical Directors’ Association, an organization whose providers serve the 1.5 million residents of Broward County, Florida. For his efforts, Dr. Antevy was awarded the prestigious Raymond H. Alexander EMS Medical Director of the Year Award in 2014 and in 2018 he was named the Official
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National EMS Medical Director of the Year by the NAEMT. He also was honored as one of the 2015 Top Ten Innovators in EMS by JEMS. For more information on the Handtevy System visit www.handtevy.com.
What is Handtevy? Handtevy is a pediatric resuscitation system proven to save lives and reduce errors. Treating the emergent pediatric patient is difficult and time sensitive for even the most advanced healthcare providers. The Handtevy Pediatric System is the leading platform designed to give clinical teams rapid access to lifesaving dosing, equipment and drip information while documenting every critical action accurately. Integration with leading EHRs allows clinicians to perform real-time verification for high acuity medications, ensure accurate code room documentation, and facilitate downstream notification to clinical teams.
Copied from the Handtevy website:
Three Pillars for Pediatric Resuscitation Success —By Peter Antevy, MD. Data from the AHA and the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) guidelines consistently report neurologic intact survival from pediatric cardiac arrest to be 3% for infants and 10% for children. This pediatric survival data has remained unchanged for decades without a clear vision or path to improved survival statistics. Change is needed and we recommend focusing on the following three pillars in order to achieve success in pediatric cardiac arrest: 1. Bystander CPR, 2. Telephone CPR (T-CPR), and 3. On-scene EMS resuscitation. Using a different lens to evaluate these links in the chain of survival may provide a different perspective, and inform the way forward.
Bystander CPR In the United States today, children in cardiac arrest have less than a 50% likelihood of receiving bystander CPR. The solution to this dilemma has remained elusive, proving to be a difficult problem to solve; yet correcting it may yield the biggest impact on survival. Resolution of this problem is beyond the scope of this write-up.
Telephone CPR Often called the ‘first’ first-responders, call-takers are critically important to the survival of those found in cardiac arrest. Time-to-recognition of cardiac arrest and time to hands-on-chest are of critical importance to survival, yet call-taker performance is not being currently measured by these two key performance indicators. The AHA recently released guidelines targeting 1 minute for arrest recognition and 2 minutes for hands-on-chest in high performing systems, yet EMS agencies have yet to incorporate these metrics into their cardiac arrest CQI processes. Furthermore, call takers are “gun-shy” in both the initiation and continuation of CPR in children for reasons that remain elusive, and which require further study. Like adults, children who do not receive CPR prior to arrival of EMS have significantly decreased odds of survival. We therefore advocate that EMS leadership and their communication center counterparts review all pediatric arrest calls within 72 hours to better understand and correct issues that may exist. Every call should, at a minimum, have the 2 KPIs listed above consistently reported as quality metrics to both EMS and Communication Center leadership. (Continued on page 20)
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Additionally, resuscitation specific education must be provided to call-takers in order to emphasize the rapid initiation of CPR as well as a sustained commitment to continuation, even when distracting information has been obtained.
EMS CPR The practice of ‘load and go’ remains pervasive in the pre-hospital environment and the reasons for it are deep rooted and complex. High performance CPR is as much a regimented physical process as it is a mental one, with the later strongly linked to on-scene performance. The goal of every resuscitation should be getting each provider to closure, something that can only be accomplished by perfecting the pre-arrival and on-scene sequences. A deliberate pre-arrival discussion is crucial in pediatrics and differs from the adult call, which is primarily non-verbal (due to standardized dosing and equipment sizing). This mental readiness impacts the confidence of EMS professionals prior to arrival on scene and ultimately impacts their ability to initiate high performance CPR in the presence of family and onlookers. A mandatory pre-arrival discussion for pediatric calls arms EMS providers with critical information such as equipment sizing, epinephrine dosing and electrical values and signals team members to, not only stay on scene, but to also stay in their lanes. When performed this way, on scene care can finally resemble that of an adult, therefore minimizing the urge to rush off the scene with a pulseless child. An immediate post-incident review with the medical director, including a review of the 911 audio, strengthens the message of high performance on-scene care, while simultaneously providing a case-by-case evaluation of bystander and telephone CPR. A quarterly report evaluating the three pillars outlined above (bystander – telecommunicator – EMS) will provide a clear view of where the disparities exist and highlight areas for improvement within a given community.
A New Horizon “Treating kids like we treat adults” is still considered blasphemy mainly due to the medical subspecialization that has occurred in the house of medicine, but particularly in pediatrics. The unchanged pediatric survival statistics are a cry for help, calling out to the lay public and pre-hospital professionals for change. Pediatric resuscitative care desperately needs to realign with its adult counterpart, and this will require a foundational adjustment. Beyond the more difficult bystander issue, telephone CPR and EMS care are the low hanging fruit and can be easily be ‘nudged’ into alignment. A large Florida fire department, Polk County Fire Rescue recently reported sustained survival rates of 35% since implementing enhanced T-CPR, pre-arrival planning of dosing and equipment, and high performance on scene care, a change from 0% the two years prior. The graphic below shows the data beyond what was reported in the study.
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It should have said “Ronnie’s worst nightmare!
Send your “blasts from the past photos to the VAVRS Editor.
Ronnie Slough do remember this t-shirt. Paul Callahan and Gary Dalton surely do.
Guess Who? - Have to go way back. Give you a hint...his initials are Ed Rhodes—yes, I know what you are thinking, cute dog!
DAYS GONE BY — photo of VAVRS Life Members Roger and Becky Hudson on right, in the middle more than 160 trophies won by the Wythe County Rescue Squad and on the left Paul and Sally Callahan. All we can say is WOW! Page
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Dear Rescue Ranger Dear Rescue Ranger, I heard that Bubby came up with a great idea to improvise an ambulance into a snow plow...how did that work out? D. E. in Williamsburg Dear Doug, What do you think?
Dear Rescue Ranger, Thanks for all of your work on the new EVOC program. It is going to be great. I also heard that Bubby had some input, like a new uniform that each instructor will be given. Is that true? S. R. Dear Steve, Thanks for the compliment. It was time to move forward and add new information to the program. Bad news though, the new uniform did not pan out but I included a photo of Bubby’s proposal and I believe you can see why we dropped the suggestion.
Dear Rescue Ranger, I got a PS5 (Sony Play Station 5) for Christmas and it has changed my entire life. I have spent every idle moment playing a wide assortment of games. I finally have something to take my mind off of COVID 19, stresses of working long hours and the many challenges we face in providing prehospital medical care to our community. I heard you are also a “gamer”. Is that true? A. P. E.—ROLL TIDE! Dear Page, Yeah, I am pretty good. Not to brag or anything, but just today I got the high score on my scale!
Dear Rescue Ranger, I also got a PS5 for Christmas—wow! It fills my spare time and relaxes me. Makes me wonder what our parents did to kill the boredom. K. F. Dear Kenny, I don’t know, I asked by 26 brothers and sisters and they don’t know either. Page
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Dear Rescue Ranger, Curious about something. Are you a morning person or a night person? Me, I love the mornings and sleep well all night. Must be my clear conscious and good life style. Bubby told me you always wake up grumpy but can work all night. Bozo Dear Sheila, Correct, love the night, mornings—not so much. However Bubby is incorrect about one thing—I don’t always wake up Grumpy, sometimes I let her sleep in...
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Christmas Spirit 17th Annual Childhelp Toy Run Submitted by Morgan Szymczyk M.A. | Marketing & Communication Manager LifeCare was honored to be able to participate in 17th Annual Childhelp Toy Run on Sunday, December 5, 2021. The event benefits the Alice C. Tyler Village of Childhelp. The organization sets out to support children who need recovery from the effects of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. During the event participants bring unwrapped gifts for children ages 5-14 years of age. Overall, the event had over 112 bikers who donated toys and loaded the back of LifeCare’s Substance Abuse Awareness ambulance for transport of the toys.
Santa with LifeCare’s Substance Abuse Awareness Ambulance
CHILDHELP.ORG
LifeCare participating in the 17th Annual Childhelp Toy Run Page
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Virginia Beach EMS Renames Headquarters “The Bruce W. Edwards Virginia Beach EMS Headquarters and Training Center” Photos submitted by Bubby Bish and Ed Rhodes Chief Bruce Edwards was the longest serving member of the Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services and a man who helped shape the organization. To honor former Chief Bruce Edwards, the Virginia Beach City Council unanimously voted to name the Emergency Medical Services building in his honor. It is now The Bruce W. Edwards Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services Headquarters and Training Center.
Edwards served as the department’s chief for 32 years. He continued on as chief emeritus after his retirement in 2016, which allowed him to remain active as an advisor and mentor for the past four years. “It is such a fitting recognition for Bruce who was a friend, visionary and mentor to thousands over his long and distinguished career,” EMS Chief Ed Brazle said. “His leadership and dedicated service built the largest volunteer-based emergency medical services system in the country.” Bruce Edwards joined the Ocean Park Rescue Squad in 1967. In 1973, he became executive director of the Emergency Coronary Care Program of Virginia Beach, Inc., a federally funded program that created the first advanced life support technicians in the state. Between 1975 and 1984, he was the coordinator of the city’s Office of Emergency Medical Services. After that, he became the chief of the Department of Emergency Medical Services. The city’s EMS department ran with almost all volunteers until 2004 when the city began hiring full-time employees. Edwards oversaw more than 1,500 career and volunteer rescue and fire personnel and regulated private ambulance services and Oceanfront lifeguard operations. When he first became chief of the department, EMS responded to about 8,000 calls per year. By 2016, the department was responding to 44,000 calls. Bruce also served on the State EMS Advisory Board in 2006 and as the chairman of the Virginia Board of Health in 2011. He was a VAVRS Life Member and past recipient of the Governor’s EMS Award for Excellence in EMS. Official
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PO Box 279 2535 Turkey Creek Road Oilville, VA 23129 ISSN 0279-6023 Phone: 804-749-8191 Phone: 800-833-0602 Fax: 804-749-8910 E-mail: vavrs@vavrs.com
"Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That A Man Lay Down His Life For His Friends." John 15:13
NON-PROFIT ORGAN.. U.S.POSTAGE PAID WOODSTOCK, VA PERMIT NO. 82
Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads, Inc.