EMS.Gov | Know the Signs of Monkeypox
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Tag: EMS.gov
NEMSAC | Webcast May 11-12
The National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) will host a virtual meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, May 11-12, 2022. Members of the public can register for the webcast here.
The NEMSAC meets several times each year to discuss issues facing the EMS community. Members of NEMSAC provide counsel and recommendations regarding EMS to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS).
Daily agendas include time for NEMSAC subcommittee deliberations in the morning and the publicly webcasted portion of the meetings begin at 1:00 pm ET, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, and 12:00 pm ET on Thursday, May 12, 2022. Items on the agenda include:
- Updates from Federal Emergency Services Liaisons
- Discussion about FICEMS & NHTSA Initiatives
- Subcommittee Reports
- Public comment
Individuals registered for the meeting who wish to address the council during the public comment periods can review the current draft and interim advisories and submit comments in writing to NHTSA.NEMSAC@dot.gov by 5:00 pm ET on May 3, 2022.
Draft advisories:
- Cybersecurity – What to do when technology fails
- Strengthening EMS and Hospital Relationships
- The EMS Star of Rights
Interim advisory:
This meeting will be open to the public. NHTSA is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all program participants. Persons with disabilities in need of accommodation should send their request to Clary Mole by phone at (202) 868-3275 or by email at Clary.Mole@dot.gov no later than May 3, 2022. A sign language interpreter will be provided and closed captioning services will be provided for this meeting through the WebEx virtual meeting platform.
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Notice of Public Meeting: This notice announces a meeting of the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).
National EMS Advisory Council Meeting Webcast Feb. 9-10
From EMS.gov on January 27, 2022
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NHTSA Office of EMS Annual Update
The NHTSA Office of EMS continues to work with our partners to advance EMS systems and support EMS clinicians serving on the front lines. Together, we are striving to achieve the vision of a people-centered EMS system put forth in EMS Agenda 2050.
Thank you to all who have helped make great strides in 2021, even in the face of some of the greatest challenges we’ve ever faced as a profession—and a country. This year’s NHTSA Office of EMS Annual Update highlights some of the work happening at the national level, including:
- Newly revised National EMS Education Standards
- Evidence-based guidelines to support safe and effective patient care
- Advances in EMS data collection and analysis
- The COVID-19 response
Click here to read our summary of 2021 accomplishments and review the status of ongoing projects. Most important, look for ways that you can get involved in national efforts to improve EMS and create a better future for our profession, our patients and our communities.
EMS.gov | EMS Medical Director Survey
EMS and 911 Physician Medical Directors Invited to Participate in Workforce Assessment Survey
National Association of EMS Physicians conducting a national, anonymous survey of EMS, 911, fire and law enforcement medical directors
The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) is conducting the first national EMS Physician Medical Directors Workforce Assessment in the United States. All physician medical directors for EMS and air medical services, 911/Emergency Medical Dispatch centers, fire services, and law enforcement departments are encouraged to complete this anonymous survey to help create a comprehensive picture of pre-hospital physician medical leadership. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will close on October 4, 2021.
The results, which will be shared by NAEMSP, will help national, state and local EMS and 911 organizations identify physician employment trends, address training and professional needs, and inform policy and advocacy efforts in support of all prehospital medical directors.
“Thousands of physician EMS Medical Directors currently provide EMS system oversight to ensure high-quality, safe and effective patient care across the country,” says NAEMSP President Michael Levy, MD, FAEMS, FACEP, FACP. “It’s important that we get an accurate picture of physician medical directors’ professional needs so we can do our best to address them.”
“The role of the medical director is key in ensuring effective pre-hospital patient care,” says Jon Krohmer, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, director of the NHTSA Office of EMS. “More data about the many aspects of medical direction will help NAEMSP, the NHTSA Office of EMS, and our Federal partner agencies better engage with the physicians who guide first responder and EMS clinician patient interactions by ground, air medical, law enforcement, and 911 professionals.”
EMS.gov | Template Protocol for EMS Administration of Monoclonal Antibodies
From EMS.gov on August 27, 2021
Developed by the NHTSA Office of EMS and HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the template is intended to assist state EMS officials and local EMS systems in developing their own protocols
he U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization to permit the emergency use of REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) co-formulated product, and REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) supplied as individual vials to be administered together, for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kg) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. Monoclonal antibodies are used to neutralize the COVID-19 virus and intended to prevent progression of disease. The U.S. Government is currently supplying REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) for the treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19. The dosing is the same for both indications (casirivimab 600mg and imdevimab 600mg). The medication can be administered either intravenously (IV) or by subcutaneous (SQ) injection.EMS agencies throughout the country have been asked or may be asked to assist in the administration of this product through either route of administration.
To assist EMS agencies in planning, the NHTSA Office of EMS and HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response have developed a template protocol for state EMS offices and EMS Medical Directors to use to assist in these programs. Some states have created blanket state-level authorizations for EMS administration; some states will still require provider authorization prior to administration. Please follow local protocols and regulations. This template is only designed to facilitate the development of those local protocols as needed. Please contact the NHTSA Office of EMS with any questions.
EMS.gov | Information About COVID-19 for EMS Systems and Clinicians
From EMS.gov
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Monkeypox & COVID-19 Resources for EMS Clinicians
From EMS.Gov
Monkeypox Resources for EMS Clinicians
The arrival of an individual in the United States who was diagnosed with monkeypox, as well as the uptick in COVID-19 cases, are reminders that EMS clinicians must remain vigilant and prepared. The CDC is conducting contact tracing of the monkeypox case and local public health departments have been notified, and it is unlikely that EMS clinicians will be exposed to the monkeypox virus is low. However, reviewing information about the disease may still be helpful.
COVID-19 Resources for EMS
Low vaccination rates, the highly contagious delta variant, and increased social interaction has caused significant increases in rates of COVID-19 and related hospitalizations in many communities around the nation. The NHTSA Office of EMS continues to make resources available to help EMS clinicians, organizations and regulators safely maintain operations during the pandemic. Those resources are available on the EMS.gov COVID-19 Resources Page.
NHTSA | Office of EMS Director Jon Krohmer, MD, to Retire
NHTSA Office of EMS Director Jon Krohmer, MD, to Retire Later this Year
After 15 years of federal service, including the last five leading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of EMS, Jon Krohmer, MD, will be retiring in November.
During his tenure as director, Dr. Krohmer and the NHTSA Office of EMS team oversaw a number of milestones for the profession, including the creation of EMS Agenda 2050; major revisions to the National EMS Scope of Practice Model and the National EMS Education Standards; and improvements in the collection and use of EMS data through the expansion of the National EMS Information System. Soon after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Krohmer was tapped to lead the prehospital/911 team as part of the Federal Healthcare Resilience Task Force.
“Dr. Krohmer’s tenure at NHTSA—especially over the last year and a half as EMS clinicians have faced one of the greatest public health challenges in generations—has been marked by real advances for the profession, thanks in no small part to his leadership,” said Nanda Srinivasan, NHTSA’s associate administrator for research and program development. “He was a true advocate at the federal level for state, tribal and local EMS systems, EMS clinicians, and patients.”
Prior to joining NHTSA, Dr. Krohmer had decades of experience as a local EMS medical director, initially in his home state of Michigan. His EMS career began as an EMT with a volunteer rescue squad. Like many EMS professionals, he was inspired by the television show Emergency! and by the emergence of the relatively new field of emergency medicine. He entered medical school at the University of Michigan knowing he wanted to make EMS his career. After becoming involved in EMS at the state and national level, he also served as president of the National Association of EMS Physicians from 1998 to 2000. In 2006, he came to Washington to serve as the first deputy chief medical officer for the Department of Homeland Security Office of Health Affairs and served in several other DHS roles before joining NHTSA in 2016.
“Working alongside EMS clinicians and the people who support them at local, state and national levels has been a privilege and a heck of a lot of fun,” said Dr. Krohmer. “The decision to leave NHTSA was difficult, but it’s made easier knowing that the team in the Office of EMS, our colleagues throughout the federal government, and leaders of EMS at state and local levels are committed to improving the lives of people in their communities and will continue to advance EMS systems everywhere.”
NHTSA will launch a national search for a new director for the Office of EMS.
“The example set by Dr. Krohmer will serve as a great model for the next director,” said Associate Administrator Srinivasan, “and the team of dedicated public servants at the Office of EMS has the experience and expertise to ensure a smooth transition.”
EMS.gov | New Resources Help EMS Clinicians and Agencies Navigate HIPAA
Nationwide, EMS agencies regularly report that hospitals and other healthcare workers refuse to share patient information with them, citing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) concerns. Misconceptions about HIPAA can create artificial barriers to the legitimate, approved exchange of data between EMS and other providers, resulting in missed opportunities to improve patient outcomes and advance evidence-based practices in prehospital care.
To address this issue, the NEMSIS Technical Assistance Center collaborated with the law firm Page, Wolfberg & Wirth to provide helpful resources explaining the sharing of patient information between EMS and other healthcare professionals:
- HIPAA Basics for EMS Practitioners – This poster provides HIPAA guidance relevant to EMS clinicians, including tips for accessing and sharing protected health information across a variety of situations.
- HIPAA: An Imaginary Barrier to Data Exchange – This white paper discusses why HIPAA does not restrict the bidirectional patient information sharing but actually promotes the sharing of patient information between hospitals or other healthcare entities and EMS agencies.
- Short Legal Opinion: Sharing Patient Data Bidirectionally Under HIPAA – Developed specifically for healthcare administrators, legal counsel, and risk management, this brief legal opinion describes how sharing of patient information is not only allowed but encouraged under HIPAA.
- Detailed Legal Opinion: HIPAA Concerns About Releasing Information for NEMSIS – This legal opinion provides detailed analysis of HIPAA issues related to the sharing of patient information with entities involved in the administration of the National EMS Information System.
While obstacles may remain for the appropriate sharing of patient information, HIPAA is not one of them. Sharing patient information benefits EMS agencies and improves prehospital patient care by revealing evidence-based practices that make a difference for patients in the field.
EMS.gov | Telemedicine Framework for EMS and 911
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NEMSIS 2020 Public-Dataset Now Available
From NEMSIS on May 28, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEMSIS 2020 Public-Dataset Now Available
Salt Lake City, Utah, May 11, 2021 – The National Emergency Medical Services Information System Technical
Assistance Center (NEMSIS TAC) today announced the availability of the 2020 Public-Release Research Dataset,
the largest publicly available dataset of emergency medical service activations in the United States. With this
release, NEMSIS aims to improve understanding of, confidence in, and support for EMS data collection and
analysis that will lead to data being utilized more effectively to improve patient care.
“The 2020 dataset is a powerful asset for researchers looking into all manner of conditions that affect different
aspects of EMS service.,” said Dr. N. Clay Mann, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of
Utah School of Medicine and Principal Investigator for the NEMSIS Technical Assistance Center. “Hopefully, the
information gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic will help give EMS agencies valuable insight on their work
improving EMS services under all sorts of conditions.”
The 2020 Public-Release Research Dataset is a subset of the National EMS Database that is the repository for
EMS data collected from U.S. States and Territories. NEMSIS maintains the national standard for how patient
care information resulting from an emergency 9-1-1 call for medical assistance is collected. The dataset includes
43,488,767 EMS activations submitted by 12,319 EMS agencies servicing 50 states and territories.
Those interested in requesting a copy of the 2020 Public-Release Research Dataset can contact the NEMSIS TAC
and fill out a request form at their website https://nemsis.org/using-ems-data/request-research-data. A
password-protected USB drive containing the dataset, the 2020 NEMSIS Data User Manual, NEMSIS Data
Dictionary v3.4.0, Extended Data Definitions v3.4.0, and sample SAS code file will be sent via postal service.
ABOUT NEMSIS
The National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) is the national health information
exchange and database used to collect and store EMS data from states and territories. NEMSIS is a universal
standard for how patient care information resulting from an emergency 9-1-1 call for medical assistance is
collected. It is a collaborative system to improve patient care through the standardization, aggregation, and
utilization of point-of-care EMS data at a local, state, and national level.
NEMSIS is a program of NHTSA’s Office of EMS and is hosted at the University of Utah.
NHTSA EMS.gov | EMS Week Video
From NHTSA’s Office of EMS on May 17, 2021
This week, May 16-22, 2021, we once again recognize the people of EMS by celebrating National EMS Week. We hope you’ll take a minute to watch this special message from the entire team here at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of EMS.
This year’s EMS Week theme, “This is EMS: Caring for our Communities,” couldn’t be more appropriate. The past year has been a challenge, but it has also reminded people across the nation just how valuable emergency medical services systems—and most important, clinicians—are to our communities. This nation is in debt to all of the EMS clinicians and the people behind the scenes who show up every day with true professionalism and dedication.
From all of us here at the Office of EMS, NHTSA, and the Department of Transportation: Thank you.