EMS One-Stop

In this insightful episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence revisits New Orleans EMS to explore their pioneering use of body-worn cameras, joined by Chris Keller, chief of operations at New Orleans EMS.

The discussion dives into the motivations, challenges and successes of implementing this technology. From its initial deployment on tactical medic teams in 2018, to its current broader rollout, Chris shares the journey of navigating legal frameworks, staff buy-in and operational logistics. The conversation also highlights how body-worn cameras enhance patient care documentation, bolster staff safety and provide an unbiased account of events, positioning them as an emerging industry standard.

This episode offers practical advice on policy development, procurement processes and operational use cases, including their application during Mardi Gras and high-acuity events. With the aim to demystify the implementation process, Chris emphasizes the importance of collaboration, adaptability and using technology to improve EMS practices. Rob and Chris also discuss future goals for the program, funding challenges, and the potential for body-worn cameras to become a cornerstone of EMS operations nationwide.

Dr Jeff Jarvis joins Rob Lawrence to discuss the recently released National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) Measures Report – “Enhancing airway management one measure at a time.”

The report begins with the following robust Foreword: “NEMSQA is not satisfied with the state of airway management safety in EMS. As you will see, the data clearly shows that we can do much better across our industry! Partnering with experts and EMS agencies around the country, NEMSQA is leading the second national EMS Quality Improvement Partnership (EQuIP), the Airway Management Collaborative to put the new NEMSQA airway measures to work.”

“Enhancing airway management one measure at a time” is the sequel to the Lights and Siren Collaborative and will utilize the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Breakthrough Series collaborative model. The goal of the project is to support national improvement in the safety and effectiveness of invasive airway management by focusing on two goals:

1. Reducing the adverse events, such as peri-intubation hypoxia and hypotension

Rob and Dr. Jarvis discuss the report and actions individuals and their agencies should take to improve their personal and organizational airway management and patient outcome results.

Find more EMS One-Stop episodes here!

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence dives into the trending topic of pre-hospital blood administration with guests from New Orleans EMS: Tom Dransfield, the quality assurance and safety officer, and Dr. David Rayburn, deputy medical director.

This in-depth discussion explores the development and execution of the New Orleans EMS blood program, focusing on packed red blood cells (PRBC) and the challenges, successes and ongoing research surrounding cold blood administration in trauma and medical emergencies. New Orleans EMS is leading the charge in pushing the boundaries of pre-hospital blood, providing innovative solutions for penetrating trauma, GI bleeds and other critical cases.

Dransfield and Dr. Rayburn share the journey of New Orleans EMS in implementing the program, including their logistics, lessons learned and the vital impact of their interventions on patient outcomes.

The episode emphasizes the collaboration between EMS and trauma centers as well as blood suppliers to reduce mortality rates, while also tackling key questions, such as the supply chain, funding and future research.

Memorable quotes

"For every minute we delay blood administration, there's an 11% increase in mortality – this isn't just a theory; it's life and death." — Dr. David Rayburn

"We were topping the charts in the wrong categories – violence and stuff like that. So, our medics were frustrated with the old scoop and run. We're not just scooping and running anymore. We're providing definitive care." — Tom Dransfield

"We’re seeing no change in temperature for patients receiving two units of cold PRBCs in the pre-hospital environment, and that’s groundbreaking." — Dr. David Rayburn

"If we’re doing blood, we’re literally saving lives. But without reimbursement, it’s an uphill battle." — Rob Lawrence

"Our paramedics are pushing the envelope – it's no longer just about trauma; we’re now treating GI bleeds, OB cases and renal patients with blood administration." — Dr. David Rayburn

Find more episodes: https://www.ems1.com/ems-one-stop

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence is joined by quality improvement expert, Dr. Dave Williams, recent co-author of the book, “Quality as an Organizational Strategy,” and Dr. Jonathan Studnek, executive director of Wake County EMS.

Together they discuss the five activities for organization’s leaders to provide the structure to begin working on making quality their strategy.

These activities are centered on:

Purpose

Viewing the organization as a system

Obtaining information

Planning to improve

Managing improvement efforts

These five activities form a system for the leaders of an organization to focus their learning, planning and actions.

"Leadership's job is to build systems where staff can be rock stars and bring their best selves every day." — Dr. Dave Williams

"Understanding your purpose as an EMS agency, like being responsible for cardiac arrest survival, is essential in improving performance." — Dr. Jon Studnek

"Our secret weapon in improvement is the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, where we learn fast by making low-risk, small-scale changes." — Dr. Dave Williams

"These five activities are the key elements that leaders should be engaging with to drive their organizations forward." — Dr. Jon Studnek

01:14 – Dr. Dave Williams shares his background in quality improvement and EMS

02:12 – Dr. Jon Studnek introduces himself and talks about his journey in EMS leadership

03:56 – Dr. Williams discusses his book, “Quality as an Organizational Strategy” and its origins, and outlines the five core activities of quality as an organizational strategy

15:02 – Dr. Studnek describes implementing the quality framework in EMS, using cardiac arrest survival as a real-world example

23:36 – Rob and Dr. Studnek discuss interconnectedness in EMS systems and fleet maintenance

30:00 – Dr. Williams explains how small-scale changes using the PDSA cycle help improve EMS operations

35:00 – Final thoughts from Dr. Studnek on leadership and quality as a guide for day-to-day work

In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back data and EMS expert Mike Taigman for a deep dive into the evolving role of performance metrics in EMS systems.

Together, they discuss two key publications – “Joint Position Statement on EMS Performance Measures Beyond Response Times” by Kupas and Zavadsky, et al., and the White Paper from the National EMS Quality Alliance in Collaboration with FirstWatch, titled, “Taking the Pulse of your System – Performance Measurement for Improvement.”

Lawrence and Taigman explore how data informs change, improves clinical outcomes and drives leadership decisions. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or new to the field, this conversation provides essential insights into how EMS organizations can better utilize data to elevate their services.

In this special edition of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence discusses the Joint Position Statement on EMS Performance Measures – Beyond Response Times published yesterday by the leading EMS and public policy associations with Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT, vice president of PWW|AG, and one of the primary authors of the position statement.

Rob and Matt discuss the statement in detail, examining all of the recommended metrics, the reasons for placing them in the paper and why response times are not recommended as a primary measure of system performance.

Rob and Matt begin by discussing the signatories of the statement – in particular, the sign off from the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and the pivotal role they play in ensuring EMS delivery in their communities.

The many associations that joined the statement recommend that communities and governments modernize EMS performance assessments by evaluating various domains with key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs should be measured, tracked over time, benchmarked against similar EMS systems or national data and regularly published for local community stakeholders.

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back infectious disease expert Dr. Alexander P. Isakov, MD, MPH, founding executive director of the Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR), and professor of emergency medicine at Emory University.

Rob begins by discussing his real-life experience with an H5N1 outbreak in the UK as an ambulance service leader, and Dr. Isakov discusses the current H5N1 emergence in the U.S.

The discussion covers the current U.S. H5N1 outbreak, bird and swine flus, and the spillover from bird to mammal populations. They also address three recent U.S. cases of H5N1 among agricultural workers. They go on to discuss signs and symptoms of H5N1, index of suspicion, the Hierarchy of Controls in infectious diseases, universal and standard precautions, and fit testing respirators. They also cover resources available at NETEC.

Dr. Isakov concludes with a roundup of other global issues, including viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), Ebola, Marburg and smallpox.

In this edition of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob lawrence welcomes Todd Stout and Mike Taigman of FirstWatch as they introduce the 2024 Jack Stout Fellow, Mary Meeks, district chief of night shift at Chatham Emergency Services.

The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch, aims to empower emerging EMS leaders by equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to guide EMS systems effectively in the future. Developed by FirstWatch in cooperation with the Fitch EMS Foundation, the Fellowship underscores the commitment to leadership development and community service. Named in honor of Jack Stout, a pioneer in high-performance EMS systems, the Fellowship teaches principles such as people-centered leadership, data-driven decision-making, improvement science and systems thinking.

As the chosen Fellow, Meeks will attend the 2024 Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum, participate in either the Fitch Ambulance Service Manager or Communication Center Manager program, and benefit from a customized mentorship led by Mike Taigman, renowned for his contributions to EMS quality improvement. This comprehensive program not only honors Jack Stout’s legacy but also ensures that his visionary principles continue to shape the future of EMS.

Additional resources

IHI Framework for Improving Joy in Work | Institute for Healthcare Improvement

The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch

Pinnacle EMS leadership conference

In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with Fayetteville, North Carolina’s Cumberland County EMS Chief David Grovdahl and Behavioral Health Community Paramedic Tara Tucker to discuss the Cape Fear Valley Mobile Integrated Health Behavioral Health Community Paramedicine programs.

The Cape Fear MIH Team is composed of four community paramedics, one social worker and a peer support specialist. The team focusses in particular on overdoses/request for substance use treatment, suicide related calls – ideation/attempts as well as youth calls related to mental health and substance use, and also EMS referrals and associated case management.

Fayetteville is home to Fort Liberty and Pope Army Air Base, and is the sixth most populous city in North Carolina with a high number of uninsured and underinsured patients. Fifteen percent of Cumberland County’s population is military-affiliated and it is the third busiest EMS system in North Carolina. Cumberland’s affiliated ED, CFVMC Emergency Department, had 90,595 visits in 2021 for adults, and 30% of those (27,300) were for behavioral-health related issues, creating the need for a Behavioral Health service line employing community paramedics.

In addition to discussing their mobile integrated healthcare system, Grovdahl also shares about the North Carlina whole blood programs and their progress.

In this special, on-site episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence takes us to the 2024 North Carolina EMS Expo in Greensboro, North Carolina, a well-attended conference with over 1,200 attendees.

Rob spent time with several conference faculty.

EMS lawyer Matt Streger joins Rob to discuss just culture, HR issue spotting, leadership communication and employee engagement.

Kevin Collopy joins Rob to discuss the outstanding prehospital training being delivered to medics in Ukraine and also discusses this years “Stand and Deliver” new speaker event (a now annual event held as EMS World Expo).

Rob discusses whole blood and its national rollout with Dr. Randall Schaeffer and David Grovdahl.

To close, Peter Dworsky of the National EMS Safety Conference provides an overview of the current top EMS industry safety themes.

Enjoying the show? Email [email protected] to send in guest suggestions, episode feedback or questions for our host.