March 2015 Newsletter

Old Dominion EMS Alliance

March 2015 Newsletter

Serving the Residents, EMS Agencies, Hospitals, and Local Governments in Planning Districts 13, 14, 15, and 19

Wanted: Nominations for 2015 ODEMSA Regional EMS Awards

ODEMSA is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Regional EMS Awards. Winners will be announced at the annual ODEMSA Regional EMS Picnic and Awards Ceremony this summer, and will be eligible for the statewide Governor's EMS Awards. We are looking for nominations for the following categories:

Excellence in EMS
Outstanding Prehospital Provider
Outstanding EMS Agency
Outstanding Prehospital Educator
Outstanding EMS Adminstrator
Nurse with Outstanding Contribution to EMS
Physician with Outstanding Contribution to EMS
Outstanding Contribution to EMS Health and Safety
Outstanding Contribution to EMS for Children
Outstanding Telecommunications Officer/Dispatcher
Scholarship for Outstanding EMS Senior

More information and the application packet are available here. Nominations are due by 5:00pm on June 5th, 2015; feel free to contact the ODEMSA office with any questions. Good luck!

RSAF Grant Cycle Still Open

Just a reminder that RSAF Grant applications can still be submitted through the E-Gift Tool on the OEMS Website. This application cycle will close on Monday, March 16th, 2015, at 05:00pm. Don't delay - apply today!

Don't forget!

Vasopressin continues to be on a nationwide shortage, with no end in the foreseeable future. As a result, the ODEMSA Medical Control and Pharmacy Committees have decided to not replace expired vasopressin in the ODEMSA Drug Kits. There will be a medication alert on the outside of the box if your kit does not contain vasopressin. In its place, revert back to using 1.0 mg epi 1:10,000 as we did before vasopressin was in the boxes. If you have any questions, feel free to contact ODEMSA at (804) 560-3300.

Clinical Tip of the Month

One of the advantages to EMS transport is not only early access to stabilizing medical care for patients, but also faster access to definitive care. We are fortunate in the ODEMSA region to have a large network of hospitals that respond to our pre-arrival calls. In particular, Stroke Alerts, STEMI Alerts, and Trauma Alerts all require extensive preparation within the receiving hospital to get a team of nurses, physicians, and other specialists ready to receive these patients. While we all have varied transport times, hospitals ask us to give them as much notice as possible when we are bringing them critical patients such as these. It is okay to call from the scene with a brief report, and then call again when en route with more details. Our hospital partners (and our patients) appreciate it!

Health and Safety Tip of the Month

How much sleep do you get every night? EMS providers and hospital workers often work odd hours and multiple jobs, creating a hectic schedule that doesn't allow for a consistent sleep schedule. When polled, most EMS providers admitted to sleeping an average of 4-6 hours a night, far below the recommended 7-8 hours. Sleep deprivation not only affects your ability to drive and perform your job duties safely, but can also affect your emotions, appetite, and blood pressure. Those around you can often recognize exhaustion before you admit it yourself.

Still not convinced you need to sleep more? Articles from JEMS and EMS World are happy to show you otherwise... Read them both and then take a nap!

March Meetings

All meetings are open to the public.

Date	Time	Event	Location
03/05/15	0800	STEMI Steering Committee	ODEMSA Office
03/05/15	1000	Stroke Steering Committee	ODEMSA Office
03/18/15	1900	ODEMSA Board of Directors	Southside Community Hospital (Farmville)

March Classes and Other Educational Events

Need a class not listed below? Click here for an extended list of upcoming classes.

Interested in the EMT re-entry class? It is a 48 hour CE class geared towards the re-entry BLS provider, and will prepare students for the state practical examination and the National Registry written examination. The class will meet Monday and Wednesday nights from 1800-2200 at the ODEMSA office for six weeks, starting on March 09, 2015. Click here to learn more and to register.

Date	Time	Class	Location	Registration
03/03-04/15	1830-2200	EMS Safety	Powhatan Vol. Rescue Squad	Click here
03/10/15	1900-2100	PD15 South Monthly CEU	ODEMSA Office	None needed
03/11/15	1900-2100	PD19 North Monthly CEU	Southside Virginia Emergency Crew	None needed
03/14-15/15	0800-1700	PHTLS	Chase City Rescue Squad	Click here
03/18/15	0800-1700	Rao Ivatury Trauma Symposium	Richmond Marriott (sponsored by VCU Medical Center)	Click here
03/21/15	0900-1800	Super 8 CE Day	Community Memorial Hospital	Click here
03/24/15	1900-2100	PD15 North Monthly CEU	Henrico Fire Training Center	None needed
03/25/15	1900-2100	PD19 South Monthly CEU	Greensville Vol. Rescue Squad	None needed
03/26/15	1900-2100	PD14 Monthly CEU	Nottoway County Emergency Squad	None needed
03/28-29/15	0800-1700	EPC	Community Memorial Hospital	Click here

March Testing

Date	Time	Event	Location
03/05/15	1800	CTS Testing	Colonial Heights Tech Center
03/12/15	1800	CTS Testing	Monacan High School
03/19/15	1800	CTS Testing	Nottoway High School
03/26/15	1800	CTS Testing	Gordon Elementary School

Did you know?
ODEMSA doesn't just provide protocols, drug kits, and educational opportunities for the region. We maintain the regional CLIA Waiver License, so that each agency does not have to worry about submitting testing standards for their glucometers. Check back next month to see what else ODEMSA does!

Sunny days are coming!

Daylight Savings Time begins on March 8th at 02:00am. Don't forget to set your clocks forward one hour!

Questions? Contact the ODEMSA office at

(804) 560-3300.