EMS clinicians: Join our EMSC Day webinar

Part of National EMS Week (May 19–24), EMS for Children Day on Wednesday, May 21, is an annual opportunity to thank EMS clinicians for their dedication to meeting children's unique health needs and to spotlight the work of the federal EMSC Program. As part of the celebration, on May 21 from 4 to 5 pm CT, EMSC will offer a webinar: “Pediatric Prehospital Seizures: Evidence-Based Practice and Future Directions.” The webinar will feature presentations from Manish I. Shah, MD, MS, and Joseph Finney, MD. Free CE will be available for EMS clinicians who attend live.

Help spread the word: EMSC has a full toolkit of promotional resources to help facilitate sharing this webinar and celebrating EMSC clinicians in your community, including graphics, sample text, thank-you templates, kids activities, and more. Explore EMS Week resources and register for the webinar.



PEAK: Sepsis now available

Did you know April is Pediatric Sepsis Awareness Month? Research shows 8% of children hospitalized with severe sepsis had been seen in the ED just days before admission—and were sent home. These missed opportunities can mean delayed treatment and worse outcomes. The EMSC Program has released a Pediatric Education and Advocacy Kit (PEAK) on sepsis to help hospital and prehospital practitioners identify and manage children with pediatric sepsis.

All resources are free and open access. View the resources here.

Raising the bar for Pediatric Readiness Recognition Programs

EMSC State Partnership program managers worked together throughout the Pediatric Readiness Recognition Program Collaborative (PRRPC) to establish criteria aimed at creating more consistent pediatric readiness recognition programs for EDs and EMS agencies across the United States. Minimum consensus criteria were agreed upon by all participants as well as stretch criteria goals. Learn more about the criteria through the new “Criteria Considerations” Report. Or learn about the overall collaborative and its impact via the PRRPC 2023 Cohort webpage.

How one EMSC expert helped shape The Pitt

In a powerful blend of art and authenticity, The Pitt—a new Max series from ER alums Noah Wyle and John Wells—takes viewers into the high-stakes world of emergency care with stunning realism. The show, which unfolds in real time over 15 episodes, draws not only from Wyle’s deep connection to medical drama but also from the lived experiences of real doctors like Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, FAAP, EMS Medical Director of UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and part of PECARN (Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network).

Owusu-Ansah consulted with the show’s writers, offering candid insights into the unique challenges of America’s emergency care system. The show includes several pediatric cases, from an infant with a hidden hair tourniquet to a teen with mental health issues, highlight the high stakes of caring for kids. With its no-score soundtrack, medical boot camps, and expert advisors, The Pitt has won praise from health care professionals for capturing the urgency, emotion, and complexity of life in the ED.

Read more about Owusu-Ansah’s involvement through this recent interview.

Improving pediatric emergency care: New insights from PECARN

From bedside interventions to cutting-edge diagnostics, PECARN is advancing pediatric emergency care across the board with multiple papers published this spring. Recent highlights include piloting the use of IV magnesium sulfate for asthma in children, establishing national priorities for pediatric pain management research, and exploring early indicators of severe illness—from kidney injury biomarkers in sepsis to gut microbiome patterns in febrile infants.

Read the studies:

• Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate for Asthma (IMPACT-ED)
• Pediatric Pain Research Priorities
• Kidney Injury Biomarkers in Sepsis
• Gut Microbiome in Febrile Infants

State Spotlight: Maryland EMSC leads the way in pediatric prehospital high-performance CPR

Maryland EMSC is leading the way in pediatric resuscitation with a unique, high-performance CPR approach designed specifically for children in prehospital settings. From hands-on training and statewide protocols to data-driven outcomes and local champions, this initiative is changing the game for pediatric cardiac arrest response and was highlighted in a journal publication in February. Learn more.

Awards across the country

Marc Minkler, BS, NRP, I/C

Congratulations to Maine’s EMSC State Partnership program manager, Marc Minkler BS, NRP, I/C, who has been named the 2024 Maine American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Child Health Advocate of the Year. Minkler was recognized for his outstanding leadership in emergency and disaster preparedness, along with his commitment to educating and supporting pediatric providers across Maine. Learn more about the Maine EMSC Program.