There has been a topic that has been bothering me for quite a while now, and I feel it is time for me to weigh in on it. One of my favorite shows that has ever been on TV was HBO’s miniseries A Band of Brothers, based on Stephen Ambrose’s book of the same name about Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in World War II.  In one of the show’s best episodes, the company’s medic is forced to ration medications and supplies so as to provide as best he can for The result is him having to hoard morphine for the more severely injured soldiers and carefully consider his treatments and who gets them and who does not.  I have watched that particular episode many times and thought to myself that I could never imagine having to make those decisions.  I always felt that in medicine, everyone deserved the same care, whether it be in the form of life saving medications, supplies, or pain management. Now, here I am, almost 70 years later, and I am on the verge of being forced to stare at a drug bag with expiring medications that cannot be replaced, and having to choose between morphine and the far superior fentanyl based on what I feel my patient’s needs are.  But who really is to blame? One of the greatest tragedies in this country is the profit machine that is health care.  It exists on every level from insurance companies to hospitals to manufacturers of medical equipment to the big bad drug companies and even to prehospital ambulance services.  In fact, I am not a fan of any ambulance service being referred to as “for profit.”  The fact is whether an ambulance service is privately owned, classified as a non-profit, fire based, third service, or any other model that sends out a bill they are, in fact, in the EMS business to make some sort of profit.  But I digress. Some drug manufacturers have decided to stop producing certain medications because regulations and quality controls have become so strict that without a significant price increase, the profit that they can make from these drugs becomes little...

I am sure that most of you have noticed that I have been wading my way through another bout with writer’s block.  It happens, right?  I’ve beaten it before, and I will beat it again though.  I’ve gotten some great support from some friends who have suggested topics, and offered ideas for future posts.  The one I am sharing with you today though is one I find interesting. Last week, I was complaining on my Facebook wall about my struggles with writer’s block, and my friend friend sent me an interesting question: “I saw that you had writer’s block the other day and was curious to know if you’d be interested in running an informal and non-scientific survey of your faithful readers. Here’s what I am curious to find out: I have the opportunity to watch hundreds of transfers by the various private services in RI take place at various hospitals while I am posting. It seems as though virtually all of the techs riding with their patients sit in the airway seat behind the patient, usually entirely out of view of their patient. About the only time that I sit in that seat is when I have a backboarded patient (so my patient can see me) or a patient with an airway issue, at all other times I am either on the bench or in the “captains” chair, in full view of my patient. I wonder if this is generational/experiential/company SOP, etc. and why so many EMT’s now choose to be out of view of their patients? Just a thought, I am sure you have your own feelings and experiences from Springfield, and maybe this will help break your block.” Personally, my answer is simple, but it comes with an “*”.  Although I often tell people that I am only 5’9” the truth is I am actually 6’5”.  When I am working on a truck, they are 99%-100% of the time, van ambulances.  With my long gangly arms, I can reach everything in the truck from the comfort of the bench seat.  When I say everything, I pretty much mean everything.  Its freakish.  The only time you will find me in the airway...

In the digital age that we live in, it is becoming increasingly important for organizations and their leadership to embrace social media and use it to its fullest capability.  It is the fear of the unknown that really causes the problems that we see, and developing an organizational culture that promotes safe, appropriate use of social media is key. Take, for instance, the Facebook pages of Hennepin EMS in Minnesota and Boston EMS.  They do a great job of not only promoting their members but fearlessly advertising the successes of their organizations.  They report call volumes, medical advances, and in Boston EMS’s case, even tweeted a ride along day that was done a few months ago.  Bravo! While the press plays a key role in the public’s perception of EMS, with an increased emphasis on social media, blogging, and a means of making our own “press releases” we can, as a profession, dictate our own direction.  It is becoming more common for blogs to be just as well respected as some news outlets, and some of those outlets are even looking to bloggers to fill their printed pages with their online content. So how does an organization “get there?”  It starts with structure.  When people do not know what limitations and rules are set for them, they are more apt to push the envelope and see how far they can take things.  Remind them what is appropriate to post and what is not.  More importantly, remind them WHEN it is appropriate to be in their phone.  Nothing irks me more than when I hear about someone in the back of a truck answering a text or a Facebook message.  Let’s keep it confined to the downtime people! The key above all else though is to be responsible.  Think before you post.  That goes for status updates, tweets, pictures, anything you can think of.  While social media can be very useful, it can also present some challenges when the WRONG thing is posted.  Even if you take it down, there is a chance someone out there might have already captured it, and even if something is up for just a few minutes, someone is going...

Staind band member donates ambulance to Hampshire county hilltowns: wwlp.com I am going a bit local with this morning’s post, but I saw this last week and I’ve been wanting to share it with everyone. Last week, Johnny April the bass player for the band Staind who are originally from Springfield, Massachusetts, donated an ambulance to Highland Ambulance, the service that handles calls for the town he lives in.  According to the story, the truck cost approximately $150,000.  Highland Ambulance was formed a few years ago to handle calls in a handful of smaller communities outside of Northampton, Massachusetts.  They have some great people who work for them, and adding this brand new unit will no doubt help increase the quality of service they are able to provide. What a great thing for someone to do for a community.  Thank you, Johnny April. Credit the news clip to 22 News at...