WVEMS e-NEWSLETTER - June 7, 2024
WVEMS e-NEWSLETTER – June 7, 2024
WVEMS Medication Kit Town Hall
Western Virginia EMS Council will host a Town Hall on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 18:00 with WVEMS EMS Agency Leadership and EMS Agency Physicians. This event will be held virtually to discuss the path forward of the Regional Medication Exchange Kit Program. We kindly ask that agencies have no more than 2 representatives attend to ensure that there is ample space for all our agencies and physicians to attend due to capacity limits of meeting platform.
Advanced EMT Course Announced for New River Valley
WVEMS will offer an AEMT course at its New River Valley Training Center beginning September 9, 2024. The course will run through April 30, 2025. Application deadline is August 9, 2024. Application is attached!
Regional EMS Awards - Recognize Your Heroes! – Deadline to Nominate is June 28, 2024
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The time has come to open nominations for the 2024 WVEMS Regional EMS Awards and Scholarship! Follow THIS LINK to the simple nomination process! It only takes a minute to complete the process. Recognize your heroes for these awards! Be sure to select “Western Virginia EMS Council” as your regional council. Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:
- Excellence in EMS (Capstone award for long-time service and dedication to the field of EMS)
- Outstanding EMS Telecommunicator/Dispatcher
- Innovation Excellence in EMS
- Outstanding EMS Educator
- Outstanding EMS Leadership
- Nurse with Outstanding Contribution to EMS
- Physician with Outstanding Contribution to EMS
- Outstanding EMS Provider
- Outstanding EMS Agency
- Outstanding Contribution to EMS Health and Safety
- Regional Emergency Preparedness Award
- Outstanding Contribution to EMS for Children
- Scholarship for Outstanding Contribution to EMS by a High School Senior
Special WVEMS Regional Award: Once again, you have the opportunity to nominate someone for the Regional "WVEMS Benny Summerlin Award for Service to Local Government" This very special award honors Benny Summerlin (1958-2012), a public servant who dedicated 40 years of his life to service in EMS, including serving as a WVEMS board member and president.
Regional winners will be nominated for statewide Governor’s awards.
WVEMS 2024 Protocols Released
The 2024 WVEMS Operational Protocols have been released with an official go-live date of May 1, 2024. The protocol update consists of reviewing the 2024 WVEMS Protocols/Policies, reviewing the 2024 Drug Box Schematic, watching the protocol rollout video, and signing the provider attestation form, and turning this form into your agency training officer. Provider attestation forms will be kept on file within the agency training files. Your agency leadership in consultation with your EMS Physician (OMD) will decide when your agency will transition to the 2024 WVEMS Protocol Version and if more agency specific training is required. The specific protocol changes are notated in the one-page Attestation form. WVEMS is available to assist EMS agencies that would like assistance and is recommended to contact their Field Coordinator for different options or by emailing wvprotocols@PROTECTED.
WVEMS Drug Boxes will be updated to the 2024 Schematic through routine exchange; do not take your drug box to the pharmacy just to obtain an updated box. Should you have any questions about emergent infield patient care, contact "online medical direction" of the receiving facility, otherwise contact your agency EMS Physician, or WVEMS staff.
Please keep in mind that you are NOT allowed to practice under the new protocol guidelines until your EMS Physician (Operational Medical Director) has cleared you to do so. You can easily toggle between protocol versions under the settings located within the app (currently you will see the 2023 and the 2024 Versions located in the iOS and Android Applications).
- 2024 WVEMS Protocols: WVEMS Protocols 2024
- 2024 WVEMS Drug Box Schematic: WVEMS Drug Box Detail 2024
- 2024 WVEMS Protocol Rollout Video: WVEMS Roll Out Video 2024
- 2024 WVEMS Protocols Attestation Form: WVEMS Roll Out Attestation 2024
You can visit wvems.org for more information.
LewisGale Medical Center – Sepsis Process
LewisGale Medical Center - Salem announces Sepsis Process. Please find the attached document outlining the process.
American Heart Association – Training Site
WVEMS has been an American Heart Association Training Site for two years. We can offer courses available by the American Heart Association. Please contact Daryll Perry with any questions about AHA!
IV and Medication Storage - Temperature Extremes
It is that time of the year that we must remain vigilant about medication and IV fluid temperatures on our licensed EMS vehicles. Please remember that Regional Drug Boxes and IV Fluids must be kept within the manufacturer's temperature guidelines. Failure to do so could result in your agency being charged the cost to replace medications damaged by exposure to extreme temperatures. 12VAC5-31-520 Storage and security of drugs and related supplies.
National Ketamine Shortage
There is currently a national shortage of Ketamine. There will be no substitute during the shortage. Should pharmacies be unable to replace, the box will be marked that there is no Ketamine due to shortage. WVEMS remains in contact with pharmacies and will update agencies as more information becomes available.
Bio-Hazard Trash at WVEMS Hospitals
WVEMS Hospitals request your assistance with utilizing the correct bins for trash and bio-hazard waste. Please do not place regular trash in the bio-hazard (red) cans.
WVEMS Region Facing Many Hospital EMS Diversions
WVEMS and NSPA continue to monitor and assist EMS agencies and Hospitals with navigating the Hospital Diversions affecting our region, which includes Planning Districts 4, 5 & 12. These EMS Diversions do not apply to any ALERTS (Gold, Trauma, OB, Stroke, Heart, etc) or any CRITICAL Patients. Please contact WVEMS with any questions.
Western Virginia EMS Council
1944 Peters Creek Road NW
Roanoke VA 24017-1613
tel 540.562.3482
fax 540.562.3488
www.wvems.org
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