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Mon Nov 24 20:40:49 GMT 2008

On Mon, Nov 24, 2008 at 3:34 PM, Sahaj Khalsa <sahajs at gmail.com> wrote:

> As a prehospital provider in a rural state (NM), I believe that HEMS has a
> very valid use

In extremely rural areas, it does.  However in some cases (certain parts of
NM being examples) the use of fixed wing aircraft is more feasible and
safer.

> . If it is true that the system in MD does not allow prehospital providers
> the ability to ASSESS and TRIAGE their patients, that is a massive failure
> of their education system for EMS people.

It is a massive failure of more than that. However, the problem is not that
they are not taught or allowed to assess and triage, but rather that they
have been taught inappropriate standards for doing so.

>
>
> Are they truly dispatching helos for pt's with NO APPARENT INJURIES?!?!

Yup.  I've also seen them land a helicopter more or less in sight of a
trauma center for a patient who was awake and talking because he had
bilateral femur fractures.

 As someone who works in EMS and trains providers, I find that stunning. I
> also think that if the system is that flawed (my opinion) they need to look
> at all aspects of it, starting with their education, and not make nationwide
> judgements based on that system.

I agree, the education standards need to be drastically increased but at the
same time we can not stand by and allow our colleagues to continue to die
while waiting for a long term fix like massive overhaul of the educational
standards to bear fruit.

We are not making nationwide judgments, but rather trying to learn from each
of these mistakes and apply the lessons wherever they are applicable, which
for the most part is almost everywhere with a few notable exceptions.

>
>
> Just my thoughts,
>
> Sahaj Khalsa
> Sahaj Khalsa
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anthony Caruso <medic541 at hotmail.com>
>
> Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:22:43
> To: <trauma-list at trauma.org>
> Subject: RE: Maryland Air Ambulance Review Panel
>
>
>
> Stephen, I have been reading this thread for as long as it has been on
> here.  I think that definitely changes are to be made for criteria on when,
> and when not to call for a chopper.  As I have said before more emphases
> should be placed on educating pre hospital providers. But there's enough
> blame to go around on that.
>
> However, how do you suppose that you (we) can change the way Maryland dose
> its job?  There helicopters' serve duel roles.
>
> A) Obviously EMS missions.
>
> B) Law enforcement missions.
>
> Is there a big difference on civilian medavac Vs. law enforcement agency
> medavac and there standards?
> > From: ALS79 at aol.com> Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:58:00 -0500> Subject: Re:
> Maryland Air Ambulance Review Panel> To: trauma-list at trauma.org> > Bill
> Metcalf filled my position when I left ACEP. At the time, he was the EMS >
> Director for the state of Colorado. He was originally a firefighter in >
> Maryland, and was at one time married to an executive with the ATS. He left
> ACEP and > went to work for JEMS magazine, and the on to be EMS Chief of the
> fire > protection district at Lake Tahoe. He serves on the IAFC's EMS
> Committee and also > does some consulting on the side with Jim Paturas.> > I
> have known Bill for many years. While he can be objective, the two >
> unalterable characteristics about him are that he'll vote on the side of the
> majority > opinion, and he'll always defend MIEMSS because that's his home
> turf.> > It doesn't look good for our side.> > Bob Kellow> > >
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-- 
Stephen L. Richey, CRT
Aviation Injury Research Project Leader
Saginaw Valley State University
Work E-mail: slrichey at svsu.edu
Home Office Phone: 248-366-4452

"Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen."- Martin
Luther, before the Diet of Worms, 16. April 1521

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