Well this is the time of year we reflect on the past year and look forward to the holiday season and all the new year has to hold. 2002 has certainly been a year of unexpected, and often, unwelcomed surprises. Despite all the challenges we faced there were still many hidden blessings we were part of.

Just look at the national news and you can see the unrest and violence that has plagued larger cities in 2020. We have seen how COVID 19 devastated many cities and healthcare systems. How about all the service workers who lost their jobs. Or how about all those high-rise dwellers being quarantined in a tiny apartments.

We have certainly seen our fair share of challenges in our region, but sometimes looking at worse scenarios gives perspective. Much of the reason we did so well was location, but we really believe we did what Midstate Providers always do, step up to the challenge. It was your diligence, compassion and determination that helped us keep ourselves, our patients, and our families safe.

All in all, we are pretty darn fortunate to a part of the Midstate Region. So after donning your proper PPE give all your loved ones an extra hug.

On behalf of all of us at Midstate EMS, we wish you health, happiness, and peace this Thanksgiveng.

Stay safe and God bless.

With the rapidly increasing number of COVID cases in our area we are asking that you call ahead or make an appointment to meet with us in advance. We will all be rotating our office time between Foery Drive and our homes. We are happy to make sure that someone is available to exchange Narcan, provide/collect paper PCR’s, and to assist you with any of your other EMS/CPR needs. Day to day office coverage times will vary so just be sure to either call ahead to let us know that you are stopping by (315-738-8351) or contact one of us if you need someone specifically, and they can set up a date and time to meet with you.

• Dan Broedel, Program Agency Director dan@midstateems.org
• Melissa Lockwood, EMS Clinical Coordinator melissa@midstateems.org
• Anthony Salce Jr., EMS Course Sponsor anthony@midstateems.org
• Bill Perry, EMS Office Manager bill@midstateems.org

The Midstate EMS Office Will be Closed at 11/26 and 11/27 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Region EMS Phone System

• The new (hospital notification) phone system has been completely integrated, all known “bugs” have been worked out.  If you experience any issues with the system contact the Program Agency.
• A quick reminder if you need medical control for orders or consultation; start your conversation with “I need medical control” state your name and level and continue your report.
• Interfacility transfers not going directly to the Emergency Dept. do not require a report to the emergency dept.

Education and Training

• Our classes are continuing to utilize virtual (on-line) didactic sessions, and small groups for skill training.  Upcoming EMS programs are listed on the Midstate web site.
• The Vital Signs Academy offers free daily continuing medical education (CME) opportunities. ALS an BLS core and non-core topics are provided virtually. One-hour CME certificates are presented after each session.  The link www.vitalsignsacademy.com/calendar/ can be found at the top of the midstateems.org web page.
• On-Line Re-Certification classes for all levels are available for providers refreshing, remember paperwork must be into the state at least 45 days prior to expiration.  Our on-line CME program provides all required core material.

Operations

• Reminder ALS Providers, didactic and skill documentation are required for this year by December 31.
• CME Managers please review and update any of your provider information, make sure all your providers are listed, expiration dates are correct and skills and didactic are complete.
• The Bureau of EMS is not currently printing renewal certifications, expiration dates are available on the NYS Health Commerce System (HCS). Agency Managers have access.

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) invite you to participate in the Nationwide Innovative Practices in EMS Post Overdose Response Survey. The information gathered through this assessment will inform a report exploring the extent to which innovative practices are being implemented, what the key barriers are, what some possible solutions might be, and how partnering with public health might benefit the work. Innovation is being defined here and throughout this survey as any program or practice that addresses a need identified at the state/local/community level but has not gone through rigorous scientific testing yet to develop the evidence-base. Participation is voluntary and reporting of the data will be in aggregate fashion.

This assessment will take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete. It is intended to quickly capture what innovations your EMS organization has implemented, barriers to implementing those innovations, and how public health organizations can best assist. 

While this survey should be completed individually, please feel free to reach out to others within your organization to gather information, if necessary. Please submit any responses to this survey by Friday, November 20^th, 2020. 

Survey Link: http://astho.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2n4nMhAIpDjcrT7

If you have any questions about this assessment, please contact ASTHO’s Research and Evaluation Team at ResearchandEvaluation@astho.org. Thank you for your participation in this assessment effort!

COVID numbers are on the rise again and with the holidays right around the corner, please take a moment to read the updated NYS Travel Guidance, including a section (starting on page 3) pertaining to first responders and essential workers. https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/11/interm_guidance_travel_advisory.pdf

This and other helpful COVID information can be found on the NYS Department of Health website.

VIRTUAL SESSIONS (ZOOM CONFERENCE CALL):

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 

12:00 PM Geriatric Trauma  

Jay M. Brenner, MD, FACEP, Medical Director Community Campus Emergency Department 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2020 

11:00 AM Trauma Triage 

Jolene Kittle, RN, CCRN, CEN, CFRN  Trauma Program Manager 

12:00 PM Abdominal Trauma and Other Things  William Marx, DO, FACS, Chief 

Division of Trauma & Acute Care Surgery  

JOIN US! Zoom Instructions  

Please click this URL to start or join:  

https://upstate.zoom.us/j/99137705454?pwd=MTJzV09iMmttYnBNbzFOM3NQNjFaQT09 Or, go to https://upstate.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID: 991 3770 5454 and password: 662319  Join from dial-in phone line: Dial: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 

Meeting ID: 991 3770 5454 Participant ID: Shown after joining the meeting