Attached is the 2012 medical command authorization application in both MS-Word format and PDF format.  These are the same forms as in the past with the only addition of changing the date in the upper right corner. The form is also available on the EMSI website. The process to obtain medical command also has not changed from previous years.
 
ALS practitioners need to complete these applications and submit to their EMS Agency Medical Directors as soon as possible (or the date provided to them by their medical director) along with proof of their completion of at least 18 hours of PA Department of Health approved continuing education (at least 9 CEUs must be in the medical/trauma category) AND a valid/current CPR card.  A medical command authorization application must be completed at each EMS agency the ALS practitioner works and/or volunteers with.
 
In reviewing medical command authorization, the EMS Agency Medical Director shall ensure that the individual has completed or is completing the applicable continuing education requirements and has demonstrated competence in performing each of the services that fall within the scope of the individual’s medical command authorization.
 
Once the EMS Agency Medical Director (and/or designee) has received the medical command authorization application and has verified the continuing education requirements and is confident in the practitioner’s competence, they need to provide that information to the regional council in one of two ways:
 
1)      Submit a copy of each medical command authorization application (pages 1, 2 and if necessary 3) for each practitioner at that service. Do not attach and send copies of cards and/or status reports as part of the medical command authorization process.
a.       Applications submitted should be completed in full, with the practitioner legibly printing their name, certification number and service information/affiliate number.
2)      Submit a document (in word or spreadsheet) listing each practitioner and their certification number at each service and their medical command authorization status (granted, restricted, denied/withdrawn)
a.       This document should list the service name/affiliate number, last and first name of the provider and their certification number.
 
Every single name is cross-checked against the PA Department of Health Bureau of EMS database. EMS Agency Medical Directors (designee) will be contacted after the information provided is reviewed and will be notified if there are any issues with an ALS practitioner’s status.
 
As an FYI, courses taken online through the PA Learning Management System are usually uploaded to the status report within 8 hours of taking the course. Continuing Education Sponsors have 10 days to upload class rosters to EMSI but most are able to do so within hours of the course being finished.
 
ALS practitioners who have a discrepancy with the amount of CEUs or information on their status report should contact an EMSI staff member with education in their title ASAP. Contact information for EMSI staff is available at /contact_us.asp
 
EMS Agency Medical Directors should submit this information by 5pm on 12/31/2011.  I request that these be sent sooner rather than later.  A reminder that December 31 is a Saturday this year and those waiting until the last minute may not have any issues resolved by January 1.
 
Those ALS practitioners who were unable to obtain 18 hours of continuing education over the past 12 months and take courses after 01/01/2012 to meet the requirements must contact the education staff at EMSI and ask for those courses to be remediated back to 2011 for medical command purposes prior to functioning. Those courses remediated to a previous year CANNOT be used again in the current year to meet CEU requirements.

ALS practitioners who received their certification in calendar year 2011 have their CEUs prorated based on the month they were certified. For example, a paramedic who became certified on March 16, 2011 would need 15 CEUs (at least 7.5 in the medical/trauma category). A paramedic certified in October 2011 would need 4.5 CEUs. These practitioners (certified in calendar year 2011) need 1.5 CEUs for each month of their new certification (including the month of certification).
 
Medical command authorization information should be sent to my attention.

Joseph Ponko, MBA, EMT
Regional Clinical Coordinator
EMS Institute
Direct to Desk: 412-494-5572
EMSI Fax: 412-787-2340

As a reminder§ 1001.41. (a) of the Pennsylvania Code, Title 28 requires that ambulance services shall file a
report for any call to which it responds that results in patient care, assessment or refusal of the
patient to be assessed. The report shall be made by completing an EMS PCR and filing it, within
30 days, with the Regional EMS Council that is assigned responsibilities for the region in which
the ambulance service is based using the Department approved electronic PCR system. Click Here for Information Bulletin #076.

Spending  a lot of time on the road this week? Particularly I-80?  If you see a strange looking truck configurations with the 1789 placard. Looking it up in the  Emergency Response Guide it could be any one of a variety of acids used in the fracking process. This may pose a danger to first responders. It turns out that Hydrochloric acid, Hydrochloric acid solution or Muriatic acid  uses the same guide number #157.Click Here for more details.

The Grant: The grant will be awarded to an individual EMT or EMTs who would like to further their education and become Paramedics. The deadline for grant applications is the close of business on February 1, 2012.

The recipient must have at least three (3) years experience as a certified EMT and been employed (either paid or volunteer) by a PA licensed EMS agency or has been guaranteed an offer of a position with a PA licensed EMS agency following completion of the education program for which the grant was provided.

The amount of the grant will be determined by the Foundation Board of Directors and the recommendation of the Application Review Committee.

For more information, please see the application, instructions and general information which can be found on the Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania's website under What's New or select this link http://www.aa-pa.org/main/new.asp. You can also contact Heather at executivedirector@aa-pa.org or 1-888-262-9121.

Founded in 2007, the Foundation was created to serve the Pennsylvania emergency medical services community, to ensure public confidence in emergency medical services, to develop the next generation of emergency medical services providers, educate the public of their services and generally to further the cause of Pennsylvania emergency medical services through education, outreach and philanthropy. The Foundation will support the welfare of Pennsylvania emergency medical services providers and will serve other proper functions of a charitable, public foundation as needed.

Please share this information with your all of your colleagues.

Please do not reply to this email, this address is for outgoing messages only. If you have any questions or comments, please email Heather directly at executivedirector@aa-pa.org.

Please pass this information along to EMS personnel.  This type of incident can occur anywhere and at anytime.

Drug Box Stolen From Inside Ambulance
EMS Vehicle Security
 
EMMCO West has been advised by Meadville Area Ambulance Service, Meadville, PA that on Sunday evening, December 4, 2011, a Meadville Area Ambulance, while parked at Meadville Medical Center, Meadville, PA had a drug box stolen from the ambulance. The EMS crew parked the ambulance in the Emergency Entrance and unloaded their patient into the emergency department. The unit's on board camera was activated within 1 minute of the crew entering the hospital. An unknown individual is shown on the video removing the drug box from inside the ambulance. Meadville Police Dept. is investigating the incident.
 
This incident is a reminder to all EMS agencies to insure that ambulances are secured at all times, even at hospitals.