It has been a busy year and to be
honest, I haven't had time to write much. The amazing thing is that I
truly enjoy this and hope that my audience does as well. So given
that it is the holiday season and a time for reflection, I am going
to reflect now and hopefully provide some insight.
This has been a year of momentous
change. My wife and I have changed states and she changed employers,
for a major improvement. This year brought an end to an association I
have had since I first obtained my paramedic cert. The hospital I
functioned under the longest no longer has any affiliation for me. In
fact I no longer associate with any Illinois based EMS agency. This
has been a breath of fresh air, as the more I am free from Illinois,
the more I see how bad it really is.
I have made steps to improve my health
and happiness which are both working out well. The reality is, that
without the above move, I would never have been able to accomplish
this. I am more in control and have better support than I have had in
a long time.
Now this is mainly an EMS blog and I
am going to continue on EMS here. The more I see of Illinois EMS the
more I now understand why the Indiana hospitals I transport to looked
at me like I was an idiot. There has to be a standard change in EMS
starting yesterday. Where to start, well read on my friend.
Let us begin with the term paid on
call. If you are running an advanced service the term paid on call
should be nowhere in your salary description. For that matter,
Volunteer should not be there either. I know some fine volunteer
paramedics, but in rural Illinois, professionals are needed. Now this
change means that these counties might have to either drop back to
Basic Life Support or, gasp fund EMS. This is the reality of the
situation. Now, there is the flip side of this, no service should
have their employees showing up in faded holy jeans looking
disheveled and unkempt. Nothing says I am going to help you more than
looking like the guy or girl who looks like they are going to a bar
or about to mow the lawn. Appearance and attitude matter.
Next, accountability, if you are
operating on an ambulance you are functioning under the orders of a
physician. If said physician is not involved in service there is a
problem. If you can't pick your Medical Director out of a line up,
how can he have any clue what type of provider you are. This is the
reality I have learned. Every agency should have a regular chart
review, with said physician involved, as a part of their yearly
continuing education. If your reviewing charts monthly and presenting
case studies, Medics know that poor care will be noted and exemplary
care will be acknowledged. This accountability also allows for
protocols to be reviewed because it will show a need for changing
them in a more expedient fashion
Finally, vehicle operations, I work in
a city that a lot of Illinois services transport to. That means I get
to see you coming in lights and sirens. You are likely driving too
fast, not using Due Regard, and honestly not needing them most of the
time. This has to stop. Not, this isn't entirely your fault. Rural
Illinois EMS has this culture that Lights and Sirens are important.
Well, considering the wealth of evidence that says time is not
usually of the essence and that in a lot of those time sensitive
situations, the Lights and Sirens create more problems due to anxiety
and increased likelihood of an accident, stop it. I really do not
want to respond to an ambulance accident, especially if it is someone
I know. Oh and if it is a BLS transport, there is literally no reason
to have those stupid things on.
As always,
Lone Medic.
