EMSA Dispatch Newsletter – Winter 2020

In This Issue

Picture of the California State Capital Building

Tackling California’s Homelessness Crisis

On January 8, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order aimed at providing a remedy to the more than 150,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in California. The governor’s executive order identified a number of key issues surrounding individuals experiencing homelessness, including the medical and/or psychiatric care needs of those indviduals, the considerable stress California’s homelessness crisis has put on many public services, and the public health challenges it has created.

To help address sheltering issues, the Governor ordered the Emergency Medical Services Authority to supply modular tent structures to provide temporary housing and the delivery of health and social services in communities across the state. On January 16 in Oakland, CA, EMSA setup its mobile medical units alongside travel trailers from the state fleet that were also brought in under the executive order by the Department of General Services (pictured above).

Paramedic License Fee Increase

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On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, paramedic license application fees will increase by $25.00. The following is a list of the new fees:

Initial In-State Paramedic License Application: $275.00

Initial Out–of–State Paramedic License Application: $325.00

Initial Challenge Paramedic License Application: $325.00

Renewal Paramedic License Application: $225.00

Reinstatement Paramedic License Application: $275.00

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image of note stating important announcement: check it out

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PULSE: More Than a Heartbeat

PULSE – the Patient Unified Lookup System for Emergencies – is an electronic health information system that was designed to help people manage their health care during and right after a disaster. PULSE bridges patient health care information from the medical records of connected health care organizations directly to the first responders, health care volunteers, and other medical professionals providing real-time patient care during and after disaster response.

When it comes to preparing for emergencies and responding to disasters, protecting our health is of utmost importance. Read more about the valuable resource PULSE provides during times of crisis, here.

Trauma Summit

The 2020 Trauma Summit will take place on May 12 – 13, 2020 at the Holiday Inn San Diego – Bayside. This year’s theme is “Preventable Deaths,” with a focus on prehospital treatments.

Featured speakers are leaders in trauma and acute care. The 2020 Trauma Summit will feature:

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Ian Roberts, MB, BcH, FRCP, FPH

Professor of Epidemiology & Public Health, Co-Director of Clinical Trials

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Professor Roberts is a clinical academic who works collaboratively with health professionals world-wide to conduct large, multi-center clinical trials aimed at proving patient outcomes in life-threatening emergencies. Professor Roberts will provide a two-part presentation on results from clinical trials that demonstrate tranexamic acid (TXA) could help cut the number of deaths among traumatic brain injury patients.

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David Marcozzi, MD, MHS-CL, FACEP

Associate Professor and Director of Population Health

University of Maryland, School of Medicine

Dr. Marcozzi is a Colonial in the U.S. Army Reserves and has served in the federal government as a senior leader and subject matter expert on health delivery, emergency care, and emergency preparedness. He completed a congressional fellowship at the U.S. Senate and is the recipient of numerous military and civilian awards. Dr. Marcozzi’ will provide a presentation titled, “Zero Preventable Deaths.”

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Dan Spaite, MD, FACEP

Professor of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Piper Distinguished Research Chair at the University of Arizona College of Medicine

Dr. Spaite has published over 150 scientific articles and has presented his research on cardiac arrest, trauma systems, and EMS outcomes analysis internationally. Dr. Spaite was awarded the Ronald Stewart, MD Career Award by the National Association of EMS Physicians. In 2015, he received the “Outstanding Contributions in Research Award” from the American College of Emergency Physicians. Dr. Spaite will provide a presentation on the EPIC Traumatic Brain Injury Study and the implications for EMS.

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Event registration includes four (4) meals, a ticket to the gardenside social networking event on Monday, May 12, and continuing education (CE) units for eligible attendees.

Registration opens on January 31, 2020 through Eventbrite at:

EMS Providers and Emergency Physicians: Collaborating in Patient Care

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Lifeline: winter 2019 cover a forum for emergency physicians in California

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The Winter 2019 edition of Lifeline, the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians’ magazine is all about E-M-S.

According to Cal-ACEP President, Vivian Reyes, “EMS providers and the ED care team each play important, sequential roles in a patient’s journey through the health care system.”

The issue focuses on ways Emergency Department (ED) and EMS providers can partner together and collaborate in patient care. EMSA Director Dr. Dave Duncan recently met with Cal-ACEP’s Board of Directors to share his vision of a system that always puts the patient first.

Check out the issue here.

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Key Legislation Dates

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2020 is the second year of the 2019-20 legislative session, and with a new year comes new legislation!

Here are some key legislation dates for the 2020:

February 21 – Last day for new bills to be introduced.
May 29 – Last day for Senate bills to pass in the Senate, and Assembly bills to pass in the Assembly.
August 31 – Deadline for bills to be passed by both Senate and Assembly.
September 30 – last day for the Governor to sign or veto bills.

The EMS Authority keeps tabs on any proposed legislation that has potential impacts to EMS. You, too can follow along by regularly viewing the EMSA Legislative Activity web page.

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Getting Lead Out of Child Care

Since Flint, Michigan exposed thousands of children to excessive levels, lead in water has become a hot button issue. In the aftermath of the Flint discovery, several large cities reported concerning levels of lead in their own water supplies, while the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 10 million homes and buildings nationwide use service lines contaminated with lead.

There is no safe level of lead for children–even small amounts can affect their physical and mental development. Children under 6 years old are most at risk, particularly infants. Lead may also be present in other sources, such as some foods, dishware, toys, exposed dirt and paint.

To address potential lead poisoning in childcare settings, AB 2370 went into effect on January 1, 2019, requiring child care providers to receive training in lead poisoning prevention within the preventive health and safety training required for licensing. Child care providers must also meet testing requirements and provide lead poisoning information to parents and guardians. The EMS Authority’s Child Care Unit is already busy working with training providers statewide to ensure that lead poisoning prevention is included in their curricula by July 1, 2020, and to better protect the health of California’s children.

AB 434 Compliance

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#CaliforniaForAll

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In the coming months, you may notice some changes to the Authority’s web pages and online documents.

EMSA staff are working hard to take the steps necessary to ensure the department’s websites and documents meet California’s accessibility requirements.

The reason for the changes is AB 434 (Baker, Ch. 780, Stats. 2017), which requires all state agencies internet web sites to be in compliance with Sections 7405 and 11135 of the Government Code and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.

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The California Patient Movement Plan

The California Patient Movement Plan, published in 2018, was the result of a strong, collaborative effort between EMSA, the California Department of Public Health, and many stakeholders and contributors to California’s healthcare systems and patient provider framework.

To help educate the public, EMSA’s DMS Plans and Training Unit created some fun, informative videos to review the plan in clear, understandable terms. The first video introduces the California Patient Movement Plan with background information about why the plan exists and identifies the plan’s five essential functions. The second video, goes over the Statewide Emergency Management System, or SEMS. SEMS is the cornerstone of California’s emergency response system and the fundamental structure for the response phase of emergency management.

Curious about how you fit into the California Patient Movement Plan? Take a look at the first two videos to gain some useful EMS-related knowledge!

California Patient Movement Plan- Section 1: Introduction

California Patient Movement Plan- Section 2: Disaster Medical and Health System Overview