In this episode, the team discusses specific ways efficiency can be improved in the field of EMS. Steve explains how his department has utilized a “pit crew” model and is blazing a trail for a “heads-up” approach to cardiac arrest response following incredible outcomes discovered by the Rialto (CA) Fire Department. Dan and Holly talk with Steve through the newly implemented 10-step checklist and how it has the potential to revolutionize cardiac arrest response.

The team segues this conversation to the benefits of checklists on most EMS calls. They discuss how checklists can improve communication, prevent missed steps, and maintain organization on most scenes.

Steve also brings up a common hang-up in EMS: the yard sale. How many times has a vital piece of equipment been lost in the debris of a chaotic call? Most have experienced this, and more than once. Steve and Holly mention some tips and tricks to prevent the classic “yard sale” and maintain equipment organization on scene, which can prevent items from being lost, helps with the continuity of the call and makes clean-up after the call much more manageable.

This episode also calls EMS providers to think more critically about the “whys” of our emergency response. Can you move your department forward by being on top of new research and data? Or perhaps be bold enough to add visual aids like checklists and algorithms to our emergency response, overcoming the stigma that an experienced provider shouldn’t need help remembering critical steps?

We encourage you to listen to this podcast considering the question, “How can I advocate for change that may improve patient outcomes in my department?”.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly have the opportunity to chat with Dr. Selbak in the studio. Dr. Selbak introduces a compelling case he came across while working in the emergency department. The group asks questions about the patient’s current condition and past medical history while discussing how they would likely treat the patient based on the provided information. Dr. Selbak talks with the team about more advanced in-hospital diagnostic techniques he and his team utilized to diagnose this patient and how it drastically altered their course of treatment. The team discusses ways field providers can employ some of these techniques and analyzes how we, in the field, can be on the lookout for some of these case outliers to better diagnose and treat our patients. As you listen, you will glean some incredibly helpful wisdom and insight into how we can best prepare our patients and the hospital staff for our arrival and paint a full diagnostic picture for the patient hand-off. 

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss their experiences with OB calls, specifically field deliveries, that were outside a typical “textbook” experience. They dive into the aspects of the scene, patient, transport, and crew to discuss what made their experiences stand out. Each provider will also take the time to address a unique OB emergency related to the patient in their story or that they have experienced and how they treated that patient to benefit both mom and baby. 

OB calls, specifically those in which deliveries are imminent, are low frequency with the potential to be very high risk. So the team discusses how they felt going into the call, what they did that helped set them up for success, and what about the scene created a roadblock as they attempted to provide the best possible patient care. 

While each patient discussed delivered otherwise healthy babies, listener discretion is advised as these stories involve less-than-ideal scenarios with challenges in both patient care and scene management. 

In this special episode, we celebrate our co-host, Dan Livengood, on his retirement after 27 years in the fire and EMS service. Dan is one of the most selfless and caring people you’d ever hope to have show up at your door during your time of need. We learn from his co-workers just how much fun it was to work with Dan and what life in the firehouse with him was like.

In this episode, Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss EMS education with Adam Culbertson, a current educator in North Carolina. The team has the opportunity to ask Adam about EMS education and how it is changing, as well as some trends we can expect to see in the coming years. Adam explores what has worked really well in his own education, as well a with his students, and what does not seem to be benefiting them. He goes on to explain how he and his fellow educators are trying to use that knowledge and understanding to enhance curriculum and classroom settings for incoming students and providers. 

This episode highlights current struggles in EMS and how better preparation in the classroom can lead to providers who are well-equipped to be lifelong learners. Also highlighted are disparities in mental health, both in the treatment of patients, as well as in caring for ourselves and our coworkers. Overall, this episode helps sets the stage for the foundational evolution taking place in EMS.