The Virginia Office of Health Equity and the Virginia Department of Health are conducting a Primary Care Needs Assessment survey to help improve access to basic healthcare in Virginia. Learn more and take the survey at: https://redcap.vdh.virginia.gov/redcap/surveys/?s=79F74RXAHL.
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Virginia EMS legend and trailblazer Bruce W. Edwards. Bruce was a leader and visionary in Virginia’s EMS System. He was the first person to serve in the EMS Representative position on the Virginia State Board of Health and also served as Chair of the State Board of Health. Additionally, he served two appointed terms on the Virginia State EMS Advisory Board, and also served on the state Medevac Committee, along with countless committees and boards at the local, state and national level. He worked as a coordinator for the Virginia Office of EMS under the Executive Department of the City of Virginia Beach. In 2017, Bruce was awarded the highest honor at the state level, the Governor’s EMS Award for Excellence in EMS for his immeasurable and remarkable accomplishments to Virginia’s EMS System.
We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed, but forever remembered for his life-long dedication, support and contribution to Virginia’s EMS System.
The family will receive friends on Friday, August 28, 2020 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Laskin Road Chapel. Class A uniforms are encouraged as Chief Edwards will be in his dress uniform.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Bruce and his daughter Patricia will be celebrated at Church of the Holy Family Saturday, August 29 at 11:00 AM. The service is private with a limited number of seats for EMS, however, the service will be live streamed at https://www.holyfamilyvb.org/.
Read the obituary: https://www.hdoliver.com/obituary/Bruce-Winston-Edwards/Virginia-Beach-Virginia/1878010
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that the majority of hot car deaths — 54% — happen because someone forgets a child in a car.
Help prevent deaths, “Park. Look. Lock.” Always check the back seat when getting out of a vehicle, always lock an unattended vehicle and never leave a child alone in a car, even for a minute.
Remember: Kids and hot cars can be a deadly combination. Don’t take the chance. Always look in the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away. Help spread the word on social media, #HeatstrokeKills #CheckforBaby.
Keep kids safe. Look before you lock. See how fast a car heats up: https://youtu.be/639NwftNHAk.
For more tips on preventing hot car deaths, visit: www.nhtsa.gov/child-safety/help-prevent-hot-car-deaths.
EMS agencies are encouraged to participate in a national study regarding EMS fatigue. This important and collaborative initiative is being coordinated by the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) and the University of Pittsburgh.
This federally-funded study will determine the impact of a Sleep Health and Fatigue Education Program designed specially for EMS clinician shift workers. To learn more, visit this link. Click on the “More Information for Agencies” link at the bottom of the webpage for a brief video flyer. To read the EMS Sleep Health Study/ EMS Agency Research Study Flyer, click here.
If your EMS agency is interested in participating, please contact the Principal Investigator Daniel Patterson, PhD, NRP at pdp3@pitt.edu.
We’re celebrating EMS Week in Virginia, May 17 – 23. EMS for Children Day, May 20, focuses on the pediatric patient and the specialized care required when providing treatment for them.
During EMS Week, we recognize the dedication of 36,722 EMS providers and 585 agencies in Virginia. We commend their continued efforts to provide lifesaving care and their commitment to the EMS system.
This year is especially important because EMS providers in the Commonwealth and across the nation have been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been faced with an immeasurable crisis that has required them to plan, adapt and respond in order to take care of the people in their communities. They have demonstrated the true essence of courage, perseverance and resolve during this stressful and unknowing time, and we are forever grateful for their dedication to the EMS field.
Check out this special thank you video from the Virginia Office of EMS to recognize EMS providers’ lifesaving work and specialized care to protect the health and well-being of all people in Virginia.
