Category: blog

City Councils Proclaim Stroke Smart Waynesboro and Stroke Smart Staunton

Posted on by marianhunter

July 16, 2024

City Councils Proclaim Stroke Smart Waynesboro and Stroke Smart Staunton
 Waynesboro and Staunton join the Stroke Smart Virginia initiative, partnering with public health officials for life-saving stroke education efforts

(Staunton, Va.) – The City of Waynesboro and the City of Staunton in partnership with the Central Shenandoah EMS Council and the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS), recently committed to supporting stroke education through the Stroke Smart Virginia initiative.

Stroke Smart Virginia is a public health initiative to reduce pre-hospital delays and increase timely stroke treatment through simple education and actions. This life-saving initiative also was joined in partnership with the Central Shenandoah Health District, Augusta Health, Waynesboro First Aid Crew and Waynesboro Emergency Management’s fire and EMS personnel and Staunton Augusta County First Aid & Rescue Squad, Inc.

Local government officials and city dignitaries from the Waynesboro and Staunton City Councils presented Stroke Smart proclamations to the Central Shenandoah EMS Council and Regional Office of EMS during two separate city council meetings held on June 24 and June 27. Members of the Waynesboro City Council shared their personal stories of the impact of stroke and pledged their support to improving the lives of the people of Waynesboro. The City of Staunton local government shared their passion to promote public education about stroke recognition and emergency care. Both localities join this initiative and commitment to partner with public health professionals for a “Stroke Smart” city.

“This special initiative connects public health advocates who are committed to a collaborative effort to educate people on the signs and symptoms of stroke and the importance of calling 911,” said Director Daniel Linkins, Central Shenandoah EMS Council. “Patients experiencing common stroke symptoms, including facial droop, arm weakness, slurred speech or confusion, need the right care quickly. EMS providers are trained to recognize the signs of stroke and perform additional tests to determine the best facility to treat specific types of stroke.”

“Stroke awareness, to include prevention, recognition and access to early treatment is not just a healthcare responsibility, it is the responsibility of the entire community,” said Gary Critzer, State Board of Health Chair, Central Shenandoah EMS Council President and City of Waynesboro Director of Emergency Management and EMS. “The Central Shenandoah EMS Council, in cooperation with VDH, local governments, first responder agencies, 911 centers and area hospitals, is working to improve stroke awareness in our communities. Increasing awareness improves early recognition of stroke symptoms and access to appropriate care. Early access to care at a stroke ready hospital is critical to reducing disability and death.”

Waynesboro and Staunton are the second and third cities in Western Virginia to join the Stroke Smart Initiative, and the first and second cities in the Central Shenandoah EMS Region and Health District to demonstrate a commitment to lead efforts that support the VDH’s vision to become the healthiest state in the nation and mission to protect the health and promote the well-being of all people in Virginia.

For more information about the Stroke Smart initiative in Virginia, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov/stroke/stroke-smart-virginia/. For more information about the Central Shenandoah EMS Council, Inc., visit www.csems.org/.

Governor’s EMS Awards presented during EMS Week

Posted on by marianhunter

Read the latest update from the Virginia Office of EMS regarding the presentation of the 2023 Governor’s EMS Awards during EMS Week at the Governor’s Mansion.

On Monday, May 20, Governor Glenn Youngkin recognized the Governor’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Award recipients from 2023 during a special EMS Week ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion. The Governor’s EMS Awards honor the outstanding contributions of individuals, agencies, community organizations and businesses that provide or help support emergency medical care in Virginia. These awards are the highest honor an EMS provider or organization can receive at the state level, and they are administered by the Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) Office of Emergency Medical Services.  

EMS Week 2024

Posted on by marianhunter

Virginians rely on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel to respond to the call for help and to provide quality prehospital care during their greatest time of need. National EMS Week is May 19-25, 2024. EMS for Children Day, May 22, focuses on the pediatric patient and the specialized care required when providing treatment to them.

EMS Week recognizes the dedication of 38,721 EMS providers and 552 agencies in Virginia. Last year, EMS providers responded to more than 1.72 million calls for help in Virginia, which represents approximately 4,712 incidents per day.

Learn more about EMS Week in Virginia, at: EMS Week 2024 – Emergency Medical Services (virginia.gov)

Drug Kit Regulations Reminder

Posted on by marianhunter

April 19, 2024

The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of EMS (OEMS) is continuing to keep Agencies, Councils and EMS providers informed on the current conversation regarding the future of the hospital-based Drug Kit Exchange program in Virginia.

As we have shared in a previous memo on April 2, 2024, federal regulatory changes will require the existing Virginia EMS agency drug hospital kit exchange program to change as early as November 27, 2024. OEMS has been actively working to advocate for Virginia’s EMS providers and agencies throughout the current discussion on the state’s drug kit exchange program. Please see a new update from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) and Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacist (VSHP) on the EMS Drug Kit Transition Plan.

OEMS would like to remind all E­MS stakeholders that the draft amendments to the EMS-related drug kit exchange regulations is quickly approaching. A Virginia Board of Pharmacy (BoP) meeting is scheduled for May 2, 2024 when the Board will review the proposed draft emergency drug kit exchange regulations. As such, it is important that any comments to the draft emergency BoP regulations are submitted no later than close of business on April 29, 2024. Additionally, if your agency has any questions, please email the BoP at pharmbd@dhp.virginia.gov no later than April 29, 2024.

OEMS understands that the enforcement of the updated Federal regulation presents challenges for EMS agencies in the Commonwealth. OEMS strongly encourages EMS agencies to work with each other, their Regional EMS Councils, and healthcare coalitions, as well as reach out to OEMS for technical assistance. We will continue to work closely with the Regional EMS Councils to make sure everyone has the latest information and updates.

As more information becomes available, OEMS will post regular updates regarding the Virginia Drug Kit Exchange program, at: www.vdh.virginia.gov/emergency-medical-services/other-ems-programs-and-links/virginia-ems-drug-box-exchange-program-updates/.

EMD Accreditation

Posted on by marianhunter

Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) Accreditation

Picture of OEMS PSAP Specialist Amber Moore presenting Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley with their OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for Farmville
Featured in photo from left to right: OEMS PSAP Specialist Amber Moore presents Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley with their OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for Farmville Emergency Communications Center.

The road to Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) implementation is an adventure. The Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) has taken EMD implementation one step further with the EMD Accreditation program. This voluntary program was created to provide Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP), also known as 9-1-1 centers, the opportunity to exhibit to their community and stakeholders that they meet and exceed training and performance standards. Before a PSAP can apply for accreditation, they must meet the minimum guidelines. These guidelines include minimum staffing, training and Quality Assurance scores. Additionally, the PSAP must have EMS Physician oversight and commit to submitting an annual report to OEMS.

To begin the accreditation process, the PSAP must complete an application and provide the required Standard Operating Procedures/Guidelines and other reports and obtain a letter of endorsement from their EMS Physician. As of April 2024, there are 28 PSAPs that are OEMS EMD Accredited in the Commonwealth.

On January 10, 2024, Amber Moore and Kari Magner, staff members of the Division of Emergency Operations, traveled to Farmville, Virginia for a Town Council meeting. Farmville Emergency Communications Center (ECC) recently became accredited in November 2023. This meeting provided Amber the opportunity to share directly with council members information on EMD, training, implementation and the accreditation process.

Providing EMD services in the PSAP allows for trained call-takers to obtain pertinent information, prioritize resources and their response level, and give pre-arrival instructions when appropriate. These key abilities are critical when callers face life threatening illness or injury. The Farmville Town Council members were elated to hear that their PSAP had taken the necessary steps to maintain their EMD program and qualified for OEMS EMD Accreditation.

Emergency Communications Manager Crystal Barton and Emergency Communications Supervisor Ethan Whaley were presented with the OEMS EMD Accreditation certificate for their agency. OEMS was happy to share in the recognition of their dedication and commitment to serving their community.

For more information about the OEMS EMD Accreditation program, click here or reach out to Amber Moore, PSAP specialist at: Amber.Moore@vdh.virginia.gov or 804-888-9126.