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March 9, 2018Read more...

Influenza Update Week Ending 3-3-2018

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #9 Week Ending 3-3-18 Although Flu and ILI are still fairly widespread and above the national baseline, respectively, Week #9 was the third week with significant decreases in most flu indicators. The peak of the season was when ILI was at a high of 7.5%, which occurred during Week #5, ending 2/3/18. The one indicator that showed increases in all the reported ages was in hospitalizations for Flu and Pneumonia. This indicator should...

March 9, 2018Read more...
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Reducing Opioid Overdose Deaths Within Communities – A Quality Improvement Perspective

Check out the new publication on the role of EMS in addressing the opioid epidemic. It includes an article by our Improvement Guide, Mike Taigman on using quality improvement principles in Deming's for lenses of Profound Knowledge to decrease deaths and improve recovery for people dealing with opioid addiction: Read the Full Article Here.

February 23, 2018Read more...

Influenza Update Week Ending 2-17-2018

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #7 Week Ending 2-17-18 The CDC reported that although there were multiple indicators suggesting that the flu season has hopefully peaked, flu activity is still widespread throughout the United States and, ILI, although lower, remains higher than the peaks of ILI activity in previous flu seasons. Diagnosed flu cases have also decreased slightly. Hospitalizations for this flu season are still outpacing those of the 2014-15 flu season which was considered highly severe and...

February 13, 2018Read more...

MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (MERS)

Download the below information in PDF form MERS is considered an emerging disease, caused by a novel virus (one that has not been identified before), that was first identified in September of 2012.  It is caused by a coronavirus, the same type of virus that caused SARS and about 20% of all colds.  Although much has been learned about it since it was first diagnosed in a patient, there are still significant gaps in that knowledge These gaps...

February 9, 2018Read more...

Influenza Update Week Ending 2-03-2018

Week ending 2-3-18 The CDC reported that influenza activity (diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness) increased once again.  Levels have met or exceeded flu and ILI markers from flu seasons over the last decade, including the 2009 Pandemic of H1N1.  Although Week #5 is the 11th week of substantial flu activity, and flu activity would normally have peaked by now, that is not the case and the CDC suggests that flu activity may go on for as long as 20 weeks. The only...

February 5, 2018Read more...
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New EMS1 Column Post by Mike Taigman – Q&A: How can leaders identify and help EMS providers who need support?

Read the latest post in the new Paramedic Chief column via EMS1, "Better EMS Performance" led by our own Improvement Guide, Mike Taigman. In this new column, Mike and our FirstWatch team along with our customers and colleagues will share actionable strategies, concepts and ideas to make real improvements. This column draws from Learning Organizations, Systems Thinking, Six Sigma, Lean Thinking, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and others you will not need to have a black belt to put these ideas...

February 2, 2018Read more...

Influenza Update Week Ending 1-27-2018

Week ending 1-27-18 The CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI), increased again;  there was no indication that flu/ILI was waning.  All but two states, Hawaii and Oregon reported widespread flu activity.  There was an increase in the number of states that reported high ILI levels again, nearing the levels seen during the 2009 Pandemic.  The rate of hospitalizations for this flu season is greater than that seen during the most recent severe flu season of...