Listen to this podcast from EMS World, featuring FirstWatch Improvement Guide, Mike Taigman. In this episode Mike talks about using data to improve your system the importance of increasing joy on the job. Visit website here.
For week #50 (ending 12-15-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness) increased and the threshold has been reached met to indicate that the 2018-19 Seasonal Flu season has begun. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu more than quadrupled from last week to 11.0%. Influenza A viruses are the most common virus found in sample testing, with Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 the most common, except for Region 4 (the Southeast), which...
IN THE NEWS Note: for each of these diseases, there have been previous posts to this Health Intelligence Page. Please see those articles for background, as well as more detailed information on each disease. You can find these articles by clicking on the button marked ‘View all Posts & Resources,’ found at the bottom of the In the News category, and then looking for the specific disease that matches the dates listed at the end of each of the diseases covered...
For week #49 (ending 12-8-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness) was still slightly elevated. The percentage of respiratory specimens being tested still remains low. Influenza A viruses are the most common virus found in sample testing, with Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 the most common of those. Influenza A (H2N2) and Influenza B viruses have also been found and are considered to be co-circulating. Also, the majority of the flu viruses are matching...
IN THE NEWS The CDC, Public Health Officials for multiple states, the FDA, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Provincial Health Partners, Health Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are collaborating on an investigation into a new outbreak of Shiga toxin producing E. Coli O157: H7 in 11 states (32 cases with 13 hospitalizations) and 2 provinces (18 confirmed cases with 5 hospitalizations). The US and Canada are each reporting one (1) case each of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a...
Check out this PoliceOne article "How biosurveillance turns opioids-related data into actionable intelligence" by By Rob Lawrence, P1 Contributor. See how a customer agency, in Richmond, Virginia, is utilizing the FirstWatch system and turning real-time activity data into actionable intelligence. Of note, the Richmond Ambulance Authority was the first commercial user of the FirstWatch system. Read the Full Article Here.
PoliceOne article "How biosurveillance turns opioids-related data into actionable intelligence" by By Rob Lawrence, P1 Contributor. See how a customer agency, in Richmond, Virginia, is utilizing the FirstWatch system and turning real-time activity data into actionable intelligence. Of note, the Richmond Ambulance Authority was the first commercial user of the FirstWatch system.
Check out this Government Technology article featuring technology industry leaders, including Todd Stout, speak about using tech to spot early warnings for disasters. Read the Full Article Here.
What a great experience we had at the XI Leadership Conference by Page, Wolfberg & Wirth in Hershey, PA! Check out this article mentioning Mike Taigman's keynote in this recap of the event in this JEMS article. Read the Latest Column Article Here. Access all Column Articles Here.
IN THE NEWS Earlier in the week, the WHO (World Health Organization) announced that there was going to be a meeting of the Emergency Committee in Geneva, Switzerland to decide if the Ebola outbreak had reached a crucial stage of threat beyond the national and regional threat to the region that has already been identified (the outbreak currently has the label of Very High Risk at the Regional Level). The meeting was held and the Emergency Committee decided that the outbreak IS...
Read the latest post in the Paramedic Chief column via EMS1, "Making your EAP work for your employees" written by our own Improvement Guide, Mike Taigman along with a discussion with Dr. Sara Gilman. Read the Latest Column Article Here. Access all Column Articles Here.
The CDC continues to investigate a surge in cases of a rare syndrome (one in one million), called AFM, which causes inflammation in spinal cord and results in the sudden onset of a weakened limb or limbs that may lead to paralysis. The majority of cases (90%) are in children. In this current outbreak, the average age is four (4) years old. Although the condition is not new, there was a significant increase in cases beginning in 2014, which coincided with...
IN THE NEWS The CDC is investigating a large surge in reported cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) for 2018 and reported 62 confirmed cases in 22 states through October 16, 2018. These 62 confirmed cases are part of a larger group of 127 reported cases that the CDC has received notice on and is investigating, along with state and local health departments and hospitals. The CDC has decided to include in its releases, the number of reported patient cases under...
The CDC is investigating a surge in cases of a rare syndrome, called AFM, which causes inflammation in spinal cord and results in the sudden onset of a weakened limb or limbs that may lead to paralysis. The majority of cases (90%) are in children. In this current outbreak, the average age is four (4) years old. Although the condition is not new, there was a significant increase in cases beginning in 2014, which coincided with a large outbreak of a...
IN THE NEWS The CDC is investigating a surge in cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) for 2018 and reported 38 confirmed cases in 16 states through September. Since that release, state health departments from Illinois, Washington, Texas, New Jersey, New York have each reported cases. Previously, Minnesota, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Illinois had reported cases from the beginning of 2018 through the present time. This appears to be an untick in cases compared to last year (2017) which reported a total...
IN THE NEWS There is a mail gathering & screening facility adjacent but separate from the Pentagon, used to screen all mail going to the Pentagon. It was built after 9/11 to prevent mail from entering the Pentagon that may be a danger to personnel or put the building at risk. On Monday, Oct 1, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which screens all the mail 24/7, detected a suspicious substance in two packages; one was addressed to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis...
A patient who normally lives in the Middle East, but traveled to England on Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight# SV123, on August 16, 2018, has been diagnosed with MERS-CoV infection after his/her arrival in England per Dr. Jenny Harries, the Deputy Medical Director for Public Health England. The person is believed to have contracted the illness while in the Middle East and it has not been released if *he was showing any symptoms while traveling. He initially was diagnosed and treated...
IN THE NEWS As of August 22, 2018, the number of those diagnosed or suspected of having Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) continues to increase and the death toll continues to rise as well. In fact, in the three (3) weeks since this outbreak was announced, the total number of cases, as well as the deaths, have surpassed the total seen in the eleven (11) weeks of the DRC Northwestern outbreak that ended July 25, 2018. Specifically, according to the World Health...
Very hot temperatures seem to be a frequent topic in the news and as people discuss the weather. Everyone who feels these temperatures can readily identify them and, when they are in the extremes, needs to take precautions when out in the weather. Stay hydrated, wear light colored, natural or wicking fabrics, use hats, sunscreen and umbrellas; seek out shade. Avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day; consider water or inside activities until the temperature has cooled...
Resources and links for first responders
