How to assess and heal your stress-damaged relationships
A crowd-sourced educational stress management experience with Mike Taigman and Angela Leath for cops, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and correctional officers
JEMS – EMS Agencies Combat Patient Offload Delays Due to COVID-19
JEMS article – While offload delays aren’t a new hurdle for EMS, they have become increasingly challenging as COVID-19 cases rise. Hospitals at full capacity have led to ambulances waiting longer—in some cases for several hours—to complete patient handoffs. These delays and subsequent diversions can have a negative impact on patient care and limit the availability of emergency resources. In response, some EMS systems are implementing new processes and technology to combat the extended wait times.
EMS1 – ‘We’ve become numb:’ Combatting PPE fatigue
EMS1 article by Mike Taigman – More PPE training is unlikely to address PPE fatigue; here are 7 strategies that will
EMS1 – Closing the gap between EMS and inherent safety
EMS1 article by Mike Taigman – A framework to quality improvement initiatives to solve your safety challenges
EMS1 – Mike Taigman on EMS One-Stop With Rob Lawrence
Catch our own Mike Taigman chatting to Rob Lawrence. Mike discusses his 5-step wellness checkup, how to look after the welfare of others, as well as coping strategies, including his own journey into meditation.
EMS1 – A 5-step wellness checkup
Focus on the 9,000 things you can do, rather than the 1,000 you can’t and follow these tips to reduce stress.
AIMHI Webinar – High-Performance/High-Value Metrics Deep Dive: Financial Outcome Measures | Recording and Handout
Knowing your High-Performance/High-Value financial metrics like cost and revenue per response, per unit hour, and per transport are crucial. Further, changing payer mixes, payer policies and evolving service lines add to financial complexities. This webinar will focus on the development, tracking, and evaluation of the key financial performance metrics that will prepare you for the dynamic changes occurring in the EMS industry.
Patient-Centered QI and System Design
Most EMS systems claim to put the patient first, yet they still work 24-hour shifts, drive ambulances designed so that patients face the rear, and have QI systems that are not connected to the rest of the healthcare system. Facilitator Mike Taigman explored how to create a more patient- and people-centered EMS organization with Jeff Jarvis, MD, MS, EMT-P, medical director for Williamson County EMS and Marble Falls Area EMS; former paramedic and hospital executive Bill Atkinson, PhD, EMT-P; and Brian...
EMS1 – FirstWatch to host series of Conversations that Matter for leaders in EMS and public safety
EMS1 - On Thursday, October 1, FirstWatch is launching Conversations that Matter, a series of virtual roundtable discussions featuring leaders talking about some of the most important issues facing our professions. FirstWatch Improvement Guide Mike Taigman will facilitate, engaging the expert guest speakers and audience in dialogue to encourage information sharing and collaboration to help tackle tough problems.
JEMS – FirstWatch to Host Series of Conversations that Matter for Leaders in EMS and Public Safety
JEMS - On Thursday, October 1, FirstWatch is launching Conversations that Matter, a series of virtual roundtable discussions featuring leaders talking about some of the most important issues facing our professions. FirstWatch Improvement Guide Mike Taigman will facilitate, engaging the expert guest speakers and audience in dialogue to encourage information sharing and collaboration to help tackle tough problems.
EMS World – FirstWatch Launches Roundtable Series for EMS
EMS World - FirstWatch will launch a series of virtual roundtable discussions, open to the public, that focus on ways to use data and QI processes to improve people's health, the company announced.
Preparing for Seasonal Flu in a COVID-19 World
Fever, cough, difficulty breathing, body aches, chills. Sounds like the beginning of flu season—or maybe the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s likely to happen as we enter flu season during a pandemic? What can EMS systems do to set their employees and their system up to safely and effectively handle this combination? Mike Taigman, Improvement Guide at FirstWatch, facilitated a conversation with infectious disease expert Pam Farber, RN and Silvia Verdugo, MD, PhD, medical director of FirstWatch. Faculty: Mike Taigman,...
AIMHI Webinar – High-Performance High-Value Operational Outcome Measures
The need to optimize EMS operations has never been greater! Our profession is entering into one of the most challenging economic, clinical and human resources times in a generation. Maximizing operational effectiveness leads to economic efficiency, but must be balanced with employee satisfaction. Ken and Jimmy have mastered the art of using data and metrics to identify opportunities for operational enhancements and implementing them with a focus on the impact to employees. They have also been literally on the front lines...
Evidence Based Quality Measures – The key to making meaningful improvement
Ask a room full of 20 EMS leaders how they measure response time and you’ll get 25 different answers. Knowing what to measure, how to measure, and why to measure something in EMS is quite a challenge. Several national attempts to build standardized EMS quality measures in the past failed to gain significant momentum or lead to meaningful improvement, but a new effort hopes to succeed where others have struggled. Facilitator Mike Taigman discussed the next generation of performance measures with...
EMS1 – FirstWatch becomes 1st industry partner of the National EMS Quality Alliance
The technology company will support the NEMSQA's efforts to develop, test and validate quality measures for EMS.
EMS World – FirstWatch, NEMSQA Partner to Support Evidence-Based QI for EMS
FirstWatch, a technology and quality improvement company that supports public safety and healthcare organizations, has joined forces with the National EMS Quality Alliance to support its efforts to develop, test and validate quality measures for emergency medical services.
JEMS – FirstWatch and National EMS Quality Alliance Form New Partnership
FirstWatch, a technology and quality improvement company that supports public safety and healthcare organizations, has joined forces with the National EMS Quality Alliance to support its efforts to develop, test and validate quality measures for emergency medical services.
Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) August 2020
It is important to realize that this time, between August and November is the peak time for AFM. Furthermore, EMS Personnel and other First Responders should be aware of the signs and symptoms and other presentations of the syndrome, as well as how to further assess, monitor, stabilize/treat, and transport an individual (typically a child) with possible AFM. The inability to recognize and manage AFM appropriately, including transport to an appropriate hospital, may result in a worsening condition and potentially...
Latest Strategies on COVID-19 Mitigation On & Off Duty
Most Public Safety & First Responders, especially EMS and Fire that work around COVID often, are keen to decrease its transmission to themselves or others. And, recent studies and articles have suggested more ways to mitigate the risk of exposure, both on and off duty. View/Download the full update with links
Latest Data on COVID-19 Mitigation On & Off Duty Resources & Links
There are a lot of recently published scientific & observational studies, editorials, viewpoints, and more about both medical and lay person PPE. This includes predominantly masks & respirators, but also other mitigation strategies that have been moved beyond ‘might this help?’ to ‘likely some benefit’. In some cases, recommendations from international and national organizations & agencies, as well as industry organizations, have been made. Below, are some links to some of those documents. All of them provide good information, but...
