EMS News Briefs from Mike McEvoy

By EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Ph.D., NRP, RN, CCRN
NYSAFC EMS Committee

Stroke Centers' Outreach to EMS
The 120 Department of Health designated stroke centers in New York will be more actively engaging with EMS as a part of the CDC Coverdell program, a QI initiative to improve stroke care. Besides hospital notification by EMS, another component of the Coverdell initiative is recording last known well/symptom onset and other times. Read about the CDC initiative here. There’s money for stroke centers to work with EMS on improving their systems of care for stroke.

Substance Abuse Treatment
With the growing opioid crisis, firefighters and EMS providers are often asked for referrals to treatment programs. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services has created a nifty online Treatment Availability Dashboard accessible here.