NYMedics

One can argue that your petition cannot be taken seriously as you include no references (data) to support the benefits of changing the current system. If this is a serious proposal please share hard numbers with us. As an aside, the current minimum requirement for clinical rotation is 10 hours not one shift as you report. This type of technical error in your proposal may cause your reader to "thin slice" you and your suggestions. Changing policy in NYS (and other places) is difficult and challenging by design. The State has specific committees and subcommittees that handle these tasks (see below). Often, one needs to direct the issue to a specific person or Chair of the committee or subcommittee. Have you sent a well composed letter to the SEMSCO Education and Training Subcommittee? Are you planning to attend one on the public meetings in 2011 to present your case? If not, you should start first by picking one issue, compose your argument and include data with financial savings to the State, and practice, practice, practice for your 15 minute presentation (if they call). Good Luck! References: State Emergency Medical Services Council SEMSCO is an advisory body to the Commissioner of Health in areas of concern involving EMS. SEMSCO's charge and statutory authority can be found in Article 30 Section 3002 of the Public Health Law. The Bureau provides staff and financial assistance to SEMSCO. SEMSCO assists the DOH in providing leadership and developing rules, regulations and general guidelines for operation of the state's EMS system. SEMSCO holds public meetings six time a year. Its membership is comprised of a representative from each of the regional EMS councils, and representatives from various organizations and interests in the EMS community. The Commissioner of Health appoints all council members. There are several subcommittees of SEMSCO. Each subcommittee has a defined purpose and brings motions to SEMSCO for action. The subcommittees are the structural underpinnings of SEMSCO. The committees research issues in their areas of concern that come before SEMSCO, and make recommendations to SEMSCO on how to proceed. The Education and Training subcommittee addresses issues involving certification and recertification of EMS providers including the certification exam issues. The subcommittee reviews course objectives, curricula, conduct, clinical requirements and scope of practice for all EMS providers. Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO) The charge and authority of REMSCO can be found in Article 30 Section 3003 of the Public Health Law. Each REMSCO is comprised of representatives from local ambulance services, physicians, nurses, hospitals and other EMS organizations. The county EMS Coordinator serves as an ex-officio member of REMSCO. The primary function of the REMSCO is to encourage and facilitate regional cooperation and organization of local EMS systems. The REMSCO is the local provider's direct link to SEMSCO and the Bureau of EMS.

The Pilot Program is in place. The reporting offered to JEMS readers is found here. However, the article is largely inaccurate and has inflammed most if not all lay people and EMS personnel. Here is my response to that article: With a career spanning over twenty years in the NYC EMS 9-1-1 system as an EMT/paramedic, and for the last 6 years, a manager for a non-profit Transplant and Recovery Organization, I have a unique perspective of how Organ, Tissue and Eye donation improves the quality of life of recipients. I am also aware of the traumatic effect at-home resuscitation and terminations have on all involved. I believe donation has the ability to offer a positive outcome from a tragic loss. In her article, NY Organ Recovery Expands To At-Home Deaths, Samantha Gross, reports on a recent collaboration between the New York Organ Donor Network, and various NYC Municipal Agencies implemented to save lives through failed resuscitations in the field. Although somewhat informative, the reporting is ridden with inaccuracies and may be more harmful to the EMS and Organ, Tissue and Eye donation community than helpful. I find it unfortunate for Ms Gross to include the following quote by Dr. Hasan Yersiz, director of organ procurement at the University of California Los Angeles. "You have somebody dying and you have to make that decision very fast. It's not an easy situation", she reports. Clearly, participants in this program will be declared dead (10-83 D or 10-83 NR) prior to any decision to move forward with screening and determining donation eligibility. This statement will only raise additional concerns that appropriate lifesaving measures will not be encouraged. Ms. Gross reports that, "In the U.S., a person must register as a donor - in New York State it's almost always done through the DMV - and family must also consent to the procedure after death." Although Ms. Gross is correct in reporting the most popular method in New York State is through the Department of Motor Vehicles, however she generalizes critical facts on donation that are required only by the NYC pilot program. Indeed, more needs to be done to increase the number of donors in NYC and elsewhere. Whether a retrofitted ambulance advertising "Organ Preservation Unit" is appropriate is up for debate. What NYC does not need is another emergency vehicle. However, staying on message and reporting accurate and truthful information is vital. Should you wish to read proper reporting of this pilot program please read the NPR version http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131717016 Your thoughts?