My own letter to Howard Cain

Mr. Cain,

I've been seeing you name in the media recently, and as a conservative, I'm enthusiastic about a conservative living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave again. As we are in the beginning of the process for 2012, I am nowhere near certain who to support at this point.

I was recently reading a post by David Cordera: http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-national/open-letter-to-herman-cain-on-the-right-to-keep-and-bear-arms
The post discusses your recent quote to Wolf Blitzer regarding your personal beliefs on the subject of "gun control.".

I'd like to see your response to Mr. Cordera's survey, so that as we enter primary season, I can see if I'm comfortable supporting you here in Pennsylvania.

Jon B.
Member: College Republicans, Firearm Owners Against Crime. Life Member, NRA.

EMS on the Hill – My Thoughts:

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC for the NAEMT's (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians) EMS on the Hill Day (http://www.naemt.org/advocacy/emsonthehillday/EMSontheHillDay.aspx) I was lucky enough to get a scholarship from NAEMT to cover my costs of attending... as a part time student, this was really the only way I could afford to go.

While I've been involved in political lobbying events at the State level before, I've never done anything at the Federal level. This event was VERY well orchestrated, and went very smoothly.

Arriving the evening before the activism day, we met in a meeting room at the host hotel and went over the 3 main issues we were discussing.

Issue #1 was the expansion of the current PSOB (Public Safety Officer's benefit) death benefit to include EMS providers from third-service non-profit agencies. Currently Firefighters, EMS Providers, and Police Officers employed by a municipal, state, or federal government agency are covered by the PSOB death benefit. House Bill 1668, the Danny McIntosh Emergency Medical Service Providers Protection Act (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d112:2:./temp/~bdfldE::), sponsored by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick from Bucks County, PA.

HB 1668 bears the name of Daniel McIntosh, a Paramedic from Bucks County who died in the line of duty last year on a call in Bucks County. Because he was working for a non-profit community EMS agency, he didn't qualify for the PSOB funds. Rep. Fitzpatrick's bill aims to close that loophole and give more emergency medical providers that coverage.

A photo of my group from the event with Rep. Fitzpatrick
(Rep. Fitzpatrick is 2nd from the left, I'm on the right)

We also discussed the Medicare Ambulance Access Preservation Act with our elected representatives, pushing for a mild increase in Medicare reimbursement. In these trying economic times, EMS agencies large and small rely on Medicare reimbursement more and more. For us in Pennsylvania, faced with loosing the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund from the state... we need to be able to make up that money somehow. The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has acknowledged that EMS is reimbursed below cost by Medicare. This act would increase EMS reimbursement for 5 years, hopefully giving the Government time to actually fix the Medicare reimbursement model to something MORE than just a transport model... we might actually get paid for the care we provide... not just as a transport service.

Finally, we were asking for an expansion of the currently approved 700mhz radio spectrum for Emergency Services to a 20mzh bandwidth with the addition of the D-Block 700mhz airspace. This will allow a national build-out of a broadband data network for Emergency Services across the US. Getting us off of aircards and national cell networks, and letting us have our own network where we can't interfere with other services. The downside to this is that the D-block airspace could go for 2.75 Billion at auction to a cell phone service. That's “real money” as the government attempts to balance the budget.

At the end of the day, we met back at the hotel for a reception where we got to compare notes and discuss our good and bad encounters. Then it was dinner with the EMS 2.0 crowd... that was a fun time.

I spent the next day touring DC – seeing the Capitol Visitor's center, and walking around the city on my own. Then I drove home. I really enjoyed the event... it was great seeing my good EMS 2.0 friends from Twitter: @MsParamedic, @Medic61, @WmRandomWard, @MedicSBK, and @TheHappyMedic. Further, I have applied for the NAEMT's new State Advocacy coordinator position... Looking to see where this goes from here.

The EMS 2.0 Bloggers present:

@MsParamedic: http://msparamedic.com
@Medic61: http://samtheemt.com/
@WmRandomWard: http://randomparamedicine.firstrespondersnetwork.tv/
@MedicSBK: http://medicsbk.com/
@TheHappyMedic: http://thehappymedic.com/

Anyway – It was a blast. Now I need to find an excuse to see them all again at EMS Expo in Vegas.

Monday, and a good mood!

Happy Monday! It’s 73 degrees, going up to 80+ today. I’m wearing shorts for the first time this year, and sitting in the office at the University. I’m supposed to be catching up on paperwork – my owed charts, and QA in general. The office door is open, and I can’t seem to focus. This weekend was nice overall. Worked as a Medic Saturday daytime – did 2 less than acute calls, including my first legitimate ALS release (never had a reason to before). Saturday night on the BLS squad, doing a “rent” shift, with the GF riding with me (she’s a member, too). It was miserable… 2 more patients that I like trying to throw up on me, and no real sleep. Slept in Sunday AM, then took the GF to the range for the first time ever… She tried my pistols (need to find something that better fits her hands), and I dropped the .22 conversion into the AR… she loved that. Then I had a meeting for Alpha Phi Omega at school… a late dinner with her, and she headed home. So, I’m in a good mood this week. School is over in a few weeks – that will be my first priority, to make sure I finish my class obligations. I’m trying to balance school, work, volunteer, and personal obligations, and I think I’m doing a better job than I have been. EMS on the Hill is in less than a month, and I can’t wait to see all my EMS 2.0 friends again. On the State side, House Bill 40 (Castle Doctrine) is supposed to go for its final vote in the State House today… then on to the Senate for their approval. We are getting there. Anyway – That’s all I’ve got for today!

Pins and Needles

I'm in a dark room, with a one-armed man. I'm trying to find an IV so I can give Nitro and Morphine for his chest pain... I search and search for a vein. I've got one, but it's resting on fatty tissue, with nothing to put tension against to hold it in place. I swing... and a miss. Clean the site and try the other side of the AC. Swing and a miss. Again... back at the first site. I get flash, but can't advance the catheter. I try to float it in. It blows. I swear in my head.

We load the patient up, and once in the truck, I find one more vein on the arm that I think I can get. I pray. I miss. I look at my partner and say “Just go”. I talk to the patient on the way to the hospital. Trying to keep his mind off things. It doesn't really work.

At the ER, we place the patient in bed. I explain that I can't get a line. The nurse looks at me and incredulously says “Are you a paramedic?” I doubt myself. I think I stole the patch and don't deserve to wear it. I say Yes, but inside I wonder.

After registering the patient, I peek in on my way out the door. The nurses are on try 4 or 5 themselves, with no more luck than I had. I walk out with my head just a little bit higher, recognizing that it wasn't JUST me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hate IV's in my own arms... it hurts. I cringe when I stick my patients. I don't dig for the vein, because that trick never works. I hate turning my patients into pincushions, but sometimes they have NOTHING for veins, and I'm desperate to get a line so I can push drugs to make them feel better.

EMS Today Recap

Life’s gotten very interesting this past month, and there have been some changes – mostly positive.

I’m still playing catch-up from EMS Today – Be it in my college class, sleep, or getting back into the saddle with work. I promised myself I’d blog more… and so I am trying.

EMS Today was amazing – I got to meet and/or re-connect with some great folks. And I actually added a blogroll of some of the best.

In addition to the core #CoEMS crew - @Setla, @SamBradley11, and @TheHappyMedic (http://happymedic.com/), I got to
A quick run-down:

Russell Stine / @HybridMedic, A firefighter/Paramedic and allaround good guy from Memphis: http://hybridmedic.com/

Scott Kier / @MedicSBK, a Paramedic Supervisor from Mass. We met in May 2010, and he was one of my first contacts into the wide world of #CoEMS on Twitter: http://2010ems.blogspot.com/

EpiJunky / @GingerMedic – A paramedic and great gal http://pinkwarmdry.com/

Kelly Grayson / @AmboDriver – A medic and author from Down South – Wish I’d had a chance to talk with him more: http://ambulancedriverfiles.com/

@MsParamedic – Because she’s awesome: http://msparamedic.com/

Chris Kaiser / @CKemtp – Some Guy That Writes Some really good Stuff: http://lifeunderthelights.com/

@Medic61 – http://samtheemt.com/

@MedicTrommashere – http://lookingthroughapairofpinkhandledtraumashears.com/

Kevin / @NJDiveMedic - http://njdivemedic.blogspot.com/

And if I missed you – My apologies – I met so many folks, and I’m sure I’m missing a few!