Archive for October, 2009

I loved Halloween as a kid. I was Boba Fett two years in a row, because that was back before Darth Vader was cool (or on Twitter). I also went through a period of my mother’s homemade costumes just like everyone else I know.

Those homemade costumes cost $30 or less. Reko Rivera and John Savio spent over $2000 and 2 years to make their costumes:

Working iPhone costumes. What’s next? I almost don’t want to know… unless it is a working Master Chief costume.

I’d buy that one.

NBC has virtually declared Trauma, their new season medical drama about San Francisco Paramedics, as officially deceased. The network announced that they would not be ordering any additional episodes past the original 13 already produced and that there are no second season plans.

When the show was first announced it was the recipient of skepticism, before the premiere it was the subject of industry leader criticism, and then it premiered with great fanfare but quickly came under the guns from pretty much everyone else… even Hitler hated Trauma.

I can’t say I blame NBC considering they pretty much listened to what the majority of our profession had to say about the show including the Association of Air Medical Services and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. So what this means is that after the 13 episodes are aired, Trauma will go to the archives just like Saved… and once again there will be no television show representing EMS on the air to the general public.

But is this a good thing?

I don’t think so. I also don’t think that the inaccuracy problem with Trauma was necessarily the fault of the writers either. I think we, as a profession, have to take ownership of the perception we provide to the public and Hollywood writers. Until we do that we will never see a true representation of EMS in entertainment.

To date, Bringing Out the Dead is the truest depiction of the industry out there. Considering that it takes place in the early to mid 1990’s during the crack wars in one of the roughest areas to work in NYC, I think it’s about time we got something that is a little more updated.

Hopefully we’ll start changing the perception others have of us ourselves and be a little less critical and more constructive the next time Hollywood tries to represent us.

Source: TV Series Finale and thanks to NKCoverGrrl for the heads up

Related articles by Zemanta

• Goodbye Trauma (tvsquad.com)
• NBC’s Trauma might just live up to its title (tvsquad.com)
• NBC commits to more Community, Parks and Mercy (tvsquad.com)

Great article from Kelly Grayson: EMS 2.0: Critical Thinking in Prehospital Training.

See what happens when I go down to Florida for a few days in the interest of my own mental health? Sanity suddenly strikes the New York State Department of Health regarding the influenza vaccination mandate.

Last week New York State Commissioner of Health Richard F. Daines, MD submitted a letter regarding the previous influenza vaccine mandation for healthcare workers. He opens the letter by suspending the mandatory vaccination:

In August 2009 the State Hospital Review and Planning Council (SHRPC) adopted on an
emergency basis 10 NYCRR Subpart 66-3, requiring certain health care facility personnel to be vaccinated with influenza vaccines. I am writing to inform you of my determination pursuant to Section 66-3.2 of those regulations that supplies of seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines are not adequate and that such vaccines are not reasonably available. Therefore, I hereby suspend the requirement for the health care personnel to be vaccinated against both influenza viruses for the current influenza season (through April 1, 2010).

This suspension means that the temporary restraining order against the mandatory vaccinations is a mute point. While the scheduled October 30 hearing may still happen, the results those lawsuits have sought has already happened. What that hearing may however effect is this part of the letter from Dr. Daines:

The current emergency regulation mandating influenza vaccinations for health care workers will expire on November 11, 2009, and a second emergency regulation would not have the desired effect during the current H1N1 influenza season or the expected seasonal outbreaks expected later this year and in early 2010. Therefore, no new emergency regulations will be promulgated. Instead, the DOH is advancing a permanent regulation requiring health care personnel in these settings to be vaccinated. Draft regulations will be published soon for a period of public comment.

So while the mandate will not be enforced this year… they are looking to make it a permanent policy probably in time for next year.

The vaccine manufacturers are no doubt rejoicing.

Download: NYS DOH Letter

Related articles by Zemanta

• Manditory H1N1 Vaccine For NY Health Workers Suspended (science.slashdot.org)
• New York Ends Flu Shot Mandate for Health Care Workers (blogs.wsj.com)
• State reverse mandatory vaccines (timesunion.com)
• Trouble getting seasonal flu shots for your kids? (timesunion.com)

I just got back from a 4 day jaunt in Florida where I gathered with some of the most elite and cutting edge social media minds from the United States and Canada. Discussions ranged on everything from net neutraility, to third party commenting systems, to the better Cold Stone Creamery ice cream flavor, and finally culminating in an alien themed Halloween soiree’ the likes that are only seen once a year.

One of the things that I was asked about was the current state of the EMS Blogosphere with the recent launch of the blog network FireEMSBlogs.com. To be honest, I really hadn’t given it a lot of thought… but while I am pondering it here are some blog posts from some EMS Bloggers:

• Kelly Grayson has an interesting Wet Blanket approach to EMS 2.0. No one like being the wet blanket… but everyone likes a blanket party…
• Steve Whitehead has a great post about Chest Pain transport times.
• Rogue Medic is not just known for his elaborate yet simple posts on improving the patient experience but also for responding to comments in a similar fashion, such as this post regarding the Constitution…

And finally…

• Even though he isn’t technically an EMS Blogger, The Fire Critic has a great post on leadership that can be applied to any service…

Have a safe week…