RURAL HEALTH COMMUNITY SYSTEMS

LEADERSHIP IN EMS

Winter 2000

THE NEW 2000 MISSION:

Rural Health Community Systems will facilitate access to quality emergency health care through innovative partnerships. Rural Health Community Systems will accomplish this community access through improvement in the three "T's:"

* Training
* Treatment
* Transport

Can We Talk?
Survey Results to be Reviewed

Some time ago you were asked to complete a survey sponsored by Rural Health Community Systems (formally Noyes/Davenport/Rural/Metro Health Network). Thank-you for taking the time out of your busy day to fill it in and send it back.

Those surveys gave us enough data to put together a composite or snap-shot of what you think the Emergency Medical Services in Steuben County looks like, and what direction it should be taking in this new century.

You were interested enough to fill out the survey so we think you would be interested enough to hear and see what the surveys had to say. Everett Ferguson, who coordinated the survey for us and a research scientist from JEMS, who crunched the numbers and developed the analysis put together some charts and graphs to illustrate your responses. The charts and graphs combine the answers from not only the Steuben County volunteers, but also the Livingston County volunteers.

We’re calling a meeting to show you the results and get your feedback.

Let’s call it an …
EMS Town Meeting
Date: Saturday February 26, 2000
Time: 10:15 am to 12:45 PM
Place: Wayland/Cohocton School Auditorium, 2350 Rte 63 Wayland, New York

If you think you are interested in coming, give Mike Sprague, at the Office of Emergency Services a call at 607-776-4099. Just so we have enough coffee for everyone. Come, bring your family and friends. (They’ve been wondering what this EMS thing is all about.)

Rural Health Community Systems:
What is that?

Rural Health Community Systems, formally Noyes/Davenport/Rural/Metro Health Network, came together over coffee. A group of people from several different agencies and organizations and hospitals sat down to discuss ways in which they could work together to improve accessibility to health care services in this rural area. Hospitals asking health and human service workers what their thoughts were on the subject of accessibility and individuals having direct impact on how health services are delivered, was pretty much unheard of not that long ago.

The group continued to meet and talk and think and finally committed to a formal structure from an established informal group in 1997. The CEO's at Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, Noyes Memorial Hospital and Rural/Metro Medical Services established a “Rural Health Network.”

It was known as the Noyes/Davenport/Rural/Metro Health Network and was an association of nonprofit and proprietary corporations, public agencies and individuals providing health care and related services in central Steuben County New York State. Coming together in a collaborative forum to address common health services issues, the anchor members are Noyes Memorial Hospital, Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital and Rural/Metro Medical Services. Additional members include the New York State Police, Steuben County Sheriff's Department, Volunteers from local EMS corps, American Red Cross, Steuben County Office for the Aging, Office of Emergency Management, Youth Bureau and the Livingston County EMS Coordinator.

The New York State Department of Health, Office of Rural Health allocated a Rural Health Development Grant to this group. The members changed the name in 1999 to the Rural Health Community Systems to reflect its expanding mission and membership. They were able to execute the plan embodied in the first mission statement. The member agencies each contribute to the ongoing subsistence of the network.

There has been a major change in the geographic service area. The rural health network now covers the service area of all Steuben County and the environs of Allegany, Livingston, Orleans and others countries as partnerships can be built.



A Letter to You

To All EMS Providers,

OCALS and Thompson Health would like to take this opportunity to thank all of your for your time and input by completing the EMS survey for our Ambulance Services. The input given by you and your neighbors will provide the two Rural Health Networks, Rural Health Community Systems in Steuben
County and Genesee Valley Health Network in Livingston County, information for needed projects to benefit you and your service.

I look forward to seeing you at the EMS Town Meeting that will be held on Saturday February 26, 2000, from 10:15 am to 12:45 PM at the
Wayland/Cohocton School Auditorium, 2350 Rte 63, Wayland, NY. Please save the date.

Continue your positive efforts for your neighbors’ Emergency Medical Services needs. You are all appreciated.

Sincerely,

Everett R. Ferguson
Executive Director, Ontario County Advanced Life Support, Inc.


PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION and YOU!

This rural health network would like to work with you to ensure greater public availability of people trained on the use of an Automatic External Defibrillator or AED. If you and your friends and family, or club or church would like to put together a group of people who would participate in this five hour training program, call network member Candi Thompson, at the American Red Cross in Corning, 607-936-3766


Congratulations to JEMS
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the mission of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services remains to inform, educate and challenge the women and men dedicated to helping those who are trapped, lost, hurt or ill. JEMS will always represent the needs of patients and those who care for them. On this special occasion, they have reaffirmed to continue raising the standards for print journalism and educational events in emergency medical services.


Issues to be addressed at the EMS Town Meeting
* Increasing Call Volumes
* Demographics of the Community
* Change in the Health Care System
* Competition for Volunteer Time
* Changing Jobs Market
* High Turnover of Members
* Increased Training Hours, Community Expectations and Regulation
* Response Times vs. Patient Outcomes in EMS
* And many, many more.



R.H.C.S Board of Directors

EMS Across the Nation

Rural Health Community Systems has been specifically identified as a rural health network that is making a substantial contribution to improving EMS Services for rural Americans. Recently, a network representative and the Network Consultant were invited to participate in a Rural EMS Leadership Conference: Integrating EMS Into Rural Systems, in Washington, D.C. The Network plans call for integrating Emergency Medical Services education into the local schools, developing a youth oriented EMS project in partnership with local squads, provide CPR-D training for business, education and community people, and responding to the community’s emergency educational needs. Areas of special interest to the network are:

1. PUBLIC ACCESS, TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

2. MEDICAL DIRECTION AND CLINICAL CARE

3. INFORMATION SERVICES, EVALUATION AND EMS RESEARCH

4. SYSTEM FINANCE

5. EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND HUMAN RESOURCES

6. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PREVENTION

NEVER BE AFRAID OF CHANGE.
BE AFRAID OF NOT CHANGING.