Ambuglances ::: Region I's Official Newsletter

Floyd Medical Center EMS Named Service of the Year

Floyd Medical Center EMS was named the 2003 Georgia EMS Service of the Year at the annual Georgia EMS awards banquet at Unicoi State Park on April 30, 2003. Pictured above are Stanley Payne, EMS Director (extreme left) receiving the award from Lt. Governor Mark Taylor (extreme right). Also included are Floyd Medical Center EMS representatives (left to right) James Hovers, Tony Cooper, Stephen Phillips and David Young. Floyd Medical Center EMS has won the Region 1 EMS Service of the Year award on two occasions and FMC employees have won numerous regional and state awards. Congratulations to the FMC crew.

Events Scheduled for EMS week

Floyd Medical Center EMS is hosting an EMS week celebration on wednesday, May 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Rome Civic Center. Redmond Regional Medical Center EMS will also host an EMS week celebration on May 20 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the EMS headquarters next to Redmond Regional Medical Center. A free lunch will be provided to all EMS personnel. Games and music will also be provided.

New EMS Service Established in Gilmer County

Jackie Ellington is the owner and director of a new EMS service in Gilmer county. The service is Tri-County Ambulance LLC. Gilmer County EMS will remain the zoned 911 provider in Gilmer county. The new service is concentrating on interhospital transfers and non-emergency calls but will also respond to emergencies if contacted. Welcome to the Region.

Finally, EMS Grants for Terrorism Preparedness

Grants for licensed EMS services are now available to prepare for terrorism. A meeting was held in Calhoun on May 6 to acquaint services on completion of a survey and the grant applications. The deadline for the survey is May 20 and the deadline for the grant application is May 23. The survey should be mailed to Region 1 EMS and the grant proposal should be mailed to Robbie Westbrook at Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency.

EMS Instructor Pre-test Scheduled for June

The next EMS Instructor pre-test will be held on June 18 and 19 at Valdosta Technical College. The EMT instructor pre-test will be on June 18 and the paramedic instructor pre-test will be on June 19. The cost will be $100 and the deadline for applications is June 10, 2003. Questions should be submitted to Charles Benson at 404-679-0547.

EMS Information Stakeholders Meeting Scheduled

A grant has been obtained to establish a Georgia EMS information stakeholder group to develop a strategic plan for implementation of a state-wide EMS information system. The first meeting will be held on May 27, 2003 at 10:00 a.m. at the conference bay B at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The meeting is open to the public.

St. Simons EMS Conference Replaces Jekyll Island for 2003

The EMS Conference usually held at Jekyll Island will be held on St. Simons Island this year. The conference will be held at the Sea Palms Golf and Tennis Resort. It will feature the usual excellent speakers, ACLS competition, golf tournament and dancing the night away. The registration fee is $95 and the deadline for registration is August 1, 2003. Make your plans now to be there.

PHTLS Provider to be Held in Dalton

A pre-hospital trauma life support (PHTLS) provider course will be held at Hamilton Learning Center in Dalton on June 23-24. The cost will be $15. Contact Ken Ogles at 706-272-6509 or at kenogles@hhcs.org to register.

Pediatric BTLS Provider to be Held in Rome

A pediatric basic trauma life support (BTLS) provider course will be held in Rome at Floyd Medical Center University at Mount Berry Square Mall on July 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost will be $55 including the book. Contact Jim Cutcher at 706-295-6176 to register. The deadline for registration is July 1, 2003.

EMS-C Conference to be Held in Gainesville

The annual Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C) conference will be held at the Georgia Mountain Center in Gainesville, Georgia on June 11-12, 2003. The conference will feature a dance and many exhibits. Registration is $60 and the deadline is May 15.

New Ambulance Fee Schedule Website

The new ambulance fee schedule from the federal register may be viewed from our website: www.nwgaems.org/reference/frdoc039503.html.

HIPAA Laws Cause Revision of EMS Policies

The recent revisions in the federal privacy laws for patient confidentiality (HIPAA) have caused many services to revise their policies for release of confidential patient information. The office of EMS and regional offices have also reacted to these new laws by revising policies. I will present more information on where to obtain HIPAA information in the next issue.

Georgia EMS Awards Presented at Unicoi

Lt. Governor Mark Taylor was the featured speaker at the 2003 EMS Awards banquet at Unicoi Lodge near Helen, Georgia. I have posted the pictures of the event on the Region 1 website photo album. It is important to recognize our achievers at the local, regional, state and national levels. They do important work and they deserve it. Happy EMS week to your all.

Do you have a news story you would like published in Ambuglances? If so, let David Loftin know about it. He can be reached via telephone at (706) 295-6154 or via email at cdloftin@gdph.state.ga.us. Let's inform the region about your news!