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TO: Regional Emergency Medical Service Councils Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee EMS Providers
FROM: Ryan P. Greenberg, Director Steven P. Dziura, Deputy Director
SUBJECT: Cardiac Arrest Standards of Care During the COVID19 Pandemic
DATE: April 23, 2020

________________________________________________

The guidance issued by the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems on April 17, 2020 titled “COVID 19 Public Health EMS Cardiac Arrest Standards of Care” has been rescinded by DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.

The guidance proposed by physician leaders of the EMS Regional Medical Control Systems and the State Advisory Council – in accordance with American Heart Association guidance and based on standards recommended by the American College of Emergency Physicians and adopted in multiple other states – reflected nationally recognized minimum standards.

However, after further review, it has been determined that these standards are not necessary and for that reason DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker has ordered them to be rescinded.

Effective immediately, all New York State EMS agencies and providers are directed to follow the New York State standard EMS Statewide Adult and Pediatric Treatment Protocols for the treatment of patients in cardiac arrest.

Download COVID-19 Cardiac Arrest Standards of Care Rescinded – Memo 04.23.20

To: Western New York EMS Providers & Medical Directors

From: Michael O’Brien, MD, FACEP, CCEMT-P Chair, Western Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee

Date: April 20, 2020

Re: URGENT – “The COVID-19 Public Health Emergencies EMS Cardiac Arrest Standard of Care”

We anticipate that the New York State guidance document entitled, “The COVID-19 Public Health Emergencies EMS Cardiac Arrest Standard of Care,” will be modified by the state shortly.

Agencies should notify their providers to delay implementation of this guidance until further notice.

This standard was built as a crisis guideline. As of the date of this memo, the EMS Medical Directors on the WREMAC do not feel our region meets a community crisis standard. The WREMAC will issue new guidance on cardiac arrest management in the near future.

Providers should continue managing cardiac arrest in accordance with existing NYS Collaborative Protocols and agency practices.

We have requested that the REMACs be granted the ability to activate this guidance document in the future, should the need arise.

Download URGENT WREMAC Advisory – Cardiac Arrest Protocol Update

TO:               Emergency Medical Service Providers
FROM:        Ryan P. Greenberg, Director and Steven P. Dziura, Deputy Director
SUBJECT:  Cardiac Arrest Standard of Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
DATE:         April 17, 2020

Effective immediately, all levels of the NYS Department of Health Certified Emergency Medical Services Providers (i.e., Certified First Responder through Paramedic level) must use the attached protocol. Please note that this protocol:

 Applies only to patients older than 18 years of age;

 Contains changes that are based on well-accepted, widely published evidence, and are widely agreed upon by the physician leaders of Emergency Medical Service Regional Medical Control Systems across New York State; and

 Reflects recommended revisions which pre-date the COVID-19 public health emergency and have been successfully used in many areas of the US, as well as other locations throughout the world.

Download NYS Protocol – Cardiac Arrest Standards of Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The laboratories at Kaleida Health are offering COVID-19 testing for first responders.  To get tested, call the Coronavirus Hotline: (716) 859-3222.  Testing is available 7 days/week from 7am – 7pm.

The NYSDOH Bureau of EMS has updated the Vital Signs Academy calendar and there are many great CME opportunities upcoming. Be sure to visit vitalsignsacademy.com/and register the these free webinars.

To register, click on each event in the calendar and proceed to the WebEx registration link.

https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3efe93c2e49a313d0c609775328b7ac2

John W. MacMillan, M. Ed., NRP, CIC

Unit Chief – Investigations and Education

Emergency Medical Services

New York State Department of Health

Bureau of Emergency Medical Services & Trauma Systems

875 Central Avenue

Albany, NY 12206

Ph: 518-402-0996

Fx: 518-402-0985

EMS Agency Leadership Conference Call Information

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

15:00 hrs

Host: Peter Brodie (peter.brodie@health.ny.gov)
Event number (access code): 619 617 205
Event password: Covid-19

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 3:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)

Event address for attendees: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e25cd7f115474b7e2f5dc260ee1e63d87

Program: COVID-19 EMS Agency Update
Program address: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?PRID=a4f8f0b98ae2c467c4f50714977b0c26
Program registration password: The program has no registration password

Start event

Audio conference information
To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the event, or call the number below and enter the access code.
1-518-549-0500 Local
1-844-633-8697 US Toll Free
Toll-free dialing restrictions

The Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems invites EMS Agency Leadership and EMS Providers for a direct conversation with the leadership of the Bureau regarding the current EMS system and our operational concerns.  Please encourage all interested EMS agency leaders and EMS providers to complete the online form to express interest in receiving an invitation to the meeting:  https://apps.health.ny.gov/pubpal/builder/survey/ems-agency-leadership-and-ems-pr

Any questions are still submitted through the current survey:  https://apps.health.ny.gov/pubpal/builder/survey/nys-covid-19-response-ems-agency

Thank you!

Peter L. Brodie, BS, AEMT

Deputy Chief, Data and Informatics Unit

EMS Data Manager

Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems

New York State Department of Health

875 Central Avenue

Albany, New York 12206

I am pleased to report that we implemented a system-wide update to the UBMD EMS Portal last evening.  This update extended everyone’s EMS certification date by 1 year to align with the recent extension by the NYS BEMST.  This will allow provider certification notifications to function in accordance with the user’s settings, given the new expiration date.  Further, the update minimizes conflicting information which could cause confusion regarding the extension.

Many have asked if they will be receiving a new certification card?  The most recent answer from the NYS BEMST is “yes” – eventually.  Please keep in mind there are over 60,000 certified EMS providers in NYS whose certification expiration date was extended.  It will take time to process this number of cards.

If anyone needs verification of certification for employment purposes, please have your prospective employer check your updated certification expiration date in the NYS Health Commerce System (HCS).

Sincerely,

UBMD EMS Division