Team Pulsara

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Marianne Meyers, BS, for EMS1 BrandFocus. 

__

Preparation, vigilance and taking care of your mental health will be key strategies as we move forward

As 2021 begins, COVID-19 vaccines have recently been approved, and it appears that the beginning of the pandemic’s end is in sight. That said, we are still experiencing large spikes throughout the country, and hospitals and EMS systems are under immense strain.

We aren’t quite on the other side, but we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here are 10 things we’ve learned from the pandemic that can help improve other areas of EMS response:

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Sarah Calams of EMS1 BrandFocus. 

__

Telehealth applications can help expand the reach of out-of-hospital care to save more lives

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare and EMS providers have found themselves relying on technology more than ever before.

Summer blockbusters may have been cancelled, but this year, we've gotten to see what it truly means to be a superhero. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and emergency responders of every kind stepped up to take care of others. They’ve chosen to be there for us in our hour of need, sacrificing their own health, safety, and even the ability to go home to be with their families at the end of long, scary, and difficult shifts. That’s the true definition of heroism. 

To celebrate these healthcare heroes, Marvel Comics partnered with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pennsylvania to help tell the stories of these real-life heroes. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Michael Fraley of EMS1 BrandFocus. 

__

Take control of the situation and establish command as soon as possible to start triaging and transporting patients

Much has been written over the years about responding to and managing “The Big One.” The list of all the articles and books about mass casualty incident management is a long one.

Every year, we conduct tabletop drills and full-scale exercises, tearing apart retired school buses and carrying high school drama students from the “scene” and around the block to the EMS station, where they are thanked with a free lunch.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Bet Martin for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

__

Real talk: COVID-19 has changed the way most of us live our lives. For my family, it has meant a lot of lifestyle changes. 

Working from home during the pandemic has been a great opportunity, but also at times a real challenge. It has been a blessing in the sense that I’ve gotten to be home with my school aged children. I get to spend more time with them, watching them grow and learn. I've been able to do more fun things with them, like go on nature walks. 

On the other hand, attempting to be productive at work with two young kids at home got really interesting, really fast.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Sarah Calams of EMS1 BrandFocus. 

__

Telehealth applications can help expand the reach of out-of-hospital care to help EMS and hospital providers deliver better patient care, faster

With today’s advanced technology, anyone can use their smartphone, tablet, or computer to connect via real-time video to talk with anyone around the world.

Yet, in the healthcare system, video streaming has remained static, convoluted, and complicated.

EDITOR'S NOTE:This article originally appeared on EMS1.com. Special thanks to our guest author, Michael Fraley of EMS1 BrandFocus. 

__

It is probably safe to say that as long as humans have been sharing space with each other, there has always been some level of conflict. Struggles between coworkers can come from competition, innovation or a desire for improvement. Handled incorrectly, though, that conflict can also lead to inefficiencies, stagnation and harm to all parties involved.

Near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, I found myself in a conversation with a friend. We shared our concerns about the days ahead, talking about how we were going to handle the kids learning from home and discussing whether she was putting her family at risk by continuing to practice clinically. 

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. As we reflect on the year, a lot has changed, and there have been many hurdles to overcome. Through it all, though, there are many silver linings that we here at Team Pulsara are grateful for.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Scott Stanley for writing today's blog post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Last night, my wife and I were joyfully binge watching one of our favorite shows when the power went out. There was no inclement weather; just a sky full of stars. It did, however, leave us in a pitch-black living room. I stood from the couch where we were sitting, walked into the kitchen, and retrieved a flashlight. I did this without being able to see anything, and, more importantly, without injury to any of my toes. I didn't even bump into a wall, despite not being able to see a thing. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Greg Brown, MN, RN, for writing today's blog post. You can connect with him on LinkedIn. 

Emergencies don't slow down for nights and weekends. What can we do to improve outcomes for patients admitted during off hours? 

If you’ve ever done long shift work in the hospital setting, you know how taxing it can be. Being on for a long stretch is both mentally and physically exhausting. When that work falls on off hours, those stressors are magnified. Working nights and weekends adds an immense layer of complexity to already high-risk situations. Emergencies don’t slow down after hours. STEMIs, traumas, and codes all arrive during the night, just the same as during the day; but with less staff present and fewer resources, you also have to deal with calling in all the necessary members of the care team. 

BOZEMAN, Mont., Nov. 10, 2020 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth and communication platform that connects healthcare teams across organizations, announced today that the company has received the Business Intelligence Group’s BIG Award for Business and was named a 2020 Small Business Product of the Year Winner. First launched in 2012, the BIG Awards for Business awards program globally recognizes and rewards companies, products, and people that are leading their respective industries. With this award recognition, Pulsara stands alongside other leading-edge companies such as past winners AT&T, ADP, and UnitedHealthcare. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Kate Leatherby for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

__

As healthcare professionals, we spend so much time caring for the health and well being of others that we often overlook the importance of caring for ourselves. I can think back to the days when I was full time on the ambulance, working very busy 24 hour shifts. For many years, I put my health and well being on the back burner. Sleep during 24 hour shifts was scarce, especially at busy stations, and eating healthy always seemed to take more effort than grabbing something heavily processed from the gas station or fries from a fast food joint. Coffee was my best friend and caffeine became a way for me to suppress my body’s natural cues that I needed time to rest and repair. During the 7 year period I was full-time on the ambulance, I also responded to some of the most mentally draining calls of my 18-year career in EMS.

BOZEMAN, Mont., Oct. 28, 2020 — Pulsara, the leading mobile telehealth and communication platform that connects healthcare teams across organizations, announced today that the company’s product Pulsara PATIENT has been honored as a 2020 EMS World Innovation Awards Winner. As one of the most prominent voices in the prehospital emergency medical services community, EMS World employs the Innovation Awards program to recognize the industry’s most groundbreaking products of the year. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Jessie Senini for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

TRAUMA: Radio Report

A One-Act Play by Jessie Senini

Unit 3245 has responded to a motorcycle accident with two injured persons in the dead of night on a suburban road. Patient One is unresponsive, while Patient Two is alert but with severe injuries. Both are critical. With the update information from the bystander, dispatch is also calling out a second unit for the other patient, and fire is already responding to the scene. The location does not meet criteria for a helicopter (the ground units will be faster) and everyone is lights and sirens to get there.

JACKSON, Miss., Sept. 30, 2020 — Healthcare entities across the state have experienced declines in patient numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many patients delaying or avoiding life-saving treatment for serious conditions such as stroke or heart attack over fears of the virus.