April 2016
Monthly Newsletter

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pediatric Healthcare Heroes

Do you know someone that goes above and beyond for children or has done something extraordinary for a child?  If so, please nominate that pediatric healthcare hero!  iEMSC will be taking nominations all year long for the amazing work that happens on behalf of children all over the State of Indiana. Please make your nomination today!  All nominations will be considered for the 2016 Healthcare Heroes Awards breakfast.  You can nominate your healthcare hero by completing this nomination form and then emailing it to Courtney VanJelgerhuis at courtney.vanjelgerhuis@indianapolisems.org
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PEDIATRIC ADVOCATE CORNER

This section or our newsletter is focused on highlighting information from the Pediatric Readiness Survey that our emergency departments participated in during 2014.  Results for Indiana, as well as nationally, demonstrate that there is a real need for us to improve our readiness to care for children.  The EMSC National Resource Center has created a Pediatric Readiness Toolkit to assist emergency departments with this process (download this toolkit by clicking on the checklist above).  

Pediatric Patient Safety

Improving pediatric patient safety is important to improving your facilities pediatric readiness.  The Pediatric Readiness Toolkit provides you with important resources to help you get started with your pediatric patient safety plan.  The toolkit contains information on: 
  • EBroselow System Information - medication dosing system;
  • Pediatric Resuscitation and Emergency Medications - Excel Calculator;
  • Quick Reference Code Cards; and
  • Key Points on Medication Dosing Errors.
To access these tools please visit the Pediatric Readiness Toolkit by clicking   here.



SPECIAL INTEREST

Bike Safety
 
The weather is getting warmer, the kids are itching to get outside and ride like the wind!  But biking can be a dangerous activity.  According to Safekids.org "more children ages 5 to 14 are seen in emergency rooms for injuries related to biking than any other sport".  So before the kids head outside please remember these important, life saving bicycle safety tips!
  • Wear a Helmet! - wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of severe head injury by 88%. Make sure your helmet fits properly. For more information on helmet fit please click here
  • Ride with Traffic - stay as close to the right as possible
  • Make Eye Contact with Drivers - make sure the drivers are aware of the bike rider
  • Wear Reflective Clothing - this is especially important when riding at dusk or after dark
  • Supervise Riders - nothing takes the place of your supervision of your bike rider
***Make sure to check out the Riley Bike Fair!! At the bike fair children will be property fit for a free helmet and learn more about bike safety!  The fair will take place on May 5, 2016 from 4-7pm at the Indianapolis Children's Museum, 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208


Remember the Road Rules
If you're allowed to ride on the street, follow these road rules:
  • Always ride with your hands on the handlebars.
  • Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving your driveway, an alley, or a curb.
  • Cross at intersections. When you pull out between parked cars, drivers can't see you coming.
  • Walk your bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.
  • Ride on the right-hand side of the street, so you travel in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.
  • Use bike lanes or designated bike routes wherever you can.
  • Don't ride too close to parked cars. Doors can open suddenly.
  • Stop at all stop signs and obey traffic (red) lights just as cars do.
  • Ride single-file on the street with friends.
  • When passing other bikers or people on the street, always pass to their left side, and call out "On your left!" so they know that you are coming.



Hand Signals
Easy to learn hand signals!

http://Image credit: http://nymblog.com/bike-commuting-101-rules-of-the-road/hand-signals-2


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EDUCATION AND  PEDIATRIC RELATED EVENTS


Upcoming Courses:
  • Reminder events happening in April:
  • National Youth Violence Prevention Week - April 3-6, 2016
  • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
  • National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
  • Sexual Assualt Awareness and Prevention Month
  • Indiana School Nurse Emergency Care Course
    Indiana EMSC and the Indiana Department of Education are pleased to announce the Indiana School Nurse Emergency Care course. This course is a hybrid course with an online portion to be completed prior to attending a one-day in-person training that will take place in the summer of 2016.  
     
    Online training modules include topics such as:
    • The School Nurse Role in Emergency Care
    • Legal Issues in Nursing
    • Assessment and Triage
    • Medical Emergencies
    • Abdominal and Genitourinary Emergencies
    • EENT and Dental Emergencies
    • Emergencies Involving Mental or Behavioral Health
    • School Emergency Response and Crisis Management
     
    To register for this course, please click here
     
  • Training: ASIST Training - April 16, 2016
    During the two-day interactive session, participants learn to intervene and help prevent the immediate risk of suicide. Over 1,000,000 people world-wide have taken this workshop, and studies have proven that the ASIST method helps reduce suicidal feelings for those at risk. Anyone age 16 or older, regardless of prior experience or training, can become an ASIST-trained caregiver.  Workshop features:
  • Presentations and guidance from two LivingWorks registered trainers
  • A scientifically proven intervention model
  • A balance of challenge and safety
  • Skills practice and development
  • Group discussions
  • National Child Passenger Safety Certification. Child car seats reduce the risk of injury by 71% yet 73% of child restraints are used incorrectly and one-third of children are not using any type of restraint whatsoever. One way to help ensure that car restraints are being used correctly is to become a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST) through Safe Kids Worldwide ( http://cert.safekids.org/become-tech ). This is a four day course with three quizzes, three skills assessments and one car seat clinic. It is open to anyone who would like to become a technician. With the fee of $85 to sign up for the class, you are provided with a workbook that is essential to learning how to become a technician. Getting certified may be time-intensive but it is worth it when provided families the education they need to protect their child's future.    
     
  • Free Pediatric Online Training
  • FREE TRAINING - The Center for Global Health at the Colorado School of Public Health Online Pediatrics in Disasters Course
    Although a quarter of the world's population is under the age of five, 50 percent of the victims of man-made and natural disasters are children. Children are vulnerable in disasters for physiological, psychological and developmental reasons. Too often medical staff are ill-prepared for pediatric triage and emergency stabilization in terms of knowledge and experience, as well as equipment and supplies. The Pediatrics in Disaster training program trains health care providers to prioritize life-saving care for children in disasters. Because of the vulnerability of children and adolescents, pediatricians and other health professionals must ensure that local, regional and national disaster preparedness planning meets the specific needs of children and adolescents.  Click here to register
The conference is a call to action for attendees to apply innovative and evidence-based strategies to injury prevention programming to prevent injury morbidity and mortality in Indiana. The main objectives of this conference are to provide a forum for Indiana's injury prevention workforce to foster collaboration and communication and to facilitate the development and sharing of ideas for injury prevention planning, evaluation, education, research, and other related initiatives.
Who Should Participate?
  • injury prevention coordinators and specialists
  • program managers
  • health educators at hospitals and trauma centers
  • injury researchers
  • injury specialists at other organizations, and
  • first responders (EMS and fire)

 

Contact Information:

Program Director:
Elizabeth Weinstein, M.D.

Program Manager:
Courtney VanJelgerhuis

3930 Georgetown Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46254
courtney.vanjelgerhuis@indianapolisems.org
(317) 630-7888