Monthly News & Updates
Please join us in welcoming Megan Petrucelli to the CT EMSC Team!
Megan joined our team as the new Program Coordinator for EMSC in the State of CT on March 1, 2021. Megan is a board certified emergency RN with her Master’s in Public Health Nursing.  She is also an EMT with EMS Instructor (EMSI) credentials and experience. Megan has worked for Emergency Departments in her home state of Massachusetts as well as here in Connecticut, and continues to volunteer as an EMT in Fire and EMS services. She brings over 18 years of experience in both roles, as well as a background in school nursing and pediatric primary care. She is no stranger to CTEMSC, having served as an active participant at our advisory board meetings, as well as instructing at hospital simulations and Pediatric Education for the Prehospital Professional (PEPP) courses. Megan is passionate about pediatrics and teaching; and is looking forward to offering continued training opportunities to ensure that all children receive appropriate emergency medical care, whether in a pre-hospital or a hospital setting. She will also be working closely with our Family Advisory Network (FAN) and is looking at ways to educate parents and caregivers in keeping children safe.  Megan will be reaching out to schedule meet and greets, and to see where CTEMSC may best be of assistance across the state. Please be on the lookout for her emails.

Please feel free to reach out to Megan as well.  We are thrilled to have such a dedicated nurse, EMT, and educator join our team, and know that she will continue to champion for Pediatric Readiness in Connecticut and those who provide that care. Welcome Megan!
Upcoming Events
EMS World Spring - Ready to Recert
March 3-5
Click the link if you are interested in registering

CTEMSC Quarterly Advisory Meeting
March 16th 9:00-10:30am
Join Zoom https://zoom.us/j/98242174333?pwd=dVdMVXVlYW5rb1RaUWl5WVpIZnBkUT09
Meeting ID: 982 4217 4333
Passcode: 596144

RN ECHO Series
March 17th at 9am
Allotted spots are filled at this time
Project ECHO is underway!
We are heading into our 3rd of a six-part series in Pediatric Tips and Tricks for Emergency Medicine nurses. We have covered pediatric readiness, triage, and our next session will be on procedural sedation. Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes) is a bi-directional learning initiative started at the University of New Mexico to ensure that the knowledge and experience of content experts reached the more rural areas of the state, and that content experts were kept abreast of the real issues, successes, and challenges happening out in these communities. 

Our CTEMSC RN model includes pediatric experienced doctors, nurses, and child life experts presenting content and tips and tricks utilized in our states Children’s ED’s; while participants bring forward their experiences, issues, successes, challenges, and questions. We have and enthusiastic and dedicated group of RN’s in our very first all-teach, all-learn nursing ECHO. 

We piloted this as an EMS series last year and plan to continue to this format of remote, virtual learning. All sessions are recorded and past offerings can be viewed at CT-AAP.org, on the Project ECHO page under the Education Tab. Nursing is under PEM-RN ECHO® and EMS is under Prehospital PECC ECHO® . To join our next series, scheduled for fall of 2021, please reach out to Victoria. 
March Awareness
Brain Injury Awareness Month
Hemophilia Awareness Month
March to Health
National Aplastic Anemia and MDS Month
National MS Education and Awareness Month
National Nutrition Month
National Sleep Awareness
Red Cross Month
Five Facts about Poison Prevention
Poisons pose a threat of widespread danger
About 30 children die every year from being poisoned by common household items, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
They're also a source of close calls and worry
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also reports that accidental poisoning accounts for more than 2 million calls each year to poison control centers and more than 80,000 visits to the emergency room.
Effective advocacy and education can help
National Poison Prevention Week contributed to an 80 percent reduction in poison-related deaths since the early 1970s.
There's a particularly ominous threat out there
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no color or smell. Cars, appliances, furnaces, and other household items can emit carbon monoxide.
Poison control centers are always available
Someone calls a U.S. poison control center every 12 seconds. Poison centers are here 24/7 to help and support us when poisonings happen, but to prevent them at all costs.
National Helpline 1-800-222-1222
Resources
Suicide-A Call To Action
Critical Crossroads - Pediatric Mental Health Toolkit
Behavioral Health Checklist
Children's Mental Health and Behavioral Disorders
When It Builds Up, Talk It Out 833-258-5011
Mental Health Issues in Children During COVID - Tip Sheet
Special Message to Parents
Children with Special Needs
Caring for Children and Youth with Special Needs During Covid-19
How to Talk to Autistic Children about COVID
Healthy Children
SBAR Risk of Physical Child Abuse
Intimate Partner Violence (Telemedicine Script)
DART 888-964-4233
SCAN 833-733-7669
DCF 800-842-2288
Safe Connect 888 774-2900
National Child Abuse Hotline 800-4-A-CHILD
Pediatric Trainings: In-person vs virtual?
With more and more of us vaccinated and COVID cases remaining low, we are hopeful for a return to in-person trainings and simulations very soon. We are also aware that virtual training has become a norm, and may be more convenient and preferred. Please reach out to Megan and let her know your thoughts. We have several options available for EMS agencies and ED’s.
CTEMSC | Website