All D.C. medics to be tested on competency skills

[VentMedic]

All D.C. medics to be tested on competency skills

http://www.ems1.com/ems-products/education...mpetency-skills

By David C. Lipscomb

Washington Times

Copyright 2008 Washington Times

WASHINGTON — The D.C. fire department next month will test all of its 250 paramedics for competency in administering advanced life support, the agency's medical director said.

The testing, which will be performed independently by the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, is expected to lead to retraining of some paramedics while some others could be reassigned to positions with fewer responsibilities, said Dr. Michael D. Williams, chief medical officer for the fire department.

"I expect there will be people that fail this process," Dr. Williams said yesterday. "And I think I will be saying, 'You're really not functioning as a paramedic, so we're going to pull you out.' "

Dr. Williams said the policy could create difficulties for the department official who assigns crews to ambulances, but "my obligation sort of trumps his on this one."

"I've really got to make sure that we don't let somebody out there that isn't functioning at that level."

Details of the testing plan come days after the family of journalist David E. Rosenbaum dropped a lawsuit against the city, saying they were satisfied with the District's progress in reforming its emergency medical services.

Mr. Rosenbaum was beaten and robbed in his neighborhood in January 2006 and died two days later. An investigation found that a neglectful, botched emergency response contributed to Mr. Rosenbaum's death.

A task force set up to examine ways to improve the city's Fire and Emergency Medical Services department as part of the lawsuit recommended, among other things, improving training and oversight.

Testing all of the agency's paramedics, however, was not among the recommendations.

"To our knowledge, no one's done this kind of a scope before," Dr. Williams said. He said he and Fire Chief Dennis L. Rubin came up with the plan.

He also said he thought it was important to contract the testing to an outside agency, so that the results would be "above reproach."

"They're just giving me data. And it's got nothing to do with past loyalties, past practices. It's a contract," he said.

Dr. Williams, who has served as the department's medical director since August 2006, said the results of the tests will show whether the department needs to make broad changes to its curriculum or take individual workers out of the system to correct specific deficiencies.

The testing will comprise a written exam and a practical skills test performed on a computerized mannequin. The mannequin will monitor each interaction the test subject has with it, and the test will be videotaped by four cameras to be reviewed later by Dr. Williams.

"Any really deficient folks who should be pulled, we'd like to find them on a mannequin as opposed to from a quality assurance investigation," Dr. Williams said.

Paramedics with minor deficiencies will receive remedial training until they are able to demonstrate proficiency, Dr. Williams said. Those who do not improve with training will be reassigned as an emergency medical technician, which is less complex than paramedic work.

http://www.ems1.com/ems-products/education...mpetency-skills

[JPINFV]

You mean a medical director of a large service that is actually involved in QI past signing his name? Unpossible!

[i heartily support that product and/or service]

[p3medic]

They exist believe it or not. Our city is similar in size to DC, and has a very active Medical Director, along with several other active physicians as Associate Medical Directors. I wonder if those paramedics that get demoted will have their pay adjusted as well, I can see the Union giving them hell on that one.

[Dustdevil]

Paramedics with minor deficiencies will receive remedial training until they are able to demonstrate proficiency, Dr. Williams said. Those who do not improve with training will be reassigned as an emergency medical technician, which is less complex than paramedic work.

Oh yeah, that's a great idea. Not.

Idiots. Scrap it. The entire system and every medic in it. Start over with a new agency, separate from the FD. You're NEVER going to fix this broken system.

[AZCEP]

So you take an inadequate paramedic and turn them into a peeved EMT? How exactly is this going to improve the situation?

The public will have fewer providers they need, and more they have no use for. Take the responsibility away from the D.C. area altogether. I've not heard of Arlington VA, or Baltimore having these kinds of problems.

[Dustdevil]

Seriously. I'm betting that over half of the DC medics right now are laughing their arses off about how they're going to be able to finally get off the ambulance as soon as they flunk that test. Yet the article makes it sound as if this is some terrible demotion that is going to happen to them.

They aren't going to have enough medics left after this to run EMS.

[paramedicmike]

I've not heard of Arlington VA, or Baltimore having these kinds of problems.

Actually, Arlington has been in the news at least twice in the past couple years due to medics pronouncing someone on scene only to have that person wake up later as anything but dead.

I think, however, after the second time that happened in a span of only a few months there were some major changes in continuing training within their department.

I do agree, though, that it's nothing like the mess that is DCFD.

-be safe

[AZCEP]

Like I said, I hadn't heard of Arlington having issues, but I am a few thousand miles and a lack of real caring away from the situation at hand so I'm probably not giving it the attention I should.

I get the feeling that somewhere, someone is sitting behind a large desk laughing about how they are going to prove that they don't need ALS to have an effective EMS system in an urban environment. :roll:

[tinman694]

I suspect Dr. Evil's plan for EMS is in Phase 1.

Muhahahahahahahaa

[Dustdevil]

I'd like to see a Prime Time investigative team take Dr. Bledsoe to Interview the DCFD chief, and get him to justify, on camera, his efforts to hold on to EMS, after such epic FAILURE, instead of turning it over to a focused, independent medical agency comprised of educational professionals who actually choose to be medics as a career.

Not only would something like that help the citizens of DC, but the rest of the country too.

Losers like Paul Pepe can write their silly propaganda pieces about how the firemonkeys are the only logical choice for EMS from behind their closed doors all day long. But it'd sure be funny to watch him squirm trying to defend it in public, mano a mano.