For three years, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has been working on a plan to establish a Time Critical Diagnosis (TCD) System in the state of Missouri to improve health outcomes for Missourians who have a stroke or ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).  The program will use knowledge gained from Missouri’s trauma care system and will improve the timely diagnosis and care of those who have one of these two conditions.

In November, 2007, the National Registry of EMT’s Board of Directors voted to require applicants for national paramedic certification graduate from a nationally accredited educational program after December 31, 2012.

In our last edition, we covered MEMSA’s first Paramedic Practical Familiarization program which took place in Kansas City on October 19, the evening before the October 20 Paramedic Practical test at Blue River College.  The object of the familiarization class is to allow test takers the chance to familiarize themselves with pass/fail criteria as well as the use of specific equipment for the practical test the following day.

The Missouri Legislature begins again in just a few short weeks.  There are plenty of very important EMS issues on the table this year.  These issues directly affect all of us and our families, not to mention those we serve.

On November 8, the EMS Memorial Site Review Team visited Kansas City to view potential sites for the Tree of Life Memorial.  As many of you know, a collaborative effort has been underway by many Missouri EMS agencies to bring the memorial to Kansas City.

By W. Ann Maggiore

EMS and the Law

As part of a cooperative agreement, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and the United States Fire Administration (USFA), with assistance from the Oregon Health & Science University, examined the issue of sleep deprivation in the context of EMS and firefighters. In June, they issued a 95-page report detailing the ill effects of sleep deprivation on emergency services personnel.

By Mike Bush

(KSDK) - Let's face it, lawyers are not always the most exciting people.

"I enjoy the research", says attorney Ned Fryer. "I like the thought processes, the intellectual challenge."

So spellbinding he's not but Fryer is successful. He's been on the fast track since he got out of college.