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The Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project Assessment launches in May for EMS and fire-rescue agencies! Learn more and access a preview here.

Pediatric ready? Check!

Pediatric checklists for emergency departments and EMS/fire-rescue agencies provide an easy, informal way to gauge readiness to care for children. These checklists, developed by the National Pediatric Readiness Project and National Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project (PPRP), have been updated with a new look and format. Access the redesigned checklist for EDs here and the checklist for EMS/fire-rescue agencies here. 

The checklists are especially helpful for preparing for national assessments, such as the PPRP Assessment launching in May.

Celebrating 28 years with EMSC - meet Debbie Kuhn!

As Debbie Kuhn, the long-standing Program Manager for Nebraska, prepares for retirement, we take a trip back to 1996 – the era of Spice Girls and Beanie Babies – to discover her remarkable journey with EMSC. Read more.

Improving Pediatric Mental Health: New Toolkit & Collaborative

A new toolkit has launched to guide pediatric primary care and other providers in enhancing pediatric mental health care in emergency situations; additionally, the initiative welcomes new teams to the ED Expansion QI Collaborative. Read more.

New learning module on agitation for EMS!

Access a self-paced learning module on managing agitated pediatric patients in prehospital settings. Get started.

FAN work in the field

Featuring members of EMSC’s

Family Advisory Network (FAN).

Name: Arnold Payne, AEMT

State/Territory: Virgin Islands

Learn about Arnold Payne, AEMT, a former Chief of Aircraft Rescue Fire Services, who dedicated himself to pediatric emergency care after navigating the challenges of caring for his granddaughter with cerebral palsy. Read more.

Resources Round-Up:

Policy statements:

• AAP: Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule: United States, 2024
• AAP: Child Fatality Review
• AAP: Climate Change and Children’s Health: Building a Healthy Future for Every Child

Clinical & practice resources:

• NAEMSP/PPRP: Pediatric EMS education course for ED clinicians
• University of Colorado: Free Open Access Medical Education - Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• SEMPA: Pediatric Emergency Medicine FOAMed Resources
• WRBDC: Burn Surge Planning Toolkit

Disaster resources:

• HHS: Early Childhood Disaster-Related Resources for Children and Families
• HHS: Healthcare Sector Cybersecurity
• SAMHSA: Disaster Technical Assistance Center

EMSC general resources:

• NPRP: Pediatric readiness for families flyer
• PPRP: Spread the Word Materials
• EMSC: Overview
• EMSC: Impact webpage (includes overviews of EMSC and each EMSC component, along with state funding overviews)
• EMSC: Mental Health Focus Area
• EMSC: Mental Health Flyer
• EMSC: State Partnership Dashboard
• EMSC: 40th Anniversary Toolkit

Upcoming Events:

• New York City Pediatric Disaster Coalition Webinar: Coaching the Champions for Pediatric Readiness - March 6 at 10:30am CT
• ACEP Advanced Pediatric EM Assembly - March 11-13
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Conference - March 13-16
• PPN Disaster Response Collaborative Informational Webinar - March 18 at 1pm CT
• National Association of County and City Health Officials 2024 Preparedness Summit - March 25-28
• 2024 AAP Advocacy Conference - April 14-16
• Pediatric Academic Societies 2024 - May 2-6
• NASEMSO Annual Meeting 2024 - May 12-16
• EMS Week - May 19-25 and EMSC Day - May 22
• FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Symposium - June 3-5
• 2024 Annual EMS World Expo Conference - Sept. 9-13
• National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Annual Meeting - Sept. 9-13

EMSC grantees: are you presenting at a conference this spring?

Send your presentation details – and photos – to communications@emscimprovement.center!

Other Opportunities:

• The AAP and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) have partnered to develop an ECHO program that focuses on clinical strategies described in the Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention. Register now for the program kickoff on March 5.
• NOFO: 2024 Rural EMS Training Grants from the Substance Abuse Webinar: Coaching the Champions for Pediatric Readiness and Mental Health Services Administration. Apply by March 20.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has extended the deadline for public comment regarding the upcoming revision of the 2000 EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach. Submit comments here through March 31.

Research Highlights:

• A Comparison of State-Specific Pediatric Emergency Medical Facility Recognition Programs, 2020 - Pediatric Emergency Care, Feb. 1*
• Recommendations for Choosing Wisely in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Five Opportunities to Improve Value - Annals of Emergency Medicine, Feb. 11
• Emergency Department Volume and Delayed Diagnosis of Serious Pediatric Conditions - JAMA Pediatrics, Feb. 12*
• Pediatric Emergency Medicine Didactics and Simulation (PEMDAS): Pediatric Sedation Complications - PubMed, Feb. 13
• The 4 S's of Disaster Management Framework: A Case Study of the 2022 Pediatric Tripledemic Response in a Community Hospital - Annals of Emergency Medicine, Feb. 15*

Headline Highlights:

• Ready, Set … Hold On - Pediatric Readiness Assessment Shows Better Coordination Needed to Improve Emergency Care for Kids - ENA Connection, Feb. 1*
• Bills would reauthorize programs to support health care workers, pediatric emergency care - American Hospital Association, Feb. 14 *
• Rep. Eshoo Opening Statement at Health Subcommittee Hearing on Patient and Caregiver Support- Press Release, Feb. 14*
• Rochester (WI) Medics Help Deliver Baby in Convenience Store Parking Lot - JEMS, Feb. 19
• Ready. Prep. Go! - PPN podcast, Feb. 27

Articles with an asterisk (*) reference work related to EMSC and its grantees

Share your story! We're looking for patient and provider stories about children's health care needs in everyday emergencies and disasters. Your story is vital to help us raise awareness about the need to improve outcomes for children. Learn more and share your story here.

Have news, resources, or events to share? Want to make sure a research paper or award recipient is mentioned? Email us!

EMSC grantees are welcomed to repurpose newsletter content.

The EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award (U07MC37471) totaling $2.5M with 0 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. For more information, visit hrsa.gov.

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