EMSC Pulse

Save the date: The 50th EMS Week is May 19-25, with EMSC Day on Wednesday, May 22! Access promo materials, including template proclamations, here. More materials and details to come soon.

Prehospital Pediatric Assessment: One month to launch!

Pediatric incidents account for 10% of all prehospital calls. The limited frequency of pediatric interactions results in EMS clinicians being less familiar with – and often less confident in – providing pediatric care. When EMS and fire-rescue agencies become “pediatric ready,” it can reduce anxiety and increase confidence. But how do you know if you and your system are truly pediatric ready? One important step is your agency taking the Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project Assessment! Just one month is left until the national assessment period opens. 

Are you from an EMS or fire-rescue agency? You can prepare for the assessment by accessing this preview or by using this checklist, which can give you an idea of what the assessment will cover.



Do you work for an EMS-related group or organization? We need your help to reach more than 15,000 EMS and fire-rescue agencies nationwide! Find sample promotional materials and information here.

Pediatric Readiness Quality Improvement Collaborative hits the halfway point!

Participants in the Pediatric Readiness Quality Improvement Collaborative (PRQC) are halfway through their journey to implement quality improvement projects in four clinical areas: pain, suicide, patient safety, and abnormal vital signs. 

Participants have been using the National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative (NPRQI) - a free dashboard available to any emergency department (ED) to track quality metrics and performance. Participating sites can assess their current state, measure performance over time, and benchmark against similar EDs on 28 clinical quality measures across seven clinical conditions. As the number of recorded visits grows (5,400 and counting) it provides more realistic benchmarks for performance, a broader window into how pediatric emergency care is delivered, and will help to establish national standards in the future.

Even if you are not participating in the collaborative, you can still learn from its work by watching learning sessions and exploring related resources. Or, learn more about and sign up for NPRQI.

EMSC reauthorization update

The EMSC program is up for reauthorization this year, EMSC bills have been introduced in the House (HR 6960, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2024) and in the Senate (S.3765, A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the Emergency Medical Services for Children program.) 

Last month, the House’s Committee on Emergency and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing on several bills that impact patients, including HR 6960. At the hearing, multiple legislators and expert witnesses discussed the impact of the EMSC, and the bill was advanced by the subcommittee on March 12 and the full committee on March 20.

Learn more about the reauthorization process, and find educational materials about the EMSC, here.

Resources Round-up:

Featured resource:

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and we've gathered valuable resources to shed light on this important issue. Explore the links below to learn more and join us in raising awareness about brain injury.

• AAP: Abusive Head Trauma in Infants and Children 
• CDC: TBI Resources for Health Care Providers
• CSN: Traumatic Brain Injuries Prevention
• Simbox: Severe Head Injury Pediatric Simulation

Policy statements, technical reports, & advisories:

• AAP: Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake
• AAP: A Call to Action: Addressing Socioeconomic Disparities in Childhood Unintentional Injury Risk

Clinical and practice resources:

• ED STOP Suicide Quality Improvement Collaborative resources
• National Pediatric Readiness Quality Initiative

Disaster resources:

• Ready, Prep, Go - Pediatric Pandemic Network podcast series
• CDC: Increase in Global and Domestic Measles Cases and Outbreaks

Prehospital resources:

• EMS Model Procedural Guidelines for Special Pathogens
• Rural EMS Quality Improvement Basics Course

Other resources:

• The Wait to Nowhere: When a Crisis Goes Untreated - Speak Our Minds documentary
• Pediatric Readiness - Streamlined Implementation Strategies for Trauma Center and Emergency Department Leaders - Trauma System News

EMSC Grantee Resources:

• Prehospital Pediatric Readiness Project: Spread the Word - NEW
• National Pediatric Readiness Project: Pediatric readiness for families flyer 
• EMSC: Impact webpage 
• EMSC: State Partnership Dashboard
• EMSC: 40th Anniversary Toolkit

Upcoming Events:

• 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
• NAEMSE 2024 Symposium - Aug. 12-17

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

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

Other Opportunities:

• The Pediatric Pandemic Network PsySTART Learning Collaborative aims to tackle the pressing issue of the youth mental health crisis in the US and enhance preparedness for pediatric disaster behavioral health in public health, behavioral health, and healthcare systems. Learn more or register by April 1.
• The Pediatric Pandemic Network Mentored Disaster Research Career Development Award is accepting applications. Learn more or register by April 10.
• Abstract submissions for the 2024 AAP National Conference & Exhibition are now being accepted. Submit by April 12.
• Abstract submissions for the NAEMSE 2024 Symposium are now being accepted. Submit by April 19.

Honors & Awards:

• Congratulations to Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network, who was appointed Children's National Hospital new executive vice president, chief academic officer and chair of Pediatrics. Read more.

Research Highlights:

• Public support for and concerns regarding pediatric dose optimization for seizures in emergency medical services: An exception from informed consent (EFIC) trial. - Academic Emergency Medicine, March 7*
• Acute opioid overdose in pediatric patients - Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, March 7
• Management of suicidal risk in the emergency department: A clinical pathway using the computerized adaptive screen for suicidal youth - Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, March 12*
• Pediatric Utilization of Emergency Medical Services from Outpatient Offices and Urgent Care Centers - Academic Pediatrics, March 14
• Timing and causes of death to 1 year among children presenting to emergency departments - Academic Emergency Medicine, March 18*

Headline Highlights:

• Thousands of children are landing in the ER after ingesting melatonin without supervision - CNN, March 7 
• Ohio FD receives state’s first pediatric save award - EMS1, March 9*
• Hinsdale Ambulance Service Recognized By EMSC As Level III/Gold Pediatric EMS Service - Glasgow Courier, March 13*
• Valley View’s ER Department receives Pediatric Advance Ready designation - Post Independent, March 14*
• A new kind of hospital is coming to rural America. To qualify, facilities must close their beds - APNews, March 16

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.