NTA EMS
RESCUE

 

EMT Job Description and Characteristics
An EMT functions as a primary care provider in the pre-hospital setting. The EMT is responsible for all aspects of care provided to the sick and injured. The EMT provides basic life support, including patient assessment, airway management, use of the automatic defibrillator and assisting patients with taking some of their own medications. The EMT is responsible for driving the ambulance in a safe manner under all conditions. The EMT must have a thorough knowledge of the street, highway and addressing system in which he or she will be working. In organizations that provide advanced patient care, the EMT will work under the direction of a Paramedic and assume a support role. The EMT must understand all applicable legal, moral and ethical issues surrounding emergency medical service. The EMT must be dedicated to continued learning through continuing education and maintenance of licensure and certifications.

The EMT must be confident and accept the challenge and high degree of responsibility entailed in this position. The EMT must have excellent judgment, be able to prioritize decisions and act quickly in the best interest of the patient. The EMT must be able to function at an optimum level in a non-structured environment that is constantly changing. The EMT must be able to remain calm while working in difficult and stressful situations, and stay focused while carrying out the functions of the position. Good judgment is essential, along with knowledge and technical skills. The EMT must possess excellent verbal communication skills and be capable of adapting to situations with violence and emotional instability in multicultural settings. The EMT must possess critical reasoning skills and be capable of applying them effectively in stressful situations. Self motivation is essential.

First Responder Job Description and Characteristics
The primary focus of the First Responder is to initiate immediate lifesaving care to critical patients who access the emergency medical system. This individual possesses the basic knowledge and skills necessary to provide lifesaving
interventions while awaiting additional EMS response and to assist higher level personnel at the scene and during transport.

First Responders function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight. First Responders perform basic interventions with minimal equipment. Educational Requirements: One of the eligibility requirements at this level requires successful completion of an accredited First Responder training program.

 

Emergency Medical Services - EMS

Raising Standards and the Level of Care for our Citizens If you have taken a CPR course recently you are familiar with the expression “push hard and fast.” When a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest, CPR should be initiated immediately with cardiac compressions being delivered at one hundred compressions a minute. Evidence based medicine shows us that continuous compressions without interruptions give a person the best chance of being resuscitated. Think back to a basic first aid or CPR course that you have taken. Do you remember the “ABC’s”? “A” represents airway, “B” breathing, and “C” circulation. Airway control in the sick or injured patient is paramount. Depending on the severity of the patient, airway management could be as simple as positioning of the head, but yet others require more advanced methods. Endotracheal intubation is the most direct and best method to control an airway. In this advanced technique, a paramedic will place a tube in the trachea which will allow for direct control. This procedure requires a device called a laryngoscope. In most patients, the procedure of intubation is relatively easy, but for others, it can be very challenging. To assist our paramedics with the procedure of intubation, NTA has purchased the King VISION Video Laryngoscope. This device has received great acclaim from many anesthesiologists around the country. Essentially it allows the paramedic to view the airway with little manipulation of the head, thus increasing the first time success of intubation. NTA Ambulances are also equipped with the state of the art Philips MRx Heart Monitors. This valuable piece of equipment will not only allow the paramedic to see a electronic tracings representing the rhythm of the patients heart but will allow the Paramedic to transmit that important information to a nearby hospital so the Doctor can make definitive care decisions, all from the scene in the field. We at NTA are very thankful for the support we receive from our constituents, and we take great pride in being good stewards with tax payer monies. Because of your support, NTA will be able to continue to provide the best care possible with state of the art equipment. TIPS WHEN YOU CALL 911 IN HARRSION AND DAVIESS COUNTIES: If you are calling from a cell phone please remember in the region of our counties cell phones are unpredictable. You may not get connected to the closest 911 center. Please be patient. With a cell phone not all of the automated location information will be forwarded to the 911 Center like when you call in on a land line phone. Know your location. The more specific you can be the better. Know the number you are calling from. If you are on a cell phone or land line and the connection is lost, the 911 Center can attempt to call you back and reestablish contact. It may seem like it takes a long time to relay this information to the 911 Center but in reality it is usually a very short time. Also a vast majority of the time as the caller speaks, and more information is gained, that information is being relayed to the appropriate emergency service by a second dispatcher. Just because you are continuously talking to one 911 operator does not mean that the information is not being forwarded to the Emergency Personnel, in fact they have probably already been dispatched and are on their way! TIPS FOR BEFORE THE AMBULANCE ARRIVES: After you have called 911, there are several things you can do until Emergency Responders arrive. These simple procedures will greatly aid the Emergency Responders and the patient they will treat. If you determine that the patient is pulse-less and non-breathing, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but only if you have been trained in this life saving technique. Stay calm; do not get excited. This will reassure the patient that help is on the way. Make the patient as comfortable as possible. Gather all the medication that the patient may be taking. This will help Emergency Responders better determine the medical history of the patient. Move all furniture or obstacles out of the way so Emergency Responders have easy access to the patient. Make sure all pets are secure in another part of the house. Remember the time, this is very important. When was the last time you talked to the patient? How long has this medical condition existed? How long has the person been unconscious? CARE OF WOUNDS: In general, to care for wounds you should: Expose the wound. Clothing over and around the open wound must be cut away. Avoid aggravating the patent's injuries. Do not try to remove clothing by pulling the items over the patients head or limbs. Simply lift aside or cut the clothing away from the site of the injury. Clear the wound surface. Remove foreign matter from the surface of the wound with a sterile gauze pad or clean towel. This method will reduce the chance of contamination from your fingers. Do not try to clean the wound or pick out any particles or debris. If bleeding from the wound is controlled, take care not to restart or increase the flow of blood. Control the bleeding. Start with direct pressure at the point of bleeding or with direct pressure and elevation. If the bleeding continues and you have first aid training try pressure point control. A tourniquet should be used as a last resort for life-threatening bleeding from a limb. Prevent Further contamination. Use a sterile dressing, clean cloth, or clean handkerchief to cover the wound. After the bleeding has been controlled, bandage the dressing in place. Keep the patient lying still. Any patient activity increases circulation. Keep the patient lying down, using a blanket or other form of covering to provide protection from the elements. BURNS: What can cause a burn? Thermal Agents * Flames * Hot Liquids * The Sun * Steam * Radiation Chemical * Acids * Fluids * Other Corrosives Electricity * Becoming part of a electrical circuit (while grounded) What can you do? Affect a Rescue Remove the person from the source of the potential injury. If the injury involves electricity, insure that the electricity is turned off or that the victim is not in contact with the electrical current. When dealing with chemical or thermal agents, remove the person carefully from the source of the injury and move you and them to a safe environment. Stop the burning process Remove the injury causing substance. If the clothing catches fire, STOP DROP AND ROLL to smother the flames. DO NOT RUN! It will only increase the flames and extent of injury. Remove burned clothing and jewelry which can retain heat and intensify the injury. (SPECIAL NOTE: If the clothing adhere to the skin, leave it in place and cut or tear around it to remove the source of heat.) Pour cool, clean water over the burned area for 10-15 Minutes. Longer periods are recommended for chemical burns. DO NOT put ice on injured area. This may cause greater injury. DO NOT USE OINTMENTS OR BUTTER, LARD, ETC. These products may cause deeper burning by containing heat and are a potential source of infection. Very minor burn injuries Can be treated with commercial antiseptic sprays and covered with a clean, dry dressing. In the event that an infection occurs...seek medical attention immediately. More severe burn injuries and those involving chemical and electricity should prompt an immediate response from your local emergency medical service system or fire department. More sophisticated medical care is mandatory for any type of severe burn injury. THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

REV. NOEL T. ADAMS MEMORIAL AMBULANCE DISTRICT

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

IMPORTANT:  THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.  PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.  PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Purpose of This Notice: NTA Ambulance is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health care , or PHI, information and to provide you with a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI. NTA Ambulance is also required to abide by the terms of the version of this Notice currently in effect

Uses and Disclosures of PHI: NTA Ambulance may use PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations, in most cases without your written permission.  Examples of our use of your PHI: 

For treatment.  NTA Ambulance may use Health Information to treat you or provide you with health care services. NTA may disclose Health Information to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel, including people outside our facility who may be involved in your medical care. For example, we may tell your primary physician about the care we provided you or give Health Information to a specialist to provide you with additional services.
 
For payment.  This includes any activities we must undertake in order to get reimbursed for the services we provide to you, including such things as organizing your PHI and submitting bills to insurance companies, management of billed claims for services rendered, medical necessity determinations and reviews, utilization review, and collection of outstanding accounts. 

For health care operations.  These uses and disclosures are necessary to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care and for our operation and management purposes. For example, we may use Health Information to review  the treatment and services we provide to ensure that the care you receive is of the highest quality.
Reminders for Scheduled Transports and Information on Other Services.  We may also contact you to provide you with a reminder of any scheduled appointments for non-emergency ambulance and medical transportation, or for other information about alternative services we provide or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Use and Disclosure of PHI Without Your Authorization.  NTA Ambulance is permitted to use PHI without your written authorization, or opportunity to object in certain situations, including: 

• For NTA Ambulance’s use in treating you or in obtaining payment for services provided to you or in other health care operations; 
• To another health care provider for the health care operations activities of the entity that receives the information as long as the entity receiving the information has or has had a relationship with you and the PHI pertains to that relationship;
• For health care fraud and abuse detection or for activities related to compliance with the law;
• To a public health authority in certain situations, such as reporting a birth, death or disease as required by law, as part of a public health investigation, to report child or adult abuse or neglect or domestic violence, to report adverse events such as product defects, or to notify a person about exposure to a possible communicable disease as required by law;
• For health oversight activities including audits or government investigations, inspections, disciplinary proceedings, and other administrative or judicial actions undertaken by the government (or their contractors) by law to oversee the health care system;
• For judicial and administrative proceedings as required by a court or administrative order, or in some cases in response to a subpoena or other legal process;
• For law enforcement activities in limited situations, such as when there is a warrant for the request, or when the information is needed to locate a suspect or stop a crime;
• For military, national defense and security and other special government functions;
• To avert a serious threat to the health and safety of a person or the public at large;
• For workers’ compensation purposes, and in compliance with workers’ compensation laws;
• To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors for identifying a deceased person, determining cause of death, or carrying on their duties as authorized by law;
• If you are an organ donor, we may release health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate organ donation and transplantation;
• We may use or disclose health information about you in a way that does not personally identify you or reveal who you are.
• If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under custody of a law enforcement official, we may release Health Information to the appropriate correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be made only if necessary (1)for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.

Any other use or disclosure of PHI, other than those listed above, will only be made with your written authorization, (the authorization must specifically identify the information we seek to use or disclose, as well as when and how we seek to use or disclose it). You may revoke your authorization at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have already used or disclosed medical information in reliance on that authorization.   

Patient Rights:  As a patient, you have a number of rights with respect to the protection of your PHI, including:

The right to access, copy or inspect your PHI.  This means you may come to our offices and inspect and copy most of the medical information about you that we maintain.  We will normally provide you with access to this information within 30 days of your request.  We may also charge you a reasonable fee for you to copy any medical information that you have the right to access.  In limited circumstances, we may deny you access to your medical information, and you may appeal certain types of denials. 

We have available forms to request access to your PHI, and we will provide a written response if we deny you access and let you know your appeal rights.  If you wish to inspect and copy your medical information, you should contact the privacy officer listed at the end of this Notice. 

The right to amend your PHI.  If you feel that Health Information we have is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for us. To request an amendment, you must make your request, in writing, to Jamie Henry.We are permitted by law to deny your request to amend your medical information only in certain circumstances, such as when we believe the information you have asked us to amend is correct

The right to request an accounting of our use and disclosure of your PHI.  You may request an accounting from us of certain disclosures of your medical information that we have made in the last six years prior to the date of your request.  To request an accounting of disclosures, you must make your request, in writing, to Jamie Henry, Privacy Officer.

The right to request that we restrict the uses and disclosures of your PHI. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the Health Information we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. In addition, you have the right to request a limit on the Health Information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or payment for you care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not share information about your surgery with your spouse. To request a restriction, you must make your request in writing to Jamie Henry. WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO AGREE TO YOUR REQUEST. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless we need to use the information in certain emergency treatment situation.

Revisions to the Notice:  NTA Ambulance reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time, and the changes will be effective immediately and will apply to all protected health information that we maintain

Your Legal Rights and Complaints:  You also have the right to complain to us, or to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. Should you have any questions, comments or complaints, you may direct all inquiries to the privacy officer listed at the end of this Notice.  Individuals will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

If you have any questions or if you wish to file a complaint or exercise any rights listed in this Notice, please contact:

Jamie Roller                                                Office for Civil Rights
HIPPA Compliance Officer and                   Health and Human
Privacy Officer                                             200 Independence Ave.
NTA Ambulance District                               Room 509F
1000 25th St                                                   HHHBuilding
Bethany Mo 64424                                           Washington, DC 20201
660-425-6319

Effective Date: January 1, 2009