Dispatch in Depth

Isabel talks with Kim O’Donnell, Commander for Communications Education & Quality Improvement for Toronto Paramedic Services. They discuss the role of curiosity in mentorship, the new feedback sandwich, and the difference between mentoring, training, and coaching.   For Your Information: To learn more about leadership training, check out our podcast about the CCM program: https://aedrjournal.org/leadership-training-days-with-anthony-minge-and-joe-coons/   Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Anthony Minge, Senior Partner with Fitch & Associates, and Joe Coons, Director of Safety and Communications for LifeFlight Eagle. Together they discuss the Communication Center Manager Program, the kinds of research projects that CCM participants do, and why disseminating the results of those projects is important.   For Your Information: Fitch & Associates’ Communication Center Manager (CCM) Program: https://www.fitchassoc.com/communication-center-manager-program/ DiSC personality profiles: https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Steve Zenes, 911 Operations Coordinator with the Morris County Communications Center. They discuss how police dispatch is different from fire and EMS, why “Tell me exactly what happened” matters, and parallels between police work and research. For Your Information: Link to Steve’s poster: https://aedrjournal.org/evaluating-the-effect-of-proper-use-of-tell-me-exactly-what-happened-case-entry-questions-on-chief-complaint-selection-and-information-gathering-at-emergency-police-dispatch/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Dr. Stella Benami, researcher and former emergency dispatcher. They discuss how Dr. Benami’s experiences in dispatch inspired her dissertation, the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout, and the biggest factors in the mental health of emergency dispatchers.   For Your Information: Link to the podcast episode on emotional labor: https://aedrjournal.org/youve-got-me-doing-emotional-labor-with-dr-sharon-mastracci-and-ian-adams/ Brower Psychological: http://browerpsychological.com/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Dr. Mike Barnum, an emergency medicine physician in Las Vegas. They discuss how evidence informs practice, the different types of evidence, and how to integrate sound data into your center.   For Your Information: AMR Las Vegas: https://www.amr.net/locations/operations/nevada/las-vegas/las-vegas-event-medical American College of Emergency Physicians: https://www.acep.org/ American Academy of Emergency Medicine: https://www.aaem.org/ National Association of EMS Physicians: https://naemsp.org/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Dr. Mike McEvoy, EMS Coordinator for Saratoga County. They discuss common myths about bystander and responder potential for opioid exposure, the symptoms of an opioid overdose, and how to keep callers safe.   For Your Information: The article in the Journal that Mike responded to: https://iaedjournal.org/when-you-need-it-most/ Mike's response article: https://iaedjournal.org/scene-safety-in-an-opioid-epidemic/ American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT) position statement: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15563650.2017.1373782 Prehospital Emergency Care article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10903127.2017.1367446?journalCode=ipec20 NIOSH recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/opioids/fieldinvestigations.html Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Dr. Karen Abrashkin, Medical Director of the House Calls Program and the Clinical Call Center for Northwell Health. They discuss how the House Calls Program works, the benefits of aging in place, and the complexities of DNRs.   For Your Information: Independence at Home: https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/independence-at-home/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Rhonda Kelly, ResponderStrong Program Manager at the National Mental Health Innovation Center. They discuss Rhonda’s circuitous route to her current career, barriers to emergency responders getting mental health help they need, and where mental health treatment is heading.   For Your Information: The theater shooting Rhonda mentions around 5:45 is the one that took place in Aurora, CO, in 2012. National Mental Health Innovation Center website: http://mentalhealthinnovation.org/ “Taking Care of Our Own: Mental Health Among Colorado Emergency Responders” https://responderstrong.org/responderstrong-survey-report/ ResponderStrong website: https://responderstrong.org/ ResponderStrong Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ResponderStrong/ Status: Code 4, Inc. website, which has documentaries showing how responders bring trauma home: https://www.sc4i.org/lifelines Matt Vogl’s TEDx talk about Virtual Reality and mental health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynMv1sNggyc If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call one of the following hotlines: Australia: 13 11 14 Canada (outside Montreal): 1-866-277-3553 Canada (Montreal): 514-723-4000 United Kingdom: 116 123 United States: 1-800-273-8255 Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Lindsy Bentley, a GIS professional working in Utah. They discuss the role of GIS in emergency response, the ever-changing nature of maps, and how emergency dispatchers can better direct responders. For Your Information: Project Lifesaver: https://projectlifesaver.org/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Jamie Foster, a trainer for the South Western Ambulance Service in the U.K. They discuss what “transgender” means, which medical protocols are impacted by the caller’s gender, and how the EMD can balance getting the right information with giving good customer service.   For Your Information: U.K. NAVIGATOR: https://uknavigator.emergencydispatch.org/ OED definition of transgender: (adj.) Designating a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond to that person's sex at birth, or which does not otherwise conform to conventional notions of sex and gender. OED definition of misgender: (v.) Refer to (someone, especially a transgender person) using a word, especially a pronoun or form of address, that does not correctly reflect the gender with which they identify. Gendered Intelligence: http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/ Manchester Metropolitan University study on discrimination against transgender people in 2007: https://www.ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/trans_country_report_-_engenderedpenalties.pdf TSER (Trans Student Educational Resources): http://www.transstudent.org/ National Ambulance LGBT Network: https://www.ambulancelgbt.org/ Intersex Society of North America: http://www.isna.org/ Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Julie Hardle, Manager of Recovery and Resiliency for Optum Salt Lake County. They discuss the origin of Mental Health First Aid, rituals to put in your self-care toolbox, and how common mental illness is.   For Your Information: Read more about the history of Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/about/ Read more about how the PTSD of emergency dispatchers compares to that of combat veterans: https://aedrjournal.org/differences-in-ptsd-symptomatology-between-combat-veterans-and-emergency-dispatchers/ Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the U.S.: https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Ty Wooten, NENA’s Director of Education. They discuss the role of NENA in 911, how training and professionalism are related, and educating the public about what exactly emergency dispatchers do.   For Your Information: GIS is an acronym for “geographic information system,” a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Chris Bradford, an instructor for IAED and founder of Protocol Support, LLC. They discuss the role of ED-Qs, how Q’s and research interact, and the differences between QA and QI. Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Jerry Overton, President of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch. They discuss the importance of studying low acuity calls, the role of an IRB in research, and IAED’s focus for the future.   For Your Information:  Gerontology: the scientific study of old age, the process of aging, and the particular problems of old people. HHS: Health and Human Resources Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org

Isabel talks with Janette Turner, Director of Health Services Research at the University of Sheffield. They discuss alternative performance and quality indicators for ambulance services, whether or not quick dispatch results in better outcomes, and how exactly ambulance-related research is conducted.   For Your Information:   Link to the study: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ARPReport_Final.pdf   Want to get involved in a study? Have a question? Email us at dispatchindepth @ emergencydispatch (dot) org