CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.

THE JOURNEY OF 1000 MILES BEGINS …

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    8:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.

... with a single step. This well-known adage speaks to the importance of long-term vision, but also the need to get moving. Pinnacle is about leadership, action and inspiring change. As a profession, the status quo has become too comfortable, day-to-day pressures have drawn our focus away from the future, innovative vision and achieving our potential. Agendas for change have been issued and ignored, white papers complain that progress is too slow or misdirected, and best practices remain beyond our grasp. It’s time to try something different. It’s time to travel new paths. Dr. Fitch will frame the journey for EMS systems and for you as a leader. That journey begins with a single actionable step.

A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO CLINICAL OVERSIGHT

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    9:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.

Edward Racht, one of the most accomplished medical directors and speakers in EMS, tackles critical leadership questions: Where is the line between clinical oversight and operations? What authority and policies are needed to enable clinical leaders? How do you ensure accountability? How can EMS gain political clout with the help of the medical director?

MEASURING WHAT MATTERS

WEDNESDAY, JULY   |    30 9:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.

With the adoption of advanced CAD, electronic patient care records and records management systems, EMS systems are inundated with data. But which numbers really matter, to all your customers? Are we measuring the right things, or merely what’s expedient? Mike Taigman, a quality improvement pioneer, zeros in on the things it pays to count.

INTEGRATING EMS INTO THE FIRE SERVICE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    11:00 A.M. – NOON

Merging EMS into the fire service is a hotly debated topic. Regardless of your perspective, bringing two cultures and two different types of orgnization’s operations under a single entity is no easy task. Join San Francisco Fire Chief Hayes-White in a fascinating discussion of her challenges and successes merging an urban EMS agency into a fire department.

THE DISPATCH CONNECTION: RESPONSE TIME’S MISSING LINK

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    11:00 A.M. – NOON

From the caller’s perspective, response time begins at the time 9-1-1 is dialed until the moment EMS arrives at the patient’s side. Unfortunately, nearly half of EMS agencies’ reports are based only on drive time — and driving faster is not a solution. Learn best practices in communication center call processing and how your organization can achieve reliable EMS system response performance for every patient.

UPDATE FROM WASHINGTON AND ATLANTA

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    NOON – 1:30 P.M.

Hear the latest on current developments and future projects from EMS Chief Drew Dawson from NHTSA and CDC Program Team Leader Angela Marr.

SSM APPLIED TO PATIENT FLOW

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    1:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.

What happens when you take an experienced EMS manager and bring him into the leadership of a hospital? In David Miller’s case, he took the concepts of system status management and applied them to create a “Care Traffic Control” system. Learn how demand tracking, peak load staffing and deployment strategies were used to improve one of the biggest problems affecting ED overcrowding and ambulance diversions: patient flow.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Modern EMS systems are increasingly reliant on technology and data. Information captured at dispatch flows to mobile data terminals enhanced with ePCR and then populates billing software. Advanced CAD systems, decision support systems, Internet connections, e-mail and a multitude of hand-held communication tools are all wonderful but require serious resources and focus to manage. As the chief information officer in a system known as an early adopter of technology, Frank will guide you through smart IS management decisions.

MAKING IT REAL: BRINGING TOGETHER EMS AND PUBLIC HEALTH

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Even before 9/11, leaders saw the critical importance of nurturing collaboration between public health and EMS. These two groups are crucial community resources, with overlapping missions, but they typically don’t understand or appreciate one another. Learn how the Centers for Disease Control is addressing this through The Appleseed Project, which targets specific communities for injury prevention and readiness interventions. Through case studies you’ll see how successful collaborations were put together, how public health can be a valuable ally, and why injury prevention needs to be a part of the EMS mission. You’ll hear from Angela Marr from the CDC, along with Josh Krimston and Paul Maxwell, paramedics recognized for their work in childhood injury prevention.

SAN DIEGO CASE STUDY: LESSONS LEARNED, MYTHS DISPELLED

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    4:15 P.M. – 5:15 P.M.

In 1997, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department teamed with Rural/Metro Corporation to jointly bid on the city’s RFP for ambulance service. As a result, San Diego Medical Services Enterprise was created. This unique, collaborative approach attracted national and international attention. This session dissects the workings of the partnership, dispelling many of the myths surrounding it, and offers lessons for others wishing to pursue a public/private partnership model.

THE MAJORITY & THE MINORITY: RURAL EMS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30   |    4:15 P.M. – 5:15 P.M.

The majority of EMS patients treated in the U.S. are served by large agencies in metropolitan and suburban service areas. However, the majority of EMS providers are in rural communities. What implications does this dichotomy have for EMS as a whole? What are the most pressing issues facing rural EMS agencies and their ability to serve patients? What should EMS leaders be considering when making system decisions?