Columbia, MD — Dr. Kevin Seaman, Medical Director of Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) has been selected as an innovator in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Dr. Seaman will be recognized as one of the EMS 10: Innovators in EMS 2013 at the EMS Today Conference scheduled for February 5 – 8, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
“Excellence in innovation is something we strive for here in the county, and I applaud Dr. Seaman, along with the rest of the county’s firefighters and paramedics for their efforts,” said County Executive Ken Ulman. “These award recipients are coming up with the ideas that are moving the EMS profession forward, not just in Howard County, but in other jurisdictions as well.”
The EMS 10 program is sponsored by Physio Control and the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS); it recognizes ten EMS providers who have introduced significant innovations in the field in the past year.
Dr. Seaman was selected for his efforts involving improved response, survival rates and care for sudden cardiac arrest patients. This has made Howard County one of the leading jurisdictions in the resuscitation of cardiac arrest victims. Dr. Seaman has also worked diligently to raise awareness with regards to how the community can assist those in need of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before first responders arrive. Through community education and revising dispatch instructions and protocols, Dr. Seaman has championed HCDFRS’ comprehensive cardiac arrest survival campaign.
“I am very honored to have been selected for this program,” Seaman said. “It has been a team effort, and I think it’s really good to be able to share our ideas with other providers and jurisdictions. I think a lot of them are going to learn from what we’ve done here and hopefully take it back and improve the care where they are.”
During the conference, Dr. Seaman and EMS Captain Dale Becker will also be presenting information on the department’s successful Video Laryngoscope (Glidescope) Program, which has improved the way breathing tubes are inserted for critical patients, and showcasing the department’s High Performance CPR Program. The two were selected to speak out of over 580 submissions.