David Irvine
Henderson (N.C.) Daily Dispatch
HENDERSON, N.C. — Vance County’s capability to meet children’s emergency medical needs will be fine-tuned over the next two years, thanks to a collaboration between its EMS staff and the Department of Emergency Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill.
On Tuesday, UNC officials announced that Vance County EMS had been selected to join the Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators Plus Program, which will provide specialized pediatric training, educational opportunities and online courses for Vance County EMS providers.
Javier Plummer, director of Vance County’s Emergency Medical Services, said the selection gives the county service “an opportunity for us to stay abreast of new advances in pediatric care nationally and internationally.”
He pointed out that care for children is different from care for adults.
“They’re still developing,” he said. “Their bone structure is softer, not as developed as an adult’s.”
Children play sports, ride bikes and are active in many ways that can lead to injuries, he said.
Vance County EMS was one of 12 agencies in the state chosen to participate in the highly selective program.
Kris Talley, field training officer/paramedic and assistant shift supervisor for Vance County EMS, will coordinate local activities provided by the program.
“The reason that I was interested in becoming a [pediatric emergency care coordinator] is the ability to bring training and knowledge back to my department,” Talley said, as quoted in UNC’s announcement. “I love learning and I love teaching, so it seemed like a great fit to be able to expand not only my knowledge of pediatrics but those in my department as well.”
In July, Talley attended a full-day educational summit in Chapel Hill with representatives of the other participating EMS agencies to prepare for the new program.
They participated in seminars on specialty topics in pediatric care and engaged in hands-on training with both live actors and simulation tools.
Data on the project will be managed by ESO Solutions Inc., which will develop tools to give participants a quick turnaround on information that can help them review and improve performance.
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine developed the Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinators Plus Program in partnership with the N.C. Office of Emergency Medical Services. Funding comes from a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The program officially begins on Sept. 1 and will run for two years.
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