April 16, 2020 • EIIC

EMSC Pulse

A digest of EMSC Program News and Activities

Issue #48 | April 16, 2020

Top News

Family Advisory Network (FAN) Mail!

This section was meant to provide helpful tips and discussion about topics important to families and their advocates – and hopefully some fun stuff along the way too! To continue to provide the best content and information for our FANs …

Save the Dates!

Please save the date! EMSC Town Halls will be held every three months from 3:00 pm to 4:30pm eastern time on the second Wednesday of the month. Next call is on May 14, 2020.Please check with all these organizations …

From Open Pediatrics: New Mechanical Ventilator Simulator

Open Pediatrics is excited to announce an updated version of their Mechanical Ventilator Simulator! This release incorporates the most recent evidence-based guidelines in pediatric and adult ventilation, as well as COVID-19 information and COVID-19 patient cases. You can access and share the training here: https://www.openpediatrics.org/assets/simulator/ventilator-simulator

ASPR Pandemic Contagion Private Sector Tabletop Exercise Materials

HHS ASPR developed a COVID-19 tabletop exercise for the private sector, including owners/operators, company legal counsel, communication teams, Human Resources, and other key company leadership. This document includes links to all the materials needed to carry out this exercise. Exercise materials include: Private Sector Exercise in a Box Instructions, Player Handbook, Facilitator Guide, PowerPoint Presentation, Draft Summary Report Template, and Participant Feedback Form.

Please visit the ASPR TRACIE Novel Coronavirus Resource page for to view additional COVID-19 Healthcare Planning Resources and select COVID-19 Technical Assistance Responses.

The National Pediatric Readiness Assessment Postponed

The National Pediatric Readiness (NPRP) Assessment, scheduled to launch in June 2020, has been postponed due to the rapidly evolving situation with COVID-19. We appreciate the tireless efforts of the EMS and EMSC community to prioritize their state response to these changing health needs. We will provide more detail on the timing of the NPRP Assessment as details emerge. Visit www.pedsready.org to stay up on assessment details. We wish continued health and safety to all.

Download a copy of the flyer here.

COVID-19 -- new resources for helping families and healthcare staff

The impact of the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic goes beyond the threat of infection and physical disease. This evolving situation also has a psychological and emotional impact. The Center for Pediatric Traumatic Stress has updated their online toolbox to provide resources to help families and care providers navigate our current reality.

All children and families face disruption and changes to normal life. Families with a child who has an existing health condition may have particular stressors and worries.

Frontline healthcare staff are experiencing stressful, and often distressing, challenges in their work and professional roles – while they deal with disruptions in their personal life as well.

Our aim is to provide useful tools for healthcare staff and for families that can:

aid in understanding the stress and potential traumatic stress related to the pandemic, and
promote coping and resilience.

What you’ll find:

Resources for children and families - Learn how to help your child cope, downloadable tip sheets, and additional resources.

Resources for healthcare staff - Learn how stress of the pandemic impacts healthcare staff, how to build coping and resilience skills, and signs of secondary traumatic stress.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Children’s Bureau offers a wealth of resources for healthcare professionals, child care providers, families and educators on how to recognize signs of abuse and what you can do in such situations. The Children’s Bureau also offers resources for care providers of children with health challenges on early interventions which lead to improved long term outcomes. Please visit The Child Welfare Information Gateway for additional information. We also encourage you to revisit the Child Abuse Screening webinar hosted by EIIC in April 2019 and presented by Dr. Kathleen Adelgais and Dr. Daniel Lindberg.

From Our Partners

The AAP offers a COVID-19 web page on AAP.org where you can find the latest clinical guidance, information on PPE, practice management resources, including telehealth and coding, as well as details on AAP advocacy efforts. This page is updated daily and is the best place to locate AAP resources.

Changing the Message: Children ARE Impacted in the Covid-19 Pandemic

While the number of confirmed cases among children testing positive for this disease is low at this time, children are significantly impacted in many ways by the current situation. Whether it is the change in their daily schedule, their inability to play and socialize with peers, new family routines, receiving online education, lack of access to health care, or anxiety about the impact that the virus or the economy is having on the family as a whole, children have many needs to be recognized and addressed in this pandemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has guidance for clinicians and parents/caregivers on these important topics. Quick 20-minute webinars offer important updates and perspectives to help those who care for children to recognize critical areas of interest.

Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) has a dedicated webpage for up to date COVID-19 resources. You can access these resources here. The ENA encourages everyone, including healthcare providers, to refer to and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding any activity related to COVID-19.

EMS Week is May 17-23!

EMS Week celebrates both the EMS profession and professionals for the vital role they play in the healthcare continuum. Each year, every weekday of EMS Week is appointed a theme that represents the multi-faceted nature of EMS. The EIIC website provides fact sheets, with a pediatric focus, identifying their importance, and providing ideas on ways to celebrate them. Find it here