The RPPEO is pleased to announce the full lineup for Fall 2023 CME under the theme At the Heart of the Matter: Emergency Cardiac Care. Advanced Care Paramedics (ACP) certified by the RPPEO and Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) from participating paramedic services are invited to learn the latest evidence-based approaches and practise intervention skills for cardiac emergencies.

Beginning on October 11, 2023, paramedics have access to the 4-hour Fall 2023 CME online prerequisite content on MedicLEARN. The didactic content includes 5 major topics:

• Medical cardiac arrest
• Bradycardia
• STEMI
• Tachycardia
• Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)

See the RPPEO Fall 2023 CME Program for more details.

Following completion of the didactic content online, your paramedic service will work with you to schedule your time in the classroom this Fall or Winter.

All paramedics in the region are also invited to participate in a special live event featuring Dr. Sheldon Cheskes discussing “DOSE VF: One Year Later” on October 6 at 10am. Register here to attend live.

Those unable to attend live who are participating in Fall 2023 CME will view a recording of the talk during the online portion of CME.

RPPEO Fall 2023 CME is mandatory education for ACPs and provides partial credit toward annual Maintenance of Certification requirements. For more information, see Certification.

Paramedics participating in Fall CME will receive an email providing additional information and the Fall 2023 CME Program. For any questions or additional information, you may reach out to education@RPPEO.ca.

Fall_2023_CME_Program.pdf

In this issue:

• Get the When, Where and What of Your Fall CME
• Patient Choice, Ethical Practice and the DNR Conundrum in BHP Corner
• Find Great Elective CME with RPPEO Live Events This Autumn in Continuing Education

Plus: be the first to see the new palliative care video, find more online electives, get our link recommendations, and more in September MedicNEWS!

RPPEO’s bi-monthly online news magazine for paramedics, MedicNEWS is your key to insight on the current issues in clinical practice for Eastern Ontario.

Click here to read the latest issue.

RPPEO paramedics are invited to attend a live online discussion about the landmark "DOSE VF" study on October 6, 2023 at 10am. Register now for this event!

Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, principal investigator and lead author of the paper, Defibrillation Strategies for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation published in November 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine, will present a discussion of the research findings and applicability. Hosted by RPPEO Education Coordinator Zach Cantor, this one-hour session will give you the opportunity to ask your questions.

Dr. Cheskes is a Professor with the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital and an affiliate scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute. He is the Medical Director for the Regions of Halton and Peel with the Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine. He is one of the principal investigators for the Canadian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (CanROC) and is a recognized international authority in the area of CPR quality and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation. Dr. Cheskes has published over 140 manuscripts in high impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, CMAJ and Resuscitation that have changed resuscitation practice around the world.

This RPPEO live event is presented as part of RPPEO Fall 2023 CME. Paramedics who attend the live event will receive credit toward Fall CME requirements. This year, ACPS are required to complete Fall CME. All PCPs are welcome to attend this event and any who are planning to complete Fall CME will receive credit. 

Registration for the live event is limited and RPPEO ACPs will receive priority placement for registration. When registering, please include your OASIS# in the field labeled, "job title." We look forward to this discussion with you!

If you have questions about this live event or Fall 2023 CME, please email RPPEO at education@RPPEO.ca.

RPPEO paramedics are invited to attend an online discussion about the landmark "DOSE VF" study on October 6, 2023 at 10am. Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, principal investigator and lead author of the paper, Defibrillation Strategies for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation published last year in the New England Journal of Medicine, will present and host a discussion. 

This live webinar is presented as part of RPPEO Fall 2023 CME. Paramedics who attend the live event will receive credit toward Fall CME requirements. This year, ACPS are required to complete Fall CME. PCPs are welcome to attend this event and any who are planning to complete Fall CME will receive credit. 

Registration details are forthcoming.

Fall 2023 CME for Advanced Care Paramedics launches online October 11, 2023.

At the Heart of the Matter: Emergency Cardiac Care provides the theme for learning in both the online prerequisite content and the classroom practical session.

More information including a full description of the topics will be available after Labour Day.

This 8 hour CME offering is required for ACPs. Primary Care Paramedics are welcome to attend at the discretion of your paramedic service. 

 

Your July edition of MedicNEWS is here!

RPPEO’s bi-monthly online news magazine for paramedics is your key to insight on the current issues in clinical practice for Eastern Ontario.

Here’s what you’ll find in this issue of MedicNEWS:

• ALS PCS 5.2 in Force July 10, 2023 in Medical Direction
• Meet the New Interim Medical Director - Who You Already Know in Medical Direction
• Parse the Evidence for Treating A Special Population in Cardiac Arrest in BHP Corner
• Get Some Elective CME for Summer in Continuing Education
• See RPPEO's Save Program in Action at Lanark Paramedic Service's Awards Ceremony in Quality & Patient Safety
• Here's How the Paradigm Change In Patient Discharge Plays Out: A Case Study in A Window on Care
• Beyond Misconceptions in Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures in Continuing Education

The Ministry of Health has released the newest iteration of the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards (ALS PCS), version 5.2. This updated version of the Standards comes into force on Monday, July 10, 2023.

Immediate practice-related changes are limited and include updates to 2 core medical directives (Opioid Toxicity and Withdrawal Medical Directive and Nausea/Vomiting Medical Directive). Paramedics will find changes to auxiliary medical directives within the Chemical Exposure directives and the Special Event directives.

RPPEO anticipates an explanatory memo on the practice-related changes from the provincial Ontario Base Hospital Group later in July. Meanwhile, we encourage paramedics to contact RPPEO if you have any questions or concerns once you've reviewed ALS PCS 5.2.

The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario is pleased to announce the Ottawa Hospital’s appointment of Dr. Michael Austin, MD, FRCPC, DRCPSC (PTM) to the position of Regional Base Hospital Medical Director effective July 1, 2023.

Dr. Austin is an emergency physician at the Ottawa Hospital’s General and Civic Campuses. He holds an appointment as Associate Medical Director at the RPPEO. He is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa, a Clinician Investigator in the Clinical Epidemiology Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and the National Medical Director/Chair & President of the Board of the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation. Additionally, Dr. Austin holds the role of Director for both the Prehospital Transport Medicine (PTM) Program and PTM Fellowship Program within the Department of Emergency Medicine.

Following graduation from the University of Tasmania Medical School in 2008, Dr. Austin completed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa. He also pursued a PTM Fellowship and holds a Diploma in PTM with RCPSC. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Austin worked as an advanced care paramedic in both land and wilderness helicopter settings in the United States and Australia. He has received recognition for his exceptional service from the Ontario Paramedic Association and has been the recipient of numerous other awards. With a strong focus on out-of-hospital research, paramedicine, disaster medicine and preparedness, wilderness and remote medicine, and medical response teams, Dr. Austin is an accomplished research scientist with several publications to his name (see Dr. Austin's Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Profile for more details).

Outgoing RPPEO Medical Director, Dr. Richard Dionne, completed his term on June 30, 2023. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Dionne for his remarkable service to Ontario and his commitment to patients and paramedics.

Beginning July 1, 2023, as interim Regional Medical Director under the authority of the Ambulance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.19 , Dr. Austin provides overall regional medical direction for the region’s paramedics including medical delegation related to all standing orders for paramedics who receive certification from the RPPEO.  

In this issue

• Leading the Way: A Video Message for You from Your Medical Director
• The Unexpected Consequences of Epinephrine in BHP Corner
• Side Hustle: How about a part-time gig with RPPEO?! In Announcements
• The Missed Opportunity: How Paramedics Can Influence Patient Outcomes in Quality & Patient Safety
• Discharge Risks: A Comprehensive Guide for Paramedics in A Window on Care
• The Game-Changers: The Latest Medical Advisories You Can't Afford to Miss
• Are YOU Authorized for Patient Discharge? in Continuing Education

The Ontario Base Hospital Group Education Subcommittee (OBHG ESC) has released its Companion Document for the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards version 5.1. 

The Companion Document is an educational tool that helps to provide clarification on changes and updates to the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards.

Medical Directives Page