UC Fire Science Offering Community Paramedicine Residency March 21-25, 2016

The

University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science

(UC CEAS)

Fire Science & Emergency Management Program

is now offering a new one-week course on “Community Paramedicine (Mobile Integrated Health Care): Partnerships & Income Opportunities” from

9 a.m.-4 p.m.,

March 21-25, 2016, at Boy Scouts of America, 10078 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241

.

Community Paramedicine is a practice which allows paramedics to make “house calls” without all the lights and sirens, similar to how doctors made house visits to their patients many, many years ago. It has been around for nearly a decade in some parts of the country, with the goal of providing non-emergency care to frequent 911 callers and patients recently.

Larry Bennett, Fire Science Program chair and an attorney, explains, “It’s a good thing because it’s going to reduce the misuse of emergency departments. And it’s a good thing because it’s going to tie community resource to patients who need them.”

The residency will kick off at 9 a.m., Monday, March 21, 2016, with State Senator Bill Seitz welcoming attendees and publicly recognizing a new

pilot program on congestive heart failure patients with The Christ Hospital and fire departments in five Southwest Ohio Counties:

• Butler County – City of Monroe Fire Department
• Clermont County – Miami Township Fire Department
• Hamilton County – Cincinnati Fire Department; Colerain Township Fire Department
• Montgomery County – Jefferson Township Fire Department
• Warren County – Deerfield Township Fire Department

Senator Seitz was the lead author of the

new Ohio law ORC 4765.361

which allows certified paramedics and Ohio emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to perform in such non-emergency instances. Should the responder assess and determine the patient’s situation to be indeed an emergency, they would then alert The Christ Hospital and immediately transport the patient for more intensive care.

Bennett says, “We particularly want to thank our Adjunct Professor Mark Johnston for launching the pilot with The Christ Hospital.  He was a career firefighter/paramedic for 30 years, and is now is the EMS Coordinator at The Christ Hospital.”

The one-week course will also cover numerous community fire & emergency challenges, including:

• Fall Prevention
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Social Work
• Tele-Health: Robots, I-Pads and UC Collaboratory House
• Community Resources for Frail Seniors and People with Disabilities Living at Home
• Mental Health- Alzheimer’s
• Community Services for Alcohol and Drugs
• Care Plans for High-Risk Patients

Additionally, the residency will feature best practices from subject matter experts, including:

• Maureen Corl, Coordinated Care Program Manager of the Chest Pain and Heart Failure Network for The Christ Hospital Health Network
• Laurie Petrie, Vice President of Communications for the Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio

Those wishing to attend on Monday, March 21, may do so without charge (no credit). If you have questions, contact UC Fire Science office at 513-556-6583, or send e-mail to Lawrence T. Bennett at Lawrence.bennett@uc.edu. For more information about the Fire Science & Emergency Management Program, please visit: http://aerospace.ceas.uc.edu/FireScience