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Letters
| From: | CK |
|---|---|
| To: | Representative Cappelli |
| Date: | Monday, 03/21/05 |
| Subject: | Loss of QRS Certifications by Police and Fire Departments |
Dear Representative Cappelli:
Having worked in all tiers of the EMS System here in Lycoming
County from Quick Response Services, Basic Life Support
Ambulances and Advanced Life Support Services as a Prehospital
Nurse / Paramedic in Lycoming County for nearly 30 years, I have
seen Services develop over the years with the common goal of
SAVING LIVES in our communities. We have seen the success of
this system time and time again, which has been a model for
other systems across the Commonwealth and across the Country.
The purpose of this letter is make you aware of a serious
problem that is occurring by regulations handed down by the PA
Department of Health. Recently I attended the LTS EMS Council
meeting and became acutely aware of a disturbing trend in the
LTS tiered system of response by our local QRS Responders. Due
to the over regulation by the Department of Health requiring
duplication of documentation that is already provided by BLS and
ALS transport services, many of these vital QRS services are
dropping their QRS Certifications. This decision by these
services has resulted in their loss of EMSOP Funding, which is
used to maintain the state of the art life saving equipment that
these units carry such as Automated External Defibrillators,
Airway management, Oxygen delivery and Hemorrhage Control
equipment. As future funding becomes tighter and this equipment
needs to be replaced, my fear is that without EMSOP Funding this
equipment will likely be dropped from these units. This will
eventually result in the LOSS OF LIVES that would have been
previously saved by early defibrillation and other LIFE SAVING
care provided by these QRS units. I see this as a breakdown in
the vital first step of saving lives brought on by this over-
regulation of these services requiring duplication of
documentation.
I am aware that a number of the Police QRS Units made a similar
request to the Department but it fell on deaf ears.
Consequently these services are no longer Certified by the
Department of Health as QRS Units and they have lost their
ability to apply for EMSOP funding.
I believe that the Department of Health needs to reconsider
these regulations and work to develop a system, which can allow
these QRS services to be compliant with the data collection with
ease, prevent duplication of information and yet continue to
provide these LIFE SAVING services. It makes no sense to have
duplication of the same information in separate charts from QRS,
BLS and ALS units. I would propose that a system of charting be
developed that is tiered much the same as the care that is
provided, rather than duplication by 2 or 3 agencies for the
care of one patient. This would allow the input of information
by all tiers involved in the care of the patient, provide for
more accurate data collection regarding the care of this patient
and maintain this vital step in saving lives in our communities.
I would ask for your assistance in resolving this critical issue
that will eventually result in loss of QRS Units and LOSS OF
LIVES in our communities. If you have any questions regarding
this matter, please feel free to contact me at your earliest
convenience.
Respectfully,
Charles E. Kiessling Jr., RN, BSN, CEN, EMT
Lycoming County Coroner