1 Foreward

MEMORIAL EMS SYSTEM PREHOSPITAL POLICIES MANUAL

Springfield Memorial Hospital EMS System
Prehospital Policies Manual
Developed June 2013
Updated March 2023

FOREWORD

As healthcare continues to evolve at an ever faster pace, Emergency Medical Services gains greater opportunities to improve upon the care it provides to its patient population. In 2013, Memorial EMS took a large step forward to improve the care provided to those in need. As such, this edition stands to be the last full rewrite of EMS protocols. The ease of technology has allowed us to learn more than ever before. This rapid spread of medical information has also caused us to outdated medical knowledge faster than ever before. As Emergency Medical Service professionals, we must be able to adapt to those changes, adopting what is appropriate to our situations, and abandoning that which had been proven to be less effective. Moving forward we must be able to change more quickly than a complete rewrite would allow. Based on regular scheduled review of best practices and EMS literature, changes to specific protocols will be the process from this point on.

In order to continue to move forward, we must continue to work as a team. This team approach is the concept introduced by Dr. Matt Jackson as he worked to bring the system up to a more modern approach while serving as EMS Medical Director. It continues to be the approach we want to use. Thank you to those who volunteered to serve on the protocol review committee and meet over a series of months reviewing every page of the protocols for what needed improvement based on their provider prospective. The team approach continued by working with the receiving facilities and specialty services to streamline the needs of those receiving areas. On that note, I want to personally thank Sara Brown, EMT-P, EMS System Manager, for all the time and effort she has put into the day-to-day administration of Memorial EMS system. She is truly dedicated to the education and advancement of our system.

As you review this manual, you will notice additional protocols, new equipment, as well as areas where little change was needed. One of the greatest areas of focus was improving identification of patients with life threatening and life altering complaints. As the training and equipment of EMS continues to improve the expectation of EMS continues to grow. EMS is a member of the healthcare profession and as such their role continues to grow both in scope and in importance.

We are very excited to move forward with this protocol update. Great progress has been made over the last three years which has translated to improved patient outcomes. For that you are the ones who should be applauded. We continue to ask for your support, your feedback and your ideas on how to continue to improve care for your patients and your communities.

Sincerely,
Matthew Johnston, MD EMS Medical Director, Memorial EMS System

All guidelines and information contained herein is intended solely for use within the Memorial EMS System. No other set of guidelines or any other system’s protocols, policies, or procedures shall supersede the guidelines set forth in this manual or be utilized in place of this manual by any provider in the Memorial EMS System without explicit approval of the Memorial EMS System Medical Director.

In order to maintain the most up to date practices, it is the goal of the Memorial EMS System to provide regular updates to its protocols, policies and procedures. Twice a year, any updates to the Memorial EMS System Protocols will take effect. These changes will occur on the first Monday following the changes to and from Daylight Savings Time.

It is the responsibility of all providers within the Memorial EMS System to be alert for any changes, modify all printed version of documents and adhere to the newest editions of protocols. All protocol changes will be available on the Memorial EMS website.

EMS Medical Director
Matthew Johnston, MD

Associate Medical Directors
Nathan Jones, MD, FACEP
Tyler Fulks, MD, FACEP
James Hart, MD

Hospitals of the Memorial EMS System

Resource Hospital

Springfield Memorial Hospital

Associate/Affiliate Hospitals

Lincoln Memorial Hospital

Taylorville Memorial Hospital

Jacksonville Memorial Hospital

Decatur Memorial Hospital

Participating Hospitals

Carlinville Area Hospital

Area Resource Hospitals

HSHS St. John's Hospital