Members present:
Marv Birnbaum
Cheryl Glomp
Dan Williams
Dick Collyard
Tim Bjelland
Don Hunjadi
Steve Teale
Gloria Wall
Karen Wesley

Bureau Staff:
Rick Barney
Jon Morgan
Nan Turner
Nicky Anders
Mary Jean Erschen
Ann Moses
Marianne Peck
Linda Hale

Others in Attendance: Representing:
Judy Jones Luther – Eau Claire
Don Kimlicka Gunderson Lutheran – LaCrosse
Robert Haight Marshfield Fire
Jan Victorson Bayfield Co. Emergency Management
Keith Kesler Douglas Co. Emergency Management
Mark Madigan County Rescue
Pat Kilbane Professional Firefighters of WI
Linda Pace Madison Area Tech. College
Michael Fraley St. Joseph’s Hospital – Marshfield
Keith Wesley Sacred Heart – Eau Claire
Beth Natter Mercy Hospital – Janesville
Barb Kuska Beloit Memorial Hospital
Tom McCarrier Mid-State Technical College
Kathy Crandall EMS Coordinator
Lorie Utech Prohealth Care Inc.
Dave Henning Gold Cross – Fox Valley
Mindy Allen Green Co EMS
Mary Austin Monroe Clinic
Jon Rubin Milw. Co. EMS
Vickie Zietlow Mid-State Technical College
Robin Blankenship Gateway Technical College
Randy McCartney West Bend FD
Patricia Padjen UW Hospital
Dawn Nelson Douglas Co 911
Barb Johnson Gunderson Lutheran
Bill Bazan WHHA
Sherry Kirkpatrick Mercy – Walworth
Julie Brady Waukesha County Technical College
Bruce Erickson Waukesha County Technical College
Robert Stedman Milwaukee Area Technical College
Connie Henry Sauk Prairie Hospital
Carol Immerman Fraciscan Skemp - LaCrosse

Dan Williams called the meeting to order at 10:15 at the East Towne Suites, Madison. Everyone in attendance introduced himself or herself.

Motion by Tim Bjelland, second by Dick Collyard to accept the September 2001 Board minutes. Unanimous approval.

Margie Liberski raised the issue about evacuation procedures for disabled individuals in tall buildings. She asked the Board to consider providing input to a Governor’s committee on disabilities rethinking the policy of disabled individuals waiting in the stairwells for rescuers to arrive. She would like a Board representative to attend the January 2002 meeting.
EMS Section will try to find out background information from Fire Chiefs Association and will get information from Margie about the time and place of the next meeting. The section will identify the appropriate person to attend.

Agenda item #4 Committee Updates

Standing Committees gave their reports. Included in each standing committee report was a report from any ad hoc committees that are assigned to the standing committee.

Karen Wesley reported on the meeting. There was a forum of EMS data users that did a needs assessment of an ideal EMS data system and laid out key data software elements and user options.

Recommendations included:

• No more WEMSIS development at this time, but current WEMSIS users will be supported. There needs to be a transition plan for current WEMSIS users once a new direction is determined.
• Web reporting as a essential option
• Key data elements
• Ability to import data from multiple databases

The committee will be looking at different data systems to help determine a new direction for furterh data collection & analysis.
The timeline for completion of a report answering the committee’s charge has been developed with an October 2002 due date.
The Data & Research committee expanded on the ad hoc committee recommendations as the primary topic of their meeting.

Cheryl Glomp reported on four education issues:

1. EMT-I curriculum is done. Recommended minimum hours are 335 for an initial course: 225 didactic, 110 clinical and 250 for a transition course: 175 didactic, 75 clinical.
2. The IV tech course is now being taught. Most classes are about 72 hours. The practical exam will be given by the training center and the written exam will be administered by the State. There is also an evaluation instrument for both teachers and students. The IV tech course will count as meeting the WI EMT-basic refresher and the additional hours will count for National Registry renewal
3. First Responder curriculum is being developed for inserting advanced skills into the FR course.
4. Ongoing evaluation of WI EMS education with the EMS Education Agenda for the Future.

Karen Wesley reported on the committee’s goals from the first meeting:

1. Identify stakeholders and develop specific goals
2. Conduct 3-4 meetings per year with stakeholders to discuss issues, legislation, etc.
3. Serve as liaison group between providers and the State EMS Office.

Dick Collyard reported on the committee meeting.

1. The committee reviewed the EMT-Intermediate rule (HFS 111) and made recommendations for changes for the public hearing. These recommendations will be considered and responded to as part of the hearing process.
2. The Interfacility Transport guidelines are being worked on by an EMS Section committee and a draft should be completed yet this year.

Marv Birnbaum reported on the committee meeting. The committee discussed:

Ad-hoc Committees

• CQI committee - Tim Bjelland reported that the committee developed a 2-year timeline and split it into four 6-month blocks: 1- Create an easy-to-use CQI document, 2 - beta test with EMS providers, 3- evaluate the document, 4 - report back to systems with a recommendation for implementation statewide.
• Disaster – Marv Birnbaum discussed a potential funding opportunity for EMS and its link to disaster management. The group is trying to identify the EMS links to other entities involved in disasters including: hospitals, clinic, emergency management, local public health departments, etc.

The Systems Committee discussed 3 issues:

1. A General Accounting Office report on federal EMS activities and potential legislation to help consolidate federal agency activities to better serve local EMS systems. The legislation will look at four federal agencies that provide input and funds to EMS: NHTSA, HRSA, CDC and the US Fire Administration. The Board was asked to comment on the proposed legislation, which includes language to provide technical assistance and grant funds to local EMS providers.
2. The finance report is not done.

Communications – Jon Morgan reported the committee is looking at 3 components in their charge: a State Communications Plan, a communication users manual for providers & "related issues" as they arise. The group is reacting to a compilation of 2 existing documents: one national and one state which provide an overview of EMS communications. Members have edited assigned sections for all members to react to. The first part of the document is now in its second version and new assignments will be done by the next meeting. The next meeting will require a larger block of time to resolve some issues about basic communication requirements.

A written report was submitted that highlighted EMSC activities. Gloria Wall reported that next year’s EMSC/Injury conference date has been set for September 16 & 17 and also asked that the Board endorse a sample patient satisfaction survey. The sample document issue was tabled and then assigned to the CQI committee to review and see how it fits into the broader CQI picture.

November 9 & 10 are the dates of the last PEPP course in Eau Claire

STAC (Statewide Trauma Advisory Council)– Marianne Peck reported that STAC met in September, but not in October. The committee is further defining what Regional Trauma Advisory Councils will look like and will be meeting with Representative DuWayne Johnsrud at their November 14^th meeting. The major objective still remaining is finding a funding source.

Dan Williams reported that he and Steve Hargarten met with DHFS Secretary Phyllis Dube to discuss funding issues and the role members of advisory groups in advocating for change. The parties met for 2 hours and clarified how the EMS Board and STAC need to proceed to secure funding for the EMS and trauma systems.

EMS Coordinators – Judy Jones reported on coordinator activities, which included:

• Establishing Liaisons with key organizations
• Recent educational presentations
• Working on an EMS Coordinator website

Keith Wesley reported on the following issues discussed at the October meeting:

1. Medical Director Course – content is being completed and staff and PAC are looking at options for interactive content on the web.
2. A due process piece has been completed for medical directors to understand how actions on EMT practice impact them and the need to include a remediation process.
3. A sample MD contract has been developed to assist services and physicians.

Future agenda items include:

1. Defining the First Responder scope of practice
2. EMT-I & EMT-P refresher training components
3. Review of draft pediatric ALS protocols
4. Review of criteria that could be used by providers considering advancing their level of EMS service, including single paramedic service.

A discussion of the first ad hoc committee meetings was held and recommendations were made for future meetings:

• Consider scheduling ad hoc committee meetings on different dates than the Board meetings
• All ad hoc committees need to complete the template document that outlines their goals, timeline and deleverables..
• Meeting minutes need to be completed within a week of the meeting and include next month’s meeting agenda

Requests for meeting times at the January meeting:

Dr. Barney reported on his activities and highlighted the following:

1. The drug Amiodorone should be added to the new EMT-Intermediate scope of practice & rule.
2. He has been involved with local providers on scope of practice issues.
3. Coordinating with STAC to try to find funding for EMS & trauma.
4. Review of EMT-I curriculum is done and has been approved for scope of medical practice.
5. Attending and providing input on interfacility transport document
6. HFS 112 – Most of the rule becomes effective December 1, 2001 and the remaining piece for staffing of existing paramedic service is currently in the legislative process.

Nicky Anders gave a report on how EMS Funding Assistance dollars have been allocated in the past year, including mini-grants. There were general questions about the 2001 allocation and how to optimize the use of the funds.

Steve Teale gave an overview of the increased costs for EMT-basic classes because courses are offered as a diploma program and are billed as 4 credits vs. 3 1/2 credits for an adult education course. The contracts for this fiscal year were signed at the lower rate. The higher rate of reimbursement includes an evaluation component. The Board requested that if the higher rate is reimbursed, that the evaluation report be presented to the Board. Steve Teale agreed to present that report to the Board. Motion by Dick Collyard, seconded by Don Hunjadi, to not reimburse at the higher diploma rate. All Present – Nay.

Motion by Tim Bjelland, seconded by Cheryl Glomp, to reimburse at the higher diploma rate this year. All Present - Aye

Systems Committee is charged by the Board to look at other FAP issues.

Motion by Don Hunjadi, second by Marv Birnbaum to oppose AB 524 as written. All Present – Aye. The Board wanted it noted that existing paramedic services needed flexibility in staffing and this should be taken into account in any proposal that might be passed.

The Board set the dates for the upcoming year. Those dates are:

• January 8 & 9 – Mosinee
• March 5 & 6 – Madison
• May 7 & 8 – Mosinee
• June - Board Retreat TBD
• July 9 & 10– Madison. Date to be held open for possible meeting of Board, standing committees, ad hoc committees or all of the above. This will be decided closer to the date.
• September 10 & 11 – Mosinee
• November 5 & 6 - Madison

It was decided lunch on Wednesday was not necessary.

Hospital Diversions – Assigned to EPAC at Board retreat for the physicians to draft information about diversions to send to hospitals. A recommendation was made that a document produced in New York that addresses diversion issues be forwarded to EPAC for review as a possible model for a Wisconsin letter.

Dan Williams clarified the process for committee member applications since there was some confusion of what was allowed the day of the election.. For future openings interested parties need to submit information 30 days prior to election if they want their materials send out for review by Board members in advance of the meeting. However, the policy will remain that nominations from the floor will be allowed the day of the meeting. The Board recommended that notification of committee openings include information that applicants can speak on their own behalf at the meeting when elections take place.

State Plan - Nan Turner discussed the need for an updated State EMS Plan for the 2002-2003 period. Nan will draft the plan based on the Board’s retreat priorities from June 2001 and add any new initiatives or goals since the retreat. Any Board members wanting to add items that were not included at the retreat should submit them to Nan by November 30, 2001.

An addition from the Education Committee was the request for formal approval of the EMT-Intermediate curriculum. Motion by Cheryl Glomp seconded by Tim Bjelland, to accept the EMT-I curriculum as completed. All Present - Aye.

Bob Stedman volunteered to provide further information about training center funding issues.

Motion by Tim Bjelland, second by Don Hunjadi to adjourn. All present -Aye. Meeting adjourned at 1:25 PM.