July Educational Webinar: Ready for the Rare: HCID Skills for EMS

Each month, WEMSA members will be able to access a free online webinar exclusive to members only! Accredited for 1 CEU, each month will feature a different topic that is relevant to a variety of EMS levels. This month's webinar will take place on July 23rd from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM. You must register for the course using your member profile to ensure you have access to the Zoom link.

July's topic is Ready for the Rare: High Consequence Infectious Disease Skills for EMS through the Region 5 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center.

Course Description:  Presented by the Region 5 Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center, this webinar brings together speakers with real-world experience managing and transporting high-consequence infectious disease patients. Topics include HCID readiness, transport considerations, operational coordination, safety procedures, and lessons learned from the field. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify the basic signs and symptoms of high-consequence infectious diseases and identify key risk factors based on patient history and observation.​
2. Apply straightforward isolation practices—including donning available PPE and limiting exposure—appropriate for the first few minutes on scene.​
3. Communicate quickly and clearly with dispatch, incoming transport units, and local public health when a potential HCID case is suspected

Course Speakers:

• Angie Smith is a Critical Care Paramedic with 8 years of EMS service providing advanced pre-hospital and hospital-to-hospital care. She has completed specialized NETEC and DHS courses for the management, treatment, and transport of HID patients. She has been the medical team lead for multiple HID patients, including treatment plan for before and during transport, ensuring the safety of the team during transport, and leading donning/doffing procedures. 
• Sara Thul, MSN RN – Sara Thul has been a Registered Nurse since 2006.  She has worked at the University of Minnesota Medical Center for 19 years with roles ranging from bedside nurse to Administrative Nursing Supervisor, as well as Nurse Manager.  Sara currently supports outreach for the Special Pathogen’s Unit at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, which is one of the two Region 5 RESPTCs.
• Toby Oehler, Quality Specialist with Fairview EMS, Critical Care Paramedic- Toby has more than 26 years of experience in public safety and emergency medical services.​
  Toby has also served as Operations Supervisor and EMS Educator, teaching across EMT and Paramedic programs and contributing to the development of future providers.  He has completed HCID patient transport training through NETEC and is an active member of the Fairview EMS HCID Transport Team, with direct experience in high-risk patient transports.​
  Toby holds certifications as an Ambulance Strike Team Leader and Medical Unit Leader, supporting large-scale incident response and interagency coordination. His work is focused on advancing clinical excellence, operational readiness, and provider performance within EMS systems.​

Target Audience: All First Responders