MERGINET.News, May 3rd - See what's new at MERGINET.News!

["Richard Bilger" <rbilger@merginet.com>]

We're pleased to bring you the latest additions to
MERGINET.News (Vol. 6, No. 5). You can view this
issue online at:

http://www.merginet.com/index-news.htm
Select "MERGINET.News" or "Current Issue" from
the navigation menu's.

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FROM THE EDITOR:
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Click onto MERGINET.News for the May 3rd, 2001, issue. You'll
find a compelling essay in Medic Life by Mike Wallace. And Tonya
Schafer has explained NFATGOS (what does THAT mean?) in very
clear terms. Our all-new Helpline, introduced last month, has
been yielding good results for many of those who ask questions of
their emergency care colleagues all over the world. If you
haven't been there, click on the "Helpline" in the left-hand
column and see how you can help someone else.

Your MERGINET columnists are here for you, as always: the
"Management Matters" section is going strong under John Becknell’
s capable hand. Harold Cohen looks at Diltiazam. There are no
sticks in the forest? See what we mean by that by clicking on
"Straight Talk." Valerie DeFrance talks about canned programs.
Taigman reviews yet another of Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" - an
excellent read, by the way!

Please feel welcome to send your comments, concerns, and
compliments. We reply to everyone who writes. Send email to
publisher Richard Bilger at rbilger@merginet.com or me at
kate@merginet.com - be in touch!

Welcome to March 2001!
Your editor, Kate Dernocoeur

################## ONLINE SURVEY ###################
        Frontier EMS Needs Your Help: EMS Provider Survey!
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Frontier EMS is in critical condition. All EMS providers can
help.
Support U.S. Senate Bill #587 (see "Good Job!" in this weeks
edition  of Sharps), and if you live in a rural/frontier area,
fill out
the survey in this release of MERGINET. Information gathered will
be used to augment an EMS need statement to state and federal
legislatures. The deadline for data collection is July 30, 2001.
The more input, the better the argument.

                Click here to help us with this survey.
            http://www.merginet.com/index-survey.htm

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New in this issue!

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Features
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>> NGFATOS: An Acronym You Can Live With
by Tonya Schafer
Health care professionals seeking to establish occupational first
aid training programs — or wanting to improve upon existing
ones — might want to click on to the Internet. The National
Guidelines for First Aid Training in Occupational Settings
(NGFATOS), America's first set of standards dealing specifically
with emergency care instruction in the workplace, is available
for free.

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Medic Life
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>> I'd Rather Be a Firefighter
by Michael Wallace
It appears that many of us would prefer to be doing something
else. This strikes me as a profoundly disturbing statement. How
is it that we find ourselves in a situation where we are
constantly thinking of doing something else? What provokes us to
be dissatisfied with our current condition? Are we that unhappy
with our life circumstances that we no longer find satisfaction
in our chosen profession?

>> STRAIGHT TALK: No Sticks in the Forest
by Kate Dernocoeur
In EMS, we have a responsibility to know our communities, be they
large, small, urban, suburban, rural, frontier. They all need
EMS, 24/7. In every community, there are the emergency care
providers, living to run calls whether they are paid or not.
Being summoned and heading into the unknown of an emergency is,
after all, the big reason why we take the time and make the
effort to train, prepare, and equip ourselves.

################# NEW SECTION! ###################
Announcing the MERGINET READER-ONLY SPECIALS!
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We are pleased to announce the Grand Opening of our online
reader-only specials section powered by Moore Medical. This
fantastic new resource allows our readers a first-hand
opportunity to purchase products that have been discounted or
placed on sale by Moore Medical. Look for new products each
week to be listed in this new section of our Shopping category.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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                               SAVE BIG BUCKS!
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Educators Corner
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>> Little Things Mean A Lot
by Valerie DeFrance
We all use multiple instructors at one time or another and most
of the slide driven programs require, or suggest, the use of
them. Depending on how well organized you or the coordinators
are, slide driven, or canned, programs can run smoothly or be
your worst nightmare. Disorganized programs rob the students of
valuable learning and may leave you and your co-instructors
looking foolish. This month we offer some help to make those
canned programs go much smoother.

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Columns
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>> Studying A Study: A Solution for Atrial Fibrillation?
by Harold Cohen
Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac dysrhythmia that is often
encountered in the out-of-hospital setting. Until recently,
out-of-hospital treatment was usually limited to monitoring,
supportive care, and transportation to the emergency department.
Since little evidence existed to warrant out-of-hospital use,
medications including digitalis, calcium channel blockers, and
beta-blockers were usually restricted to ED use.

>> Book Review: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Mike Taigman
It's so common for me to work with managers in our industry who
say, "We don't have time or money to invest in strategic planning
or training. We have to keep pushing because our numbers are
down." Covey (the author) would respond by asking ambulance
managers, "Have you ever been too busy driving to stop and get
gas?"

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Management Matters
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>> For Managers: A Service-level Audit Highlights Your Value to
Customers
by Lauren Simon Ostrow and John Becknell
When leaders at Seminole County (Florida) Department of Public
Safety decided to bid on the provision of EMS transport, they
faced a problem that all managers face: how to prove the value of
their organization to their customers.

>> For Managers: When Protocols and Customer Service Clash
by Lauren Simon Ostrow and John Becknell
EMS protocols and customer service can sometimes leave a manager
trying to answer tough questions for everyone.

More online!

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MERGINET.News Online!
Click here: http://www.MERGINET.com/index-news.htm

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