Bright White Lights and Sirens: Integrating Palliative Care into Emergency Medical Services Systems (AGEM and Pallative Medicine Interest Group Sponsored)

It is currently estimated that EMS is utilized at some point in the care of 20-80% of patients enrolled in hospice. The number of patients enrolled in hospice continues to increase, accounting for nearly 20% of US home based care market. In addition, over half of hospice agency clinicians involved in a national survey, indicated that their employers intend to launch separate palliative care delivery programs as of 2023. As a result the number of patients under hospice and palliative care will continue to increase, and the associated health care expenditures for hospice alone is expected to nearly double from 2023 to 2030 from $34B to $67B annually. Patients with serious illness utilize EMS, even while under hospice or palliative care, and EMS providers are therefore called upon to assist with navigating care decisions which go beyond typical protocols, and may provide a role for treatment in place, engagement of hospice services, and potential avoidance of transport. Systems have been developed which address the gaps which result from a failure to identify and address the unique needs of this patient population. In addition educational resources are available to provide introductory training to EMS providers called upon to treat patients acute palliative care needs. Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Recognize the increasing role of EMS systems in addressing the needs of patients under palliative care and/or hospice; 2) Summarize essential aspects of EMS assessment and management of patients with palliative care needs; 3) Review and describe system models used nationally for integrating palliative care in EMS services; and 4) Reference currently available palliative care educational resources designed for EMS clinicians. Speakers have expertise in palliative care, EMS system protocols and care delivery methods, and EMS education.

 

Presenters:

  • M Riccardo Colella, DO, MPH, FACEP
  • Justin Kenneth Brooten, MD
  • Naomi George, MD MPH
  • Kenneth C. Hanson, MD
  • David H. Wang, MD
Authors

  • M Riccardo Colella, DO, MPH, FACEP

    Medical College of Wisconsin

    Dr. Colella is appointed by the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Health as the Statewide EMS Medical Director. He serves as Chief for the Division of EMS Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is the immediate-past medical director of the Milwaukee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System, a national leader in EMS serving a population of approximately one million citizens. For the past 15 years, Dr. Colella has been a continuously NIH-funded clinical trial investigator and is the founding program director for the ACGME-accredited EMS Fellowship Program.

    He completed medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, emergency medicine residency at the Medical College of Georgia, EMS Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his MPH: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.

  • Justin K. Justin K. Brooten, MD

    Wake Forest University School of Medicine

    Dr. Brooten currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, and the Associate Program director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. He is dual board certified in Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care and has appointments in the Wake Forest School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. His research interests and educational endeavors focus on the emergency care of older adults and the early integration of palliative care in emergency medical care settings, including prehospital emergency care. In addition, he is interested in the use of clinical informatics methods and utilizing EMR systems to identify patients at high risk for in hospital mortality, and other patient populations who may benefit from early palliative care interventions. He is the co-founder and CEO of PalliEM.org, a website and podcast with the mission of providing free online medical education resources to clinicians interested in applying palliative care principles and skills in emergency medical settings. He completed his medical training at the Medical College of Georgia/UGA medical partnership, and his residency and fellowship training at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston Salem North Carolina. He currently practices emergency medicine in community and academic settings, and is also an inpatient palliative care consultant at Atrium Health, Wake Forest Baptist. He is happy to call the beautiful piedmont region of North Carolina home, where he lives with his wife and two children.

  • Naomi George, MD MPH

    University of New Mexico

    I am an emergency and critical care medicine physician working at the intersection of serious illness and acute care medicine, focused on understanding the underlying social drivers of health and systems barriers for patients and families facing serious illness, and developing and implementing interventions to improve patient-centered outcomes and health equity.

  • Kenneth C. Hanson, MD

    Landmark

    Board certification in Emergency Medicine, Fellow ACEP, subspecialty certification in EMS, Fellow NAEMSP, subspecialty certification in HPM. Past Chair of AAHPM EM-Special Interest Group.
    Palliative Lead and Associate Medical Director East Michigan Market, Optum Health
    Community Faculty Emergency Medicine Residency and EMS Fellowship Central Michigan University College of Medicine
    Flight Surgeon, 122 Fighter Wing, Indiana Air National Guard, rank of Lt Col.

  • David H. Wang, MD

    Mass Advantage

    Health Plan

    Ex- palliative care department chair
    Ex- ACEP palliative section chair
    Ex- AAEM palliative section founding chair
    Ex- AAHPM emergency medicine section chair

Related Media