News

Check out OKAMA in action in the Oklahoma Health Care Authority Newsletter! This month's issue features an article about Dr. Robert Evans receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Association. Congratulations, Dr. Evans!

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Please be advised that Ford has issued a recall of late-model Transits. 

From the Ford website:

• Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 400,000 2015-17 Ford Transit van/bus vehicles with medium, long and extended wheelbases and chassis cab/cutaways with medium wheelbases to replace the driveshaft flexible coupling.
• In the affected vehicles, continuing to operate a vehicle with a cracked flexible coupling may cause separation of the driveshaft, resulting in a loss of motive power while driving or unintended vehicle movement in park without the parking brake applied. In addition, separation of the driveshaft from the transmission can result in secondary damage to surrounding components, including brake and fuel lines. A driveshaft separation may increase the risk of injury or crash.
• Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with this issue.

• Affected vehicles include 2015-17 Ford Transit vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant, Jan. 17, 2014 to June 15, 2017.

• The recall involves approximately 402,462 vehicles in North America (370,630 in the U.S., 2,361 in federalized territories, 3,217 in Mexico and 26,254 in Canada). The Ford reference number for this recall is 17S15.
• Based on the field data, Ford does not expect the current flexible couplings to deteriorate sufficiently to result in driveline separation in vehicles with less than 30,000 miles. Hence, for affected vehicles with under 30,000 miles or vehicles that have had a driveshaft or driveshaft flexible coupling replaced within the last 30,000 miles, no alteration or interim repair is required until the vehicle or replaced flexible coupling reaches 30,000 miles. At that point, the customer should schedule an appointment with their dealer for the interim repair to be performed.
•  For affected vehicles with more than 30,000 miles, the interim repair will consist of replacing the driveshaft flexible coupling every 30,000 miles until the final repair is available and completed. Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the flexible coupling replaced immediately at no cost. When the permanent repair is available, owners will be notified that they may schedule an appointment with their dealer to have either a redesigned flexible coupling with a modified driveshaft bracket and shield or a revised driveshaft equipped with a universal joint installed at no cost.

Thanks to Ray Simpson for sharing this FDA Bulletin with OKAMA!

Due to the ongoing critical shortages of injectable drugs used in critical care, FDA is alerting health care professionals and emergency responders of updated dates through which some of these injectable drugs, manufactured by Hospira Inc, a Pfizer company, may be used beyond the manufacturer’s labeled expiration date. To help ensure patient safety, these products should have been — and should continue to be — stored as per labeled conditions.

Hospitals that have the following lot numbers in stock will be able to use them through the corresponding new use dates to help with supply. As data on additional emergency syringe products and lot numbers become available, this list can be expanded.

Further information is found here. Please contact CDER Drug Shortage Staff at drugshortages@fda.hhs.gov with questions regarding these tables.

Check out OKAMA's Facebook page for photos of Oklahoma Ambulance Association member organization Stars and Hosts in Washington, DC!

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Check out the latest photos from the OKAMA Spring Conference and Stars of Life on Facebook! http://bit.ly/OKAMA17

43rd Annual EMS Week
“Always In Service”
May 21–27, 2017

Each year, EMS Week celebrates the contributions of EMTs, Paramedics, Dispatchers, and other EMS professionals to their communities. Thank you for your service!

The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, Ground Vehicle Standard Division (CAAS-GVS) will be holding an open forum for organizations involved in the remounting of ambulances. The intent of this meeting is to identify and establish a dialogue with FSAMs and third party Remounters of ambulances in an effort to collect information that may be used in an identified project to create standards for the ambulance remount industry.

Any organization with interest in this topic is invited to attend, including ambulance builders, remounters, regulators, customers and component/material vendors.

CAAS GVS Remount Forum
June 7, 2017
NEW LOCATION: Harris Convention Center
Charlotte, NC
Register Now►

The message below was delivered to OKAMA on May 15 from the Oklahoma State Department of Health's Administrative Program Manager, EMS Division, Dale Anderson.

The Oklahoma Emergency Response System Stabilization and Improvement Revolving Fund FY 2018 (OERSSIRF FY 2018) Request for Proposals (RFP) has been released.

RFP Link

The completed proposals are to be returned to the Department by June 13, 2017 at 3:00 P.M. CDT.

The pre-proposal conference is scheduled for Monday, May 22, 2017 at: 

1:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Room 1102
1000 Northeast 10th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73117

Any questions regarding OERSSIRF will need to be submitted by email to Susan Wiest at susanw@health.ok.gov.   Questions must be submitted by email no later than close of business on Wednesday,  May 31, 2017.  Responses to the questions we have received will be posted following this deadline as an amendment, to be copied and attached to the proposal.

The scoring meetings are tentatively scheduled for the week of June 18, 2017.  Any person interested in serving as a reviewer for the proposals should contact me via email.

Additional emails related to the RFP and scoring process will be sent periodically.

Congratulations to our 2017 Stars!

Matthew Bradshaw
Field Training Officer, Critical Care Paramedic

REACT EMS
Shawnee, OK

REACT EMS is proud to recognize Matthew Bradshaw as a Star of Life 2017. Matt is a Field Training Officer and Critical Care Paramedic who has spent seven years with REACT.

Matt is most appreciated for his tireless efforts to work with new Paramedics, developing them into skilled practitioners. To a person, Matt’s mentored Paramedics compliment his ability to help them identify areas to study as well as his ability to help them understand material to a level that enhances their patient care skills. Matt takes great pride in each of his charges, but never seems to overwhelm them with his expectations. A sign of a true leader is one that makes others around him better. Matt Bradshaw is a perfect example of that characteristic.

Matt was Active Duty military for six years, and spent four years in the Reserves. He served in the Air Force, Army, and Navy. He started his EMS career as his military ended. He has worked for a variety of EMS organizations, and has been benefiting REACT since 2008.

Matt and his wife, Shannon, are the proud parents of five children, ages six weeks to 20 years. Needless to say, they stay busy. Hunter is a junior at Baylor in the School of Nursing. Noah (7) and Jakob (5) are both playing baseball and have plenty of practices and games to attend. Carson likes to go along to baseball games and when they all go to the farm to ride the four-wheelers and feed the chickens.

The REACT family and all of our patients have benefited from Matt being an important part of our team. We are proud to recognize him as our Star for 2017.

Congratulations to our 2017 Stars!

Galen Hankal
Field Supervisor
REACT EMS
Shawnee, OK

REACT EMS is proud to recognize Galen Hankal as a Star of Life 2017. Galen is a Field Supervisor and Paramedic for REACT. With 11 years of experience, Galen is a true leader to all personnel and a reliable leader on the most challenging calls.

In addition to his daily duties, Galen is the primary leader to manage and help EMTs and Paramedics looking to join our REACT Team. Galen shepherds the applicants from the first visit through our testing and interviews to selection and orientation, preparing them to be strong assets to our mission.

Galen and his wife, Lezlie, are the parents of Collin (9) and Liam (6). They are an avid baseball family and go fishing with the boys during the off season.

Galen has always shown compassion for his patients and the patients of his crews. Recently, Collin was injured in an ATV accident while visiting at his grandparents’ home. Suddenly, Galen and Lezlie were the family of an EMS patient. Collin was rushed to a rural facility and soon transported by air EMS to the Childrens’ Hospital for his internal injuries. Collin recovered completely, but it was a challenging experience for the whole family. Galen values the role of out-of-hospital providers even more, and his compassion for the families of our patients is even stronger.

Galen is an excellent example of the great EMTs and Paramedics working at REACT. Again, we are proud that Galen Hankal is our Star of Life for 2017.