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Conference Wrap-Up

While the information contained in this news article was current and accurate when we posted it, it may not necessarily represent current WVOEMS policy or procedure. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 304-558-3956.

Posted: Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:59 AM

Approximately 275 EMTs, Paramedics, Nurses, Physicians, Administrators, Vendors, and Sponsors attended the 31^st Annual EMS Conference in Flatwoods, West Virginia (photos available from the image gallery). This year's conference program was focused on management, finance, and supervision matters. The Conference Committee was able to assemble an outstanding faculty from West Virginia and across the nation. The vendors were also widely distributed from Pennsylvania to the State of Washington and from South Carolina to Michigan. This year's sponsors included: Air Evac Lifeteam, Bill Bailey Insurance Agency, HealthNet Aeromedical, Ohio Valley Medical Center, and Priority Medical Claims.

Featured speakers included Dr. Nadine Levick, MD, MPH, who presented EMS Safety Trends and Safety Best Practice Implementation at the conference. Dr. Levick is a renowned emergency physician and public health and safety researcher. She is an Australian trained, board certified emergency medicine physician who has conducted key research internationally in the field of safety of EMS transport and injury control. She has a Masters Degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in Health Policy and Management. In 2003, she was the recipient of the prestigious International Society for Automotive Engineers Women's Leadership Award for her contribution to EMS transport safety.

Dr. Greg Mears, MD, FACEP presented the West Virginia PreMIS and EMS Toolkits program. He is an emergency physician serving as the North Carolina EMS Medical Director. Dr. Mears is Executive Director of the EMS Performance Improvement Center and Co-Investigator for the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS). He also serves as an Associate Professor for the UNC School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, NC.

Dr. E. Phillips Polack, MD, MA, FACS, made an outstanding presentation on effective communication skills. Dr. Polack, who is a practicing plastic surgeon at Wheeling Hospital, is a 1971 graduate of the West Virginia School of Medicine and a Clinical Professor of Surgery at West Virginia University. During 2007, he served as the Governor of the West Virginia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. He received a Masters Degree in Organizational and Corporate Communication from West Virginia University in 2006. Dr. Polack co-authoried the textbook " Applied Communication for Health Professionals."

Photo gallery

A photo gallery has been posted with pictures from every event.