The EMS Show

Mike and Ritu sit down with your NAEMSP President Dr. Doug Kupas, for a conversation that starts with questionable college football calls and eventually gets around to EMS. (per usual)Doug shares how he got his start on an ambulance at 16, his path into EMS medicine, and why lights and sirens should be treated like any other clinical intervention: use them when they might actually help—and recognize that they come with real risk.They also talk about moving beyond response times, trusting EMS clinicians to make good decisions, Doug’s work as NAEMSP president, and what the organization is doing for the next generation of EMS physicians and professionals.It’s part EMS history, part safety lesson, and part “getting to know Doug”—with the usual amount of wandering along the way.

The EMS Show is back—again—and this time Mike Verkest and Dr. Ritu Sahni actually spend part of the episode talking about EMS.Mike and Ritu remember the late Randolph Mantooth, including the absolutely true story of running a real medical call alongside Johnny Gage himself. Then they dig into Washington County’s remarkable 60% Utstein survival rate, the “secret sauce” behind high-performing cardiac arrest systems, post-ROSC blood pressure management, peri-intubation hypotension, ECMO for severe hypothermia, and how social determinants of health are driving EMS utilization.There’s also Broadway, Little House on the Prairie, Canadian passport stamps, Portland being on fire, and a solemn promise to record another episode sometime before February. Maybe.Welcome back to The EMS Show—the podcast made for our families and the six other people still listening.

The triple threat!The EMS Show, EMS Avenger and the EMS Lighthouse Project Podcast assembled in Southern Oregon to share our experiences from the State of Jefferson EMS conference and talk a little shop.

Well, it's January, and you know what that means. Our annual Protocol update podcast. We are finally joined by David Dennis, a medical services officer with Tualatain Valley Fire and Rescue, who has been instrumental in ensuring we have a great document, wrangling EMS docs and giving our crews great guidelines. Oh, he is also an author. Check out his book "Runner" on Amazon at the link below! Way to go Dave! https://a.co/d/0BIEdt7

Mike and Ritu are back at it, catching up on life and digging into some of the recent AHA updates. No scripts, no slides — just a real conversation about what's new, what matters, and how it all plays out in the field. Grab a coffee (or whatever you roll with) and hang out with us for a bit.  AHA Update: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001360  

After a brief hiatus, The EMS Show is back in action! In this episode, hosts Mike and Ritu welcome listeners back and catch up on all things EMS and beyond. We kick things off with a quick high-octane review of F1: The Movie, Then, we shift gears into clinical talk with a breakdown of our newly updated hyperthermia protocol. From recognition to treatment strategies in the field, we'll explain what's changed, why it matters, and how to keep your patients (and yourself) cool under pressure. It's EMS, entertainment, and education—back where it belongs. Let's go!

In this episode of The EMS Show, Dr. Hayden Smith joins us to discuss the recent resurgence of measles cases, particularly focusing on the outbreak in Texas that has affected over 150 individuals and resulted in the tragic death of a child. Dr. Smith delves into the factors contributing to this uptick, including declining vaccination rates and public health challenges. He also addresses the implications for EMS professionals, offering insights into recognizing symptoms, implementing safety protocols, and effectively managing potential cases in the field. This conversation is essential for EMS providers as well as friends and families seeking to stay informed and prepared in the face of re-emerging infectious diseases. 

Mike and Ritu finally get back to it. Its been awhile...2024 was a pretty trying year for us both, but we are looking forward to a great 2025. This is our 7th or 8th Annual protocol change episode. As always, it is a sneak peek of how the suausage is made when it comes to developing and implemeting new protocol changes in an EMS System in the Portland Metro Area. Be sure you are subscribed to the Podcast as well as our Facebook and YouTube pages! Stay Safe!

Mike and Ritu are joined by Asbel Montes from Solutions Group, Patricia Kelmar from Public Interest Research Group and Shawn Baird, CEO from Metro West Ambulance. Big discussion on the Ground Ambulance Pateint Billing Report. These folks were all on the committee to tackle the question of surprise ambulance billing. See the report here.  https://www.cms.gov/medicare/regulations-guidance/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-ground-ambulance-and-patient-billing-gapb

After the usual summer hiatus, its time to get back into it. Mike and Ritu catch up on some things, talk a little college football (sorry Bill Toon) and discuss the response time position paper (link below) and preview the balance billing recommendations for ground ambulances. Ritu was on the committee that did some work on this important topic. Thanks for listening! https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10903127.2024.2375739