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22nd Annual NCEMSF Conference

College Emergency First Responders Convene to...Learn, Compete and Collaborate!

Baltimore, MD - Over 1,100 representatives of campus-based EMS organizations from 103 colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada attended the 22nd Anniversary Conference of the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) this past weekend - February 27 - March 1 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Two and a half days of exceptional prehospital medical, trauma, disaster preparedness, emergency management and leadership education took place including over 110 lectures, roundtable discussions, expert panels and hands-on skills labs.

SOME OF THE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
1) Physio-Control EMS Skills Classic in which teams competed in simulated scenarios in which team’s clinical, leadership and creativity skills were tested while vying for gold was won by University of Richmond EMS. Virginia Tech Rescue Squad won the advanced life support version of the competition.

2) Opening Plenary Session - Learning to Lead: An Interactive Panel.

3) Richard W. Vomacka Student Speaker Competition afforded pre-selected conference attendees the opportunity to deliver a relevant high-quality seminar to their peers on a topic of their choosing. The competition was judged on the initial abstract submission, session slides and lastly presentation style, content, applicability and ability to relate and interact with the audience. Noa Yee and Montane Silverman from Tufts University, won the competition with a seminar entitled “Concussions - Staying aHEAD of the Injury”

4) The Major John P. Pryor, MD Memorial Lecture - Improving Prehospital Trauma Care via Health Services Research was delivered by Elliott R. Haut, MD, PhD, FACS, an Associate Professor of Surgery, Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

5) Closing Plenary Session - Challenging Your Clinical Boundaries Presented by A.J. Heightman, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Emergency Medical Service.

AWARDS AND COMMENDATIONS
Several individuals and campus EMS organizations were recognized at the conference with annual awards for service.

  • Collegiate EMS Week Award - Cornell University (Cornell University EMS)
  • Collegiate EMS Video of the Year - Rice University (Rice EMS)
  • Collegiate EMS Web Site of the Year - Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech Rescue Squad)
  • Dr. George J. Koenig Jr. Foundation Service Award - David Schwartzman (Physic-Control, Inc.)
  • Collegiate EMS Advisor of the Year - Lisa Basgall (Rice University)
  • Collegiate EMS Provider of the Year - Ryan Johnson (Virginia Tech)
  • Collegiate EMS Organization of the Year - SUNY Albany (Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Squad)


Emory University, Fordham University, Rice University, Temple University, The George Washington University and University of Dayton were recognized for having completed NCEMSF’s Striving for Excellence program, a rigorous self-evaluation and three year accreditation process demonstrating adherence to current best practice patterns. The recipients represent benchmark organizations that others strive to emulate.

A new EMS Ready Campus Program was launched at the conference. Designed to recognize excellence in emergency management and disaster preparedness of collegiate EMS organizations, the program provides a framework for the enhancement of emergency management education, overall campus preparedness, and response capabilities for the applicant organization. Organizations have the opportunity to receive recognition through a combination of self-evaluation, dynamic interaction with NCEMSF staff, and by completing a group of prescribed tasks. This year’s inaugural recipients of the EMS Ready Campus award at the Bronze Level are: Rowan University and Virginia Tech

Additionally, eight campuses and their response organizations were inducted as HEARTSafe Campuses under NCEMSF's HEARTSafe CAMPUS program (www.heartsafecampus.org). They are: Fordham University (Fordham EMS), Georgetown University (Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Services), Rowan University (Rowan University EMS), Tufts University (Tufts EMS), University of Albany, SUNY (Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Squad), University of Delaware (University of Delaware Emergency Care Unit), University of Maine (University of Maine EMS), Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech Rescue Squad). There are now 14 HEARTSafe campuses across the country.

ABOUT NCEMSF
NCEMSF is a non-profit organization committed to scholarship, research and consultancy activities and to creating safer, healthier environments on college and university campuses throughout North America. Comprised of over 250 college campus-based emergency medical service (EMS) agencies trained to respond within minutes and provide care tailored specifically to campus emergencies, NCEMSF's purpose is to support, promote, and advocate for EMS on college and university campuses. The annual conference is the cornerstone of the Foundation and creates a forum for communication and an environment where ideas can be exchanged and problems solved.

"Beyond providing for the acquisition of medical knowledge, campus-based EMS allows student participants to develop life skills including leadership, team work, communication, and decision making, while simultaneously positively impacting other people's lives," said Dr. George Koenig, NCEMSF President. He continued, "These crucial skills serve participants well no matter what careers they ultimately choose...the enthusiasm, optimism, and dedication that exists amongst this talented group of young, professional adults is contagious and truly awe inspiring."

Dr. Scott Savett, NCEMSF Vice President, echoed "It is so encouraging to have so many campus EMS providers gathered in one place at one time. The sheer number of people at the conference is testament to the significance of campus-based EMS. Whether it's providing medical care on campus, teaching CPR, or doing other outreach, our members are making a difference on their campuses. By facilitating the sharing of best practices, either formally in a lecture, or informally in the hallway between lectures, the Foundation furthers its mission of supporting campus-based EMS."

NCEMSF HISTORY
In 1993, in response to a need for information exchange among campus EMS groups, the National Collegiate EMS Foundation (NCEMSF) was established. A loosely associated nationwide group of campus responders was formally brought together by students at Georgetown University (Washington, DC) and others. Filling a niche, NCEMSF quickly grew. In April 1994, NCEMSF held its first conference. 

For more information about NCEMSF or the 2015 Conference, including a copy of the complete program, please visit the Foundation´s website at www.ncemsf.org/conf2015. The 2016 NCEMSF conference is scheduled for February 26-28 in Philadelphia, PA.