Author: catherinercounts

Catherine R. Counts is a health services researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed her doctorate in the Department of Global Health Management and Policy at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine where she also previously earned her Master of Health Administration. Dr. Counts also holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Spanish. Dr. Counts has research interests in domestic healthcare policy, quality and patient safety, organizational theory and culture, and prehospital emergency medicine. Given the crossover between her background in public health and her expertise in emergency medical services (EMS), she specializes in the mechanisms by which providers are changing the way healthcare is delivered in the prehospital setting. She has worked across the healthcare spectrum from EMS to long term care and is well versed in the systemic issues facing American healthcare. In addition to her work at the University of Washington, Dr. Counts serves as a consultant for a variety of quality improvement and EMS related projects, and contributes as a columnist for EMS1.com. She regularly attends a wide variety of conferences and is a member of the National Association of EMS Physicians. In her spare time Dr. Counts trains her urban search and rescue dog Bruno.
EMS1

Concealed Carry in Kansas: Experts Respond

A Kansas law, which became effective on July 1, 2016, makes it legal for firefighters and EMS personnel to have a concealed carry weapon while on duty. The only exception is for school zones or private buildings specifically marked or designated as ‘gun free.’ Public employers, such as city and county governments, cannot prohibit their employees from carrying on duty. We asked EMS1 columnists to react … Continue reading Concealed Carry in Kansas: Experts Respond

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EMS1

2016 EMS Trend Report: Expert Analysis

I was included in a panel of experts that were asked to respond to questions on the 2016 EMS Trend Report published by Fitch & Associates in coorperation with EMS1 and NEMSMA. Read the other responses here.    1. Which State of EMS 2016 finding surprised or interested you most?  Two things stood out to me. First, almost half of the organizations were able to implement hypothermia protocols, … Continue reading 2016 EMS Trend Report: Expert Analysis

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Blog Originals, EMS1

Writing Q & A

Writing is a strangely individualistic sport. As such it requires a certain level of personal reflection on what works and what doesn’t.  In an effort to not utterly bias my recent EMS1 article on the topic, I decided to poll a handful of writers beyond myself (CC) to see what works for them. You can read more about each of them here: Raphael M. Barishansky (RB) Ari … Continue reading Writing Q & A

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Blog Originals

AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting 2016

This was my third time attending AcademyHealth‘s Annual Research Meeting (ARM), but it was my first time feeling like I wasn’t lost in the crowd.  For a conference with nearly 3000 attendees who all like looking at how healthcare works, it can be hard to find where you belong. My current conference modus operandi – I love the plenary sessions, I don’t go to paper sessions unless I … Continue reading AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting 2016

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EMS1

Dallas Fire-Rescue Community Paramedicine Program

My immediate reaction to seeing that revenues for the DallasFire-Rescue’s community paramedicine program were “below expectations” was anything but surprise. In fact, anyone surprised by this news doesn’t have realistic expectations of novel EMS business models. The reality is that community paramedicine programs across the country are learning how to be self-sufficient. Fire and EMS administrators are being forced to look at their balance sheets and bank … Continue reading Dallas Fire-Rescue Community Paramedicine Program

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EMS1

Alarm Fatigue in EMS

Fatigue within EMS is usually described in terms of a provider’s ability to get enough sleep. But there are other types of fatigue in health care, the study of which has remained siloed within brick and mortar facilities, resulting in a generic lack of focus from the EMS industry. These types of fatigue are real, and they have real, sometimes deadly, consequences. Defined as “sensory overload … Continue reading Alarm Fatigue in EMS

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EMS1

National Rural EMS Conference

I recently had the pleasure of attending the National Rural EMS Conference in San Antonio, Texas.  This conference was one of the smallest I’ve ever attended, but it provided a unique view of the concerns rural EMS providers may have that don’t reflect those of their urban counterparts. Since it was hosted by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, you can find all the slides online for free here. I also had the … Continue reading National Rural EMS Conference

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EMS1

Sexy CPR training video misses its mark

A German social welfare and first aid organization has produced a video that some news outlets have called “sexy” to raise awareness of bystander CPR. The five minute video is a compilation of modern pop songs whose lyrics have been changed to explain the benefits and mechanics of compression only CPR. Although the campaign attempts to connect with people 25 and younger by using songs like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”, … Continue reading Sexy CPR training video misses its mark

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EMS1

The evolving war on opioids

Prehospital providers are on the front lines of the current opioid addiction epidemic. Those that have yet to experience the power of saving a life with a simple bolus of naloxone likely won’t have to wait long given that over 28,000 people died in 2014, and an additional 2.2 million Americans currently struggle with opioid addiction. President Obama recently attended the National Rx Drug Abuse … Continue reading The evolving war on opioids

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EMS1

Improve CPR with systems thinking

There are ten cellular processes that must continue to function in order for the human body to survive cardiac arrest. While each of these processes is critically important, all require intra- and inter-organizational systems to be in place in order to guarantee success. The chain of survival exists for a reason. As a representation of the links that are required to connect an unfortunate start to a … Continue reading Improve CPR with systems thinking

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