Focusing on the wellbeing of our providers goes beyond setting big-picture organizational direction. It must involve candid, data-driven discussions about how a program will deliver impact in a new environment. Program evaluations, focus groups, and reports of constituent and leadership experiences all should be taken into consideration.

Reimagining the program gives us a chance to build a diverse and inclusive organization that’s genuinely in touch with its members and reflects the people it serves. As the program shifts, will we be able to maintain a personnel structure and support practices that reflect our values? Identify the skills or capacities our people must have to be highly effective as we change. Do they correspond with the ones our people now have? If not, where are the gaps? If we can prioritize professional development and continuous learning, we’ll be much more able to adapt as the world around us continues to change.

To effectively reimagine the program, we also need to focus on the larger system in which we operate: our community. It’s made up of several groups that need constant attention; Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, Healthcare, and the communities we serve. Core constituents. These are the central direct beneficiaries of the program’s efforts. How might they change in your reimagining? What are their needs and interests? Where else are they turning to meet them? Or success depends on knowing the answers to these questions and acting accordingly.

Peer & Crisis Support Service

Responders are chronically subjected to stressors and situations that are unique to the profession. The responders in the TEMS region have had their share of responding to large scale – area wide incidents and for this there can be an occasion to formalize a process to come to terms with massive – and tragic – loss of life, and wide ranging devastation.

CISM

Headline grabbing events are no stranger to the TEMS region, but it is not always about “the big one”. Our providers respond daily to short term – close encounters with people in crisis which itself can take its own toll. More and more first responders are having to cope with crisis and tragedy, not only in the lives of their patients, but in their own personal lives as well.

Make the Call Campaign

EMS Health and Safety

The effects of working in prehospital care are not only mentally exhausting but can be physically demanding as well. Technology has helped in some degree with the advent and deployment of auto loading stretchers, but the hours, call volume, and limitations on finding healthy eating choices take their physical toll.

From AIDS to Zika with -COVID thrown in for good measure- global pandemics are becoming more and more prevalent. TEMS is leading the forefront in thinking by acknowledging the universal concept of “Highly Infectious Disease”. In addition, TEMS has worked with identifying options for managing – and transporting – these specialized cases on a regional level.

Designated Infection Control Officer (DICO)

Annually the Tidewater Healthcare Education Expo provides a host of classes that promote timely education and critical thinking for our providers. In addition to ‘one off’ classes, the Expo provides opportunities to become certified in a number of NAEMT level classes as well as certification to become a Designated Infection Control Officer (DICO)

The Flu and Norovirus Among Us

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