Overview of the Eagles
History
In
February of 1998, the elected leadership of the paramedic association of ,
requested a meeting with Dr. Paul Pepe, the
soon-to-be-named Commonwealth Medical Director for the state of
Coincidentally,
Dr. Pepe had just heard from two of his old friends,
Dr. Ray Fowler, the original National Program Director for Basic Trauma Life Support©, (now International Trauma Life Support©), and Dr. Jeff Clawson, the national guru of
Emergency Medical Dispatch. Both were planning to visit
Even
with the short notice and limited marketing (mostly word of mouth), the
auditorium at
Even
the faculty raved about the conference content. Jeff Clawson (founder of the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch)
said, "I've never taken so many notes since medical school
! I was truly spellbound by each
and every talk and follow-up discussion". Ray Fowler, also one of the key
founders of the National Association of
EMS Physicians (and its second membership-elected national President) said,
"I'll promise you this, if we do this again, it will be the one meeting I
definitely won't miss!” (and, to date, he has not). “Let's
absolutely make it annual event", said Marshall Isaacs, "I'll be
there every year".
And they all did return the next year --- but with some new friends. By 1999,
the original "Evolution and Revolution" group now included the likes
of Drs. Ed Racht from
Today,
the meeting is called: “
Over the past few years in
The faculty has
evolved as well. Today, the national audience
of hundreds of EMS and trauma leaders have the opportunity to meet and interact
with the accountable, jurisdictional
emergency medical directors for most of the (9-1-1) emergency medical
services (EMS) systems from the 25 - 30
largest cities in the United States (U.S.) as well as the medical
directors/officers of several key
federal agencies such as the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
the U.S.
Secret Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), and, of course, the White House Medical Unit
(Table I).
Last minute
drop-ins often include high-profile leaders such as the U.S. Surgeon General, elected federal officials or the White House Medical Unit Training
Directors/Coordinators.
As the direct medical overseers of the 9-1-1
EMS systems for the nation’s largest,
highest-risk population centers, these unique physicians have a pivotal
role, not only in the medical aspects of
homeland security preparedness and response, but also in the day-to-day resuscitative and EMS-trauma
care provided for the communities approximately 50,000,000 Americans through
nearly an estimated 10,000 paramedics, EMTs and
public safety first responders.
Also, as a core
and cohesive group of innovative public leaders, they shape much of the
nation’s de facto strategic planning
for patient treatment and disposition during resuscitations and multiple
casualty incidents, including those involving bio-terrorism and other weapons
of mass effect events. More importantly, they are the key linkages between the
medical establishment (hospitals and health professionals) and the governmental
security entities (city managers, public health officials and out-of-hospital
first responders). As a result, they are highly sought-after as a focus group
for federal agencies, congresspersons, national organizations and the like.
At the request of
the audience, the group also routinely publishes position papers for their own
use, but the publications become useful tools for providers nationally.
Again,
the method of instruction is decidedly different. Each of the renowned speakers
has only approximately 15 minutes (900
seconds) to present and then another 5 min to answer questions from the
audience. This rapid-fire style allows more topics (>30) to be covered in
the 2-day conference. The second most popular feature is the so-called “lightning rounds” in which the entire faculty takes the stage and are drilled by the audience
about any subject and each one must give a response in less than 20 seconds
unless the moderator gives them more leeway. Usually, it’s a hands-up,
thumbs-down instant poll or a “reverse” lightning rounds in which the Eagles
interrogate/poll the audience for instant feedback. National standards of care
have been decided “on the spot” during an Eagles lightning rounds when this
cohesive group reaches a rapid consensus in front of the audience and decide to
take the agreed-upon protocol back home to their respective municipalities in
which those 50,000,000 Americans dwell.
Instead
of the carefully-choreographed curriculum planned months or years in advance, the
Eagles prefer to focus on
Despite
their busy schedules, the group also provides a two-day pre-conference
think-tank where they serve as a focus group for groups ranging from industry
researchers, the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security and the U.S. Congress to the American Heart Association and various
The
Eagles consortium works hard not to be another distinct splinter group, and they exude and express loyalty and coordination
with the leadership at all of the other key related organizations such as ACEP,
NAEMSP, the American Heart Association and
other such groups. They consider themselves more of a nationally-integrated de facto network of responsible
officials who are working directly for the public good. Despite consensus or
recommendations from organizations and government, they generally are the “FDM’s” (the final decision
makers) when it comes to implementing medical protocols and training for the
thousands of prehospital care providers working under
their medical oversight. As a result, the Eagles team stays in close
contact throughout the year, debating, exchanging ideas and even changing medical
standards for themselves although others are welcomed in to listen to what they
say.
All
of these factors have combined to the “EMS
State of the Science: A Gathering of Eagles”, a meeting that almost all past
attendees will validate as being the most dynamic, informative, and
forward-thinking conference in the field of emergency medical services today.
Respectfully
submitted,
Raymond
L. Fowler, MD
Eagles Historian
(Core Group, Associate Members as well as Special Faculty
for the February 15th - February 18th, 2006 Eagles Coalition Meeting,
Bradley J. Kaufman, MD - Division Medical Director for the Fire Department of
New York; Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, State University
of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn; Kings County Medical Center,
Brooklyn
City of
Marc Eckstein, MD – EMS Medical
Director, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department; Associate Professor
of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California
City of
Paula J.
Willoughby-DeJesus, DO, MHPE – Medical Director and Assistant
Commissioner,
City of
David E. Persse, MD – Physician
Director, City of Houston EMS and Public Heath Authority, City of Houston
Department of Health and Human Services;
Associate Professor, Department of
Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine; and Associate Professor, Department of
Emergency Medicine, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston
City of
C.
City of
John V. Gallagher,
MD – EMS Medical
Director, City of Phoenix Fire Department; Base Hospital Medical Director, St. Lukes Medical Center, Phoenix
City of
James V. Dunford, MD – Medical Director, City of San Diego EMS; Professor of Clinical
Medicine and Surgery, Department of Emergency Medicine, the University of
California, San Diego
City of
Paul E. Pepe, MD, MPH – Director, City of Dallas Medical Emergency Services (for Public
Safety, Public Health and Homeland Security); Medical Director, Dallas
Metropolitan BioTel (EMS) System; Professor of
Medicine, Surgery, Public Health and Chair, Emergency Medicine, the University
of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Parkland Health and Hospital
System, Dallas
City of
Donald Gordon, Ph.D, MD - EMS
Medical Director for San Antonio & Leon Valley Fire Department and the
First Responder Network; Professor,
Emergency Health Sciences Department, University of Texas Health Science
Center, San Antonio, TX
City of
Michael L. Olinger, MD – Medical Director, City of Indianapolis EMS and Indianapolis Motor
Speed Way; Director, Division of Out-of-Hospital Care, Department of Emergency
Medicine, and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University
School of Medicine, Indianapolis
City of
S. Marshal Isaacs,
MD – Medical Director,
City of San Francisco EMS, San Francisco Fire Department; Clinical Professor of Surgery, the University
of California, San Francisco; Attending Physician, San Francisco General
Hospital, San Francisco
City of
David Keseg, MD - Medical Director,
City of
Edward M. Racht, MD – Medical Director, City of Austin and Travis County EMS; Associate
Clinical Professor of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
at Dallas; Chair, Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council, Texas Department
of State Health Services
City of
Ronald G. Pirrallo, MD - EMS Medical Director, City and
Peter H. Moyer, MD – Medical Director,
City of
City of
Corey M. Slovis, MD – Medical Director,
City of
James R. (Randy) Loflin, MD – Medical Director, City of El Paso EMS; Associate Professor,
Emergency Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX
City of
City of
John Griswell, MD – Medical Director, MedStar (City of Fort
Worth
City of
John Jui, MD, MPH – Medical Director, City of
Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon;
Medical Director, Oregon State Police and Deputy Team Commander, Oregon DMAT; Professor,
Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University,
Portland, OR
City of
Terence Valenzula, MD, MPH - Medical
Director, Tucson Fire Department, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University
of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Jullette M. Saussy,
MD - Director
of EMS, City of New Orleans; Clinical Instructor, Louisiana State University
School of Medicine, Section of Emergency Medicine, New Orleans, LA
City of
Thomas E. Collins,
MD – Medical Director,
City of
City of
Eric W. Ossmann, MD – Medical Director, City of Atlanta - Grady Memorial Hospital EMS;
Assistant Professor and Section Director for Prehospital
and Disaster Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University,
City of
Elizabeth A.
(Libby) Char, MD – Director of Emergency
Services Department, City and County of Honolulu; Assistant Professor of
Clinical Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
City of
Kathleen S. Schrank, MD – Medical Director, City of Miami Fire Rescue and Professor of
Medicine, Emergency Services, University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital,
Miami FL
Neal J. Richmond,
MD – Chief Executive Officer, Louisville Metro EMS; Assistant Professor of
Emergency Medicine, University of Louisville Medical Center, Louisville, KY.
City of
Joseph P. Ornato, MD – Medical Director, Richmond Ambulance Authority, City of Richmond
EMS; Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine (Cardiology) and
Chair of Emergency Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
City of
Brent Myers, MD,
MPH – Medical Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation:
William P. Fabbri, MD – Medical Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
Nelson Tang, MD – Medical Director, United States
Secret Service & U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration &
Customs Enforcement (ICE); Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency
Medicine, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
The White House
Richard J. Tubb, MD – Brigadier
General, U.S. Air Force, MC, CFS; Physician to the President; Medical Director,
White House Medical Unit, Washington, DC
Jeffrey
C. Kuhlman, MD, MPH –
ACEP-NAEMSP:
Dean Wilkerson, JD, MBA, CAE – Executive Director,
J. William Jermyn,
DO – Chair, EMS Committee, American College of Emergency
Physicians and EMS Medical Director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior
Services, Jefferson City, MO
Robert E. O’Connor, MD, MPH – President, National Association
of EMS Physicians; Vice-Chair, Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee,
American Heart Association; Director of Research and Education, Department of
Emergency Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware; Professor
of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
AMERICAN
HEART ASSOCIATION:
Michael Bell – Vice President for Emergency
Cardiovascular Care Programs, American Heart Association
Jo Haag, RN, MSN – Director of Training, National Emergency Cardiovascular Care
Programs, American Heart Association
Brian Eigel,
PhD – Assistant Director of Science, National Emergency
Cardiovascular Care Programs, American Heart Association
SPECIAL GUEST
FACULTY:
Terry Bavousett - State EMS Director, Texas Department of State Health Services,
Steve Janda - State Trauma
Director, Texas Department of State Health Services,
Edward
M. Dolan, EMT-B – Program
Specialist, Office of Grants and Training, Preparedness Directorate, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC
Lori
Moore, Dr PH, MPH, EMT-P – Assistant to
the General President, International Association of Fire Fighters, Washington
DC
Raymond
L. Fowler, MD – Past-President and Co-Founder, National Association of EMS Physicians;
Inaugural National Program Director, Basic Trauma Life SupportÓ;
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center and the Parkland Health and Hospital System; Deputy Medical
Director for Operations, the Dallas Metropolitan BioTel
(EMS) System, Dallas TX
Gary M. Vilke,
MD – Medical Director,