Clinical Practice Department
The Clinical Practice Department is charged with overseeing all aspects of patient care for the EMS unit. This includes protocol development, management, and implementation, oversight of the electronic PCR, quality management process, professional development and education, provider credentialing, and integration of all clinically related services.
Medical Direction - Introducing Dr. Jay L. Kovar
Read the interview with Dr. Kovar from JEMS.
Click here for Dr. Kovar's bio and CV
Quality Improvement
The Clinical Practice Department manages the quality improvement process for EMS.
The quality improvement process has many input variables. MCHD-EMS conducts periodic call evaluations on its EMS crews. This is accomplished through Field Evaluations, which potentially evaluate all aspects of the call from response to patient discharge at the hospital.
Service inquires are routed to Field Supervisors, who conduct the initial investigation and then route it to the Operation or Clinical Assistant EMS Directors.
Monthly chart audits are conducted on randomly selected calls. 100% chart audits are performed on all CPR's, intubations, air medical transports, and traumatic cardiac arrests. Personnel are then provided feedback for the treatment modalities and patient outcomes.
The clinical department has recently adopted a Quarterly Mandatory CE process whereby clinical issues are addressed.
Protocol Management
Protocol management is a central task of the Clinical Practice Department. Our staff and medical director are charged with insuring that the clinical practice reflects the current state of the science. Although protocols are routinely updated as the need arises, the entire protocol manual under goes a complete revision every two years.
Click here to download the MCHD Clinical Protocols
Current Version - March 2010 Revision
Research
This is current research that has been published or presented at professional conferences.
- NAEMSP 1/2007: "Reducing Time to Decision in Acute Coronary Syndromes by using Prehospital Point of Care Cardiac Biomarkers"
Credentialing
| LEVEL | Explanation | Clinical Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| NEOP | New Employee Orientation Program | |
| Intermediate Attendant | This is an employee who has passed credentialing exams and holds a Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) EMT-Intermediate (EMT-I) certification and shown clinical proficiency. |  CG-11 |
| Paramedic Attendant | This is an employee who has passed credentialing exams and holds a TDSHS EMT-Paramedic (EMT-P) or Licensed Paramedic (Lic-P) certification and shown clinical proficiency. | CG-11 |
| PI | This is an employee who has entered the PII Promotional process. The individual has shown clinical proficiency through multiple written and scenario evaluations, but has yet to complete the PII promotional process. | CG-13 |
| PII | This is employee is commonly referred to as an "In-Charge Paramedic". The individual has shown clinical proficiency through multiple written and scenario evaluations. This employee has limited clinical authority. | CG-14 |
| PIII | This employee has demonstrated clinical proficiency at the PII level and has been granted clinical authority above that of a PII. | CG-15 |
| PIV | This position is under development |
Education
The Clinical Practice Department teaches initial and continuing EMS eduational offerings. Please go to the Education page to view current class offerings and the continuing education calendar.
