Project Abstract: South Dakota Emergency Medical Services for Children State Partnership Grant a. Applicant Name: Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota b. Applicant Address: 1400 W. 22nd St, Sioux Falls, SD 57105-1570 c. Project Director: Corolla J. Lauck d. Contact Phone Number: (605)328-6668 Fax: (605)328-6671 e. E-Mail: Corolla.Lauck@usd.edu The purpose of this program is to support demonstration projects for the expansion and improvement of emergency medical services for children who need treatment for trauma or critical care. This program will achieve these goals by expanding the uptake of Pediatric Readiness Guidelines in Emergency Departments; developing Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Medical Services Systems; increasing pediatric disaster readiness by supporting the integration of pediatrics in hospital and prehospital disaster plans; and prioritizing family partnership and leadership to improve EMSC systems of care. Consistent with these goals, this program aims to attain equitable access to pediatric emergency care and everyday readiness for all children across the nation, especially for those children living in racial/ethnic minority, tribal, and rural communities. Additionally, the South Dakota EMSC program operates in compliance with all federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, and, in some circumstances, religion, conscience, and sex to include: gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy. Evaluation and strategic planning will be incorporated to identify and generate support for sustainability of EMSC initiatives through legislative, regulatory, policy change, or other means. The SD EMSC Program will work directly the EMSC Advisory Committee, the FAN Representative, the Office of EMS and other partner agencies/organizations in the State to obtain required data for the EMSC performance measures, to address objectives, a
nd to establish permanence of EMSC in South Dakota. The SD EMSC Program will work to identify gaps, and strategies, in an effort to improve the percentage of pre-hospital and hospitals able to stabilize/manage pediatric emergencies. South Dakota Emergency Medical Services for Children will collaborate with the Office of Emergency Medical Services, the EMS Advisory Committee, the Office of Highway Safety, the Department of Health, the Department of Public Safety, the South Dakota Health Care Coalition, the Trauma/EMS Stakeholders Group and the State EMT Association to collect and analyze data related to the EMSC performance measures. These groups will establish baseline data and work together to provide strategic planning to promote and secure institutionalizing EMSC initiatives in the State. South Dakota Emergency Medical Services will utilize the assessment and data collection forms recommended by the EMSC Resource Center to track progress on identified program goals and objectives. Data will be submitted annually to HRSA and reviewed by the EMS/ EMSC Advisory Committees for impact.