The goals of the EMSC Program are to ensure that state-of-the-art emergency medical care is available for ill or injured children and adolescents, to ensure that pediatric service is well integrated into an emergency medical services system, and to ensure that the entire spectrum of emergency services - including primary prevention of illness and injury, acute care, and rehabilitation - are provided to children and adolescents.

To reach its goals, the EMSC Program provides grants to states to improve and enhance pediatric emergency care. Three categories for grant funding are available - state systems grants for planning, implementing, and partnership for sustaining EMS and child health system improvements within the State.

Grants

The Office of Emergency Planning and Response (OEPR), Mississippi State Department of Health was awarded the EMSC Program Planning grant in August of 1998. The goals of the planning phase were to evaluate the current state of pediatric care in Mississippi, to develop programs to improve the care of pediatric patients in the state, and to develop programs geared toward injury prevention and community involvement in pediatric issues. This was accomplished by conducting a pediatric needs assessment survey. This survey was sent to every hospital and prehospital provider in Mississippi.

As result of this survey, two areas of need in pediatric care were found, advanced pediatric education and injury prevention programs. These areas were addressed and programs were researched and developed to provide an advanced pediatric education course and a comprehensive school-based injury prevention program.

OEPR was awarded the EMSC Program Implementation grant in August 1999. This grant provided funding to implement programs develop during the Planning Grant. The programs implemented included advanced pediatric education courses and a comprehensive school-based injury prevention curriculum. The education courses include: Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP) course and Pediatric Basic Trauma Life Support (PBTLS) course. The injury prevention curriculum that was implemented was a program developed by the National Fire Protection Association called Risk Watch.

In 2002, the Mississippi EMSC Program was awarded a three-year partnership grant. The objectives of this grant are to enhance and expand the Pediatric Safety programs in the State.

Risk Watch

Risk Watch is a comprehensive school-based injury prevention program designed for children in preschool through eighth grade. The Mississippi EMSC Program is providing the Risk Watch curriculum to any school in Mississippi that wishes to participate in the program. Each school is provide the resource material and are provided an educational workshop to each participating teacher. This curriculum and workshop is provided to each participating school at no cost.

PEPP and PBTLS

PEPP represents a comprehensive source of prehospital medical information for the emergent care of infants and children. It teaches prehospital professionals how to better assess and manage ill or injured children. This course is administered at eight sites across the State. This course has been offered by the Mississippi EMSC Program to Mississippi physicians, nurses, and State Certified EMTs at all levels at no cost to the participants.

The PBTLS course is a one-day training program devoted to pediatric trauma care. This program provides information about pediatric trauma and pediatric assessment skills for critically injured children. The participant learns airway management, pediatric extrication, and immobilization skills from hands-on skill stations. The participants also learns how to communicate with various ages of pediatric patients and how to communication with the parents that accompany them. The PBTLS course is offered by the Mississippi EMSC Program to Mississippi physicians, nurses, and State Certified EMTs at all levels at no cost to the participant.

For fiscal-year 2000, at total of 500 professionals were trained in both the PEPP and PBTLS courses. Risk Watch has been implemented in 20 schools across the State. It is the goal of the Mississippi EMSC Program to expand these programs throughout the duration of the 3-year implementation grant.

Watch Out

EMSC implemented the Watch Out Program via our 2002 partnership grant. The program provide safety education to children and youth throughout the state. Examples of program that will be made available through the Mobile Pediatric Education Unit include, but is not limited to:

• Water Safety Programs
• Bicycle Rodeos
• Fire/Burn Safety Programs
• Fall Prevention Programs
• Car/Seat Belt Safety Programs
• Pedestrian Safety Programs
• Poison Prevention Programs
• Home Safety Programs
• Call 911 Programs

These programs and others will be made available throughout the state. Programs will be geared toward children, adolescents, youth and parents/care givers. We will collaborate with local organizations and determine the education needs of the community.

The equipment used in the presentation of these programs includes an RV for basic home safety, a smoke house for use with fire prevention and safety, and the characters Andy the Ambulance and Pluggie the Fire Plug for interaction with the kids at the safety programs.