University of Washington Launches Emergency Medical Services Fellowship

Medical Director Training Program Funded by Physio-Control

REDMOND, Wash.--()--The University of Washington (UW) Division of Emergency Medicine and medical device manufacturer Physio-Control have partnered to launch the University’s first fellowship program to train Emergency Medical Services (EMS) medical directors. The inaugural recipient of the UW EMS Fellowship will begin work on July 1, 2014.

The selected fellow will take part in up to two years of training at local sites including Harborview Medical Center, King County Medic One, the Seattle Fire Department, UW Paramedic Training, Airlift Northwest and Physio-Control. The new UW Fellowship was established to provide physicians graduating from residency opportunities to receive formal fellowship experience prior to assuming EMS medical director roles. The American Board of Medical Specialties recognized Emergency Medical Services Medicine as a medical subspecialty in 2011.

The fellowship is directed by Dr. Michael Sayre, UW professor of medicine and associate medical director for the Seattle Fire Department. “We are aiming to build the best EMS medical director training program in the country,” said Dr. Sayre, “This partnership between industry and academia offers a unique opportunity to train the next leaders in resuscitation research and cardiac arrest management.”

Funding for the fellowship comes from a multi-year gift from Physio-Control, manufacturer of medical devices that predict or intervene in life-threatening emergencies. The company has pioneered lifesaving technologies since its founding in Seattle in 1955 and is headquartered and maintains primary manufacturing facilities in Redmond, Washington. In addition to funding the first UW EMS Fellowship, the company has committed to additional funding to expand the program in 2015.

“It is a privilege to launch this vital new UW EMS Fellowship,” said Brian Webster, Physio-Control President and CEO. “Decades of teamwork between UW Medicine, King County Medic One, local fire departments and Physio-Control have shown the world what is possible in improving sudden cardiac arrest survival rates. This fellowship will help new medical directors learn from that collective experience and spread that knowledge to more communities.”

The Seattle/King County area has a rich and important history in the area of cardiac resuscitation. The region has among the world’s highest survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – in 2013 a 62% survival rate to hospital discharge for patients with a witnessed collapse who were in a shockable rhythm when EMS arrived.

Fellowship leaders cite the existence of major geographic disparities in long-term survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest as a primary indicator of the important role EMS medical directors play in impacting the quality of care delivered to patients.

“The UW EMS Fellowship will build on the strengths of the Seattle resuscitation program and provide trainees with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and develop similar programs across the country,” said Dr. Susan Stern, head of the University of Washington Division of Emergency Medicine. “The partnership with and proximity to Physio-Control [Redmond, WA] will provide an opportunity for the fellows to explore and experience the many benefits of a productive collaboration between academia and industry."

The inaugural University of Washington EMS Fellow, Dr. Andrew McCoy, starts training on July 1, 2014. Dr. McCoy completed medical school at the Lerner College of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic followed by his emergency medicine residency at University of Buffalo, where he also served as Chief Resident.

About UW Medicine

UW Medicine's mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing patient care, and training the next generation of health professionals. Our system includes Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, UW Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest. Visit http://uwmedicine.org for details. Twitter: @UWMedicineNews

About Physio-Control

Physio-Control, Inc. is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company operates in over 100 countries and is the world’s leading provider of professional emergency medical response solutions that predict or intervene in life threatening emergencies. The company’s products include LIFEPAK® monitor/defibrillators and automated external defibrillators, LIFENET® System, LUCAS 2® Chest Compression System, TrueCPRTM coaching device and others. To learn more visit www.physio-control.com, or connect at www.facebook.com/physiocontrolinc, https://www.linkedin.com/company/physio-control-inc- Twitter: @PhysioControl

Contacts

Physio-Control
Matt Fikse, 425-867-4208
matt.fikse@physio-control.com
or
University of Washington
Amy Fields, 206-685-3685
amyf@uw.edu

Release Summary

University of Washington Launches Emergency Medical Services Fellowship: Medical Director Training Program Funded by Physio-Control

Contacts

Physio-Control
Matt Fikse, 425-867-4208
matt.fikse@physio-control.com
or
University of Washington
Amy Fields, 206-685-3685
amyf@uw.edu