LLUMC represented at EMS competition in Czech Republic
Above photo: Team Loma Linda (left to right) Peter Horne, Scott Jones, Dr. David Kovacik, Brian Hendrickson, and Dr. Tae Kim
LLUMC was represented this past May at the Rallye-Rejviz, an international and professional exercise competition for EMS teams, located in the Czech Republic. The competition, named after the location of the very first rally, offers a unique opportunity for EMS workers around the world to come together and compare skills, share experiences, and exchange information.
The competition was May 27 through 30 and had 28 teams participate. Countries represented were Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Poland, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Austria, and the USA. Representing Team Loma Linda was Dr. Tae Kim, last year's LLUMC international fellow; Dr. David Kovacik, LLUMC assistant EMS director; Peter Horne, fire fighter paramedic for Apple Valley Fire; Scott Jones, paramedic, director of Victor Valley Paramedic Program; and Brian Hendrickson, paramedic, assistant director Victor Valley Paramedic Program.
Each team responded to eight different clinical case presentations in which they had to find the location of the emergency, get to the patient, assess the situation, and deal with medical issues as appropriate. Scoring was based on multiple criteria such as patient assessment, treatment, transport, and overall approach.
Team Loma Linda placed 8 out of the 28 teams with first place going to the Vienna Red Cross team from Austria. The team is planning a return trip for May 2005 and, along with competing, hopes to promote some needed public health issues with their fellow competitors such as seatbelt use and child safety seats.