This was my 2nd (maybe 3rd) time attending EMS World Expo in Las Vegas. I was glad to be back after missing EMS World Expo 2014 in Nashville because of a blizzard kept me from leaving Wisconsin.
Here are some of the numbers from the week:
75 – Things in 75 Minutes
The presentation, 75 things in 75 minutes by Dan Limmer, was the one conference session that really stood out from the pack. Limmer described his session as a “BLS refresher in just over an hour.” I liked the pace, depth and variety of content, and the challenge for Limmer to pack so much into so little time.
Numbers 20, 21, 22, and 23 were the “Wrong things we learned” in EMT class.
Wrong things we learned in EMT class #EMSWorldExpo2015 pic.twitter.com/kJcifjkAbc
— Greg Friese, MS, NRP (@gfriese) September 18, 2015
Unfortunately I had a meeting to attend so I only saw the first 29 things, but I heard a lot of great comments from other attendees.
3 – Top Presenters
I asked lots of attendees which presenters they liked the best. The names I heard most often were Kevin Collopy, Dan Limmer and Tom Bouthillet.
Watching @tbouthillet put the finishing touches on his #EMSWorldExpo2015 presentation #PerfectYourCraft pic.twitter.com/zoUAqO9CLZ
— Greg Friese, MS, NRP (@gfriese) September 17, 2015
107,219 – Steps
It’s easy to cover a lot of ground in Vegas. Everything is spread out. Three runs, hiking through the MSP airport and walking the cavernous halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center it is easy for the steps to add up (Tuesday=17,449, Wednesday=22,859, Thursday=19,421, Friday=25,523, Saturday=21,967). I use the Garmin VivoActive for step tracking and running/biking GPS.
18 – Tweets
This number of Tweets is a positive for me as it is a good sign I kept my phone in my pocket more often than not and took advantage of the opportunity for face-to-face conversation. The social conversation, at least on Twitter, during EMS World Expo was pretty light. Most of the Tweets were from just a handful of people and the most Tweets with the #EMSWorldExpo was just 376 on Friday.
8 – Quick Takes of Education Sessions
I wrote the following articles for the EMS1.com in-depth coverage of EMS World Expo.
- Suicide frequency and prevention in EMS: Caring for the caregivers
- Veteran-founded response organization featured in Scott Frame memorial lecture
- Anaphylaxis treatment: An evidence-based guideline for EMS
- Opioid overdose epidemic: How emergency responders can save lives
- Avoiding intersection collisions: Best practices and recommendations
- Ethics and leadership training for EMS practitioners
- How to improve EMS instruction on pathophysiology
- Paramedic chiefs learn to apply the ‘Model for Improvement’
- Why hospitals need strong EMS leaders
3 – Runs on the Las Vegas strip
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday morning I was up before the sun to run the Strip. The two-hour time difference had me up and out the door to run before the sunrise. The sidewalk is generally clear, except for a few revelers staggering home, and the scenery is much different than home.
1 – MedicCast podcast appearance
For the seventh year Jamie Davis, the Pod Medic, recorded episodes of the MedicCast and other EMS podcasts from the floor of the exhibit hall. The highlight of my appearance with Jamie, to be aired at a later date, was discussing his new novel “Extreme Medical Services,” which I started reading on the trip home.
$0.00 – On Gambling
I don’t understand any of the table game rules and don’t have the patience to for sitting in the smokey haze with the one-armed bandits.
0 – Buffets
No all-you-can eat food fests on this trip, but I did enjoy some good food.
