On average, more than 100,000 wildfires clear 4-5 million acres of land in the United States. every year. During the 2020 season, Best Practice Medicine assisted and provided medical care for firefighters who fought on over 300,000+ acres of land. Though wildfires are nothing new to the United States, Best Practice Medicine has created an emerging force providing medical care for those fighting on the frontlines of wildland fires across the country. 

I started working at Best Practice Medicine (BPM) about two months ago and since I have been here I have heard of many pockets of EMS that I never knew existed, let alone just how important it is for these people to do their jobs. I began a little quest of asking questions to understand what these jobs are and who does them. This week - What’s a Mine Medic? 

Active shooter events and other mass casualty incidents, particularly ones involving an active threat, have been a steadily growing occurrence in the 21st century. In the past week alone we saw 7 active shooter events in 7 days across the USA. These events bring many cross-discipline providers from Law Enforcement, EMS, and Fire Departments together to effectively respond the the event. The hurdle in preparation for these events is that these providers seldom train together in these environments. System-wide procedures and protocols are only as effective as they have been practiced and implemented. Enter: Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Rural Environments (TECCRE)

Here at Best Practice Medicine, we are dedicated to improving patient care nationwide. To that end, we provide direct clinical patient care through our Paramedic Resource Group (PRG). PRG was initially founded to target the need for well trained EMS responders to deploy with Forest Service Fire Line teams.

“Becoming an EMT gives you the opportunity to help your neighbors in times of crisis. It can make you calm, confident and prepared for everyday challenges and the greatest emergencies.”

How do I become a licensed EMT in Montana? We are often asked this question here at BPM, so our team put together a step by step guide for you! 

Bozeman, MT — Best Practice Medicine (BPM) announces a partnership with Gallatin County Health Department in support of vaccine administration across Gallatin county.

Yesterday as I was looking for some business records I came across the original filing paperwork with IRS to establish Best Practice Medicine as a limited liability corporation. Turns out, today we turn five years old! (At least that's when we started paying taxes...). I can remember spending weeks trying to understand what an LLC was, how to file the paperwork, and wondering if all the hassle of setting up a company would be worth it. I admit, at the time, I didn't think it would be. 

This study published February, 2020 in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery contributed to the substantial and growing body of research dedicated to the question, does simulation work? Can we show improved patient outcomes as a result of experiential education facilitated by the facsimile creation of life like rehearsal?

Unequivocally the answer is, yes.

The evidence base for this conclusion is neither small or narrow in its focus. Take for example this study which is assessing whether trauma teams who participate in regular high fidelity simulations show an improvement in the time it takes to establish a chest tube in a trauma patient.

"Median pretraining time for resuscitative thoracotomy was 14 minutes (IQR, 8–32 minutes); posttraining median time was 3 minutes (IQR, 2.7–8 minutes,p= 0.02)"

Read that again...

Before simulation based learning, median time to place a chest tube = 14 minutes

After simulation based learning, median time to place a chest tube = 3 minutes

The delta of this is 11 minutes.

Blood and air filling your chest cavity, placing pressure on your vena-cava likely resulting in its collapse leading to PEA cardiac arrest and the dreaded trauma arrest death spiral. An eleven minute reduction in the time to facilitate the evacuation of the blood and or air may very well be the difference between life and death.  This just one of many studies that strongly correlate the integration of serial simulation into clinical practice resulting in improved care and better patient outcomes.

We compile studies to support the impact of simulation based education in healthcare. We have identified that simulation can be reliably attributed to;

1. Improves patient outcomes
2. Reduces preventable medical error
3. Increases team performance
4. Identifies latent patient safety threats

Simulation works!

Park, C., Grant, J., Dumas, R. P., Dultz, L., Shoultz, T. H., Scott, D. J., … Cripps, M. W. (2020). Does simulation work? Monthly trauma simulation and procedural training are associated with decreased time to intervention. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 88(2), 242–248. doi: 10.1097/ta.0000000000002561

At the close of 2019 (November 8th), we had the privilege of attending the Prospera Business Network's 34th Annual Business Excellence Awards Dinner in Bozeman, Montana. With hundreds of local Montana leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs gathered for an open bar, appetizers, photo booth, raffle, and awards dinner—it was quite the red carpet gala. This event was especially exciting because Best Practice Medicine's own CEO and Co-founder, Ben King, was a finalist for the 2019 "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award!