The 29th Annual Conference of the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) was hosted in Pittsburgh on February 25. The NCEMSF invites representatives of campus-based EMS organizations from colleges and universities across North America to come together to share their experiences related to emergency management and prehospital care. The University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) was well-represented at the conference, as faculty, students and alumni all participated.
Emergency Medicine Instructor Alex Cutsumbis (BS '10) was particularly inspired by the EM program's presence at the conference. "As an educator, I’m always excited to see our students being successful, and I’m always impressed by the questions they ask of presenters and their willingness to attend as many sessions as possible," he explains. "Students who attend these sessions provide better care and become role models for our future students and providers. They become leaders in their respective health care fields and promote better patient outcomes by being open to learning more."
The conference was a perfect venue for the SHRS EM program to showcase its innovative research and cutting-edge knowledge. Emergency Medicine seniors Lily Nong and Andrew Bober won the student speaker competition for their presentation, "The D Word: Making Effective Diagnoses in the Field." Recent graduate Cassandra Crouse (BS '21) spoke on how her experience as an EMS provider has taught her to recognize potential life-threatening substance overdoses due to Serotonin Syndrome. A speech by EM alumnus Joshua Schneider (BS '20) explored the expanded role that EMS can play in preventing opioid overdoses. There were also sessions led by SHRS EM Medical Director Owen Traynor, Associate Medical Director Mohamed Hagahmed (BS '09) and Adjunct Instructor Mark Pinchalk.