OHCA The Oregon Caregiver Fall/Winter 2019

www.ohca.com FALL/WINTER 2019 The Oregon Caregiver 11 QUALITY In 2018–2019, OHCA had the privilege to collaborate with the outstanding and forward-thinking leaders at the Lake Oswego Fire Department, Clackamas County Fire District #1 on education, public policy and a training video. This collaborative partnership continues today and serves as a model for other cities. Outside of direct collaboration between long term care providers and firefighters, initiatives and creative approaches to solve communication and response issues abound. Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) School of Nursing and the Institute on Aging at Portland State conducted a two-year project (June 2016–June 2018) involving 34 students in the RN-BSN program who were involved in the Enriching Clinical Learning Environments Through Partnerships (ECLEPs) project, funded by the Depart- ment of Human Services long term care quality fund. Students conducted a quality improvement effort, which focused on improving communication between EMS and assisted living communities. This culminated in the production of simulation videos and material that supports effective commu- nication techniques with 911 dispatch; an “EMS Hand-off Report;” and a “Situation, Background, Assessment/Appearance Recommendation” (SBAR) tool. Please contact OHCA for these materials. This past year, further work to enhance collaboration and consistency among long term care providers and EMS includes the addition of a full time EMS coordinator position at the Department of Human Services Adults and People with Disabilities. The position will work with all long term care service providers and support groups, fire jurisdictions, and agencies across the state to promote consistent evidence-informed EMS and life safety practices. Linda Kirschbaum is the Senior Vice President for Quality Services at OHCA.