Add-on “Badge” Training

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

Advanced Cardiac Life Support - Experienced Provider (ACLS-EP)

ACLS for the experienced provider is a specialty course through the American Heart Association (AHA).  According to the AHA "the goal of the ACLS EP course is to improved outcomes in complex cardiovascular, respiratory, and other (eg. metabolic, toxicologic) emergencies by expanding on core ACLS guidelines and encouraging critical thinking and decision-making strategies."  It is designed for healthcare practitioners who have strong experience treating and managing adult cardiovascular issues.  It is built around case management scenarios and is intended to challenge providers to improve critical thinking.  Additional information on AHA ACLS-EP is available from www.heart.org.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)

Basic and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ITLS, PHTLS, or ATLS)

International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) was fornerly known as basic trauma life support (BTLS).  According to the ITLS website it has become accepted internationally as the standard training course for pre-hospital trauma care - hence the renaming.  This course provides the student with knowledge and skills to take better care of trauma patients.  "ITLS stresses rapid assessment, appropriate intervention, and identification or immediate life threats."  Additional information on this training/certification is avaialble from https://www.itrauma.org/about/.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions. - ITLS at REMS, August 2015

Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) is another certification for trauma care that is offered through the National Association of EMT's (NAEMT).  According to their website PHTLS is recognized throughout the worldas the leading continuing education program for prehospital emergency trauma care.  This course is designed to improve the quality of trauma care and reduce patient mortality.  "PHTLS is based on a prehospital trauma care phillosophy, stressing treatment of the multi-system trauma patient as a unique entity with specific needs."  Additional information on this training/certification is available from NAEMT.org. Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) is a course offered through the American College of Surgeons and targeted a mid-level and above practitioners who care for critical trauma patients.  Pre-hospital providers can't receive formal certification in ATLS as it involves skills stations outside the scope of EMS, but they are able to audit the course for the content knowledge and awareness.  Additional information on this training is available from FACS.org.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)

The Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) is a certification that is offered through the American Academy of Pediatrics and was formerly known as the Neonatal Advanced Life Support (NALS).  This course is different from PALS in that it concentrates on the care and treatment of the newborn with specific treatments and therapy for initial care and resuscitation.  Additional information on this training is available from http://www2.aap.org/nrp/.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Pediatric Education for Pre-Hospital Professionals (PEPP)

Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP) is a certification that is offered through the American Academy of Pediatrics.  According to their website "PEPP is an exciting curriculum designed to teach prehospital professionals how to better assess and manage ill or injured children.".  Additional information on this training is available from https://www.peppsite.com/about.aspx.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Geriatric Education for EMS (GEMS)

Geriatric Education for Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) is a certification course that is offered through the American Geriatrics Society and the National Council of State EMS Training Coordinators.  According to their website, "GEMS is an exciting curriculum designed specifically to help EMS providers address all of the special needs of the older population.".  Additional information is available from http://www.gemssite.com/.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS)

Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) is an education program from the National Association og EMT's (NAEMT) "that fully addressed how to best assess and manage the most common medical crises in patients, offering a think outside the box methodology" - according to their website.  Additional information is available from http://www.naemt.org/education/amls/whatisAMLS.aspx.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Disaster Life Support (DLS)

The National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc. has three different courses that are intended to be a series of education to "better prepare healthcare professionals and emergency responder personnel for mass casualty events".  According to their website, the training stresses a comprehensive, all-hazards approach to assist with the response to disasters and public health emergencies.  They offer Core Disaster Life Support (CDLS), Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS), and Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS).  Additional information is available from http://www.ndlsf.org/Courses.  Contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.

Computer Training and other EMS topics

Additional education training on stroke management, 12-lead EKG interpretation, preceptor training, advanced pharmacology, CTS evaluator, computer software (MS PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel) etc. are also available.  Please contact the REMS Council at 540/373-0249 or rems@vaems.org with questions.