Greetings Instructors!

The F-M Ambulance Training Center (TC) will be making a switch to eCards.  An eCard is the electronic equivalent of a printed course completion card.  eCards are valid course completion cards and can be presented to employers as proof of successful completion of an AHA course.  Like printed cards, eCards also expire two years from the issue date.

We began piloting the use of eCards in April to ensure that it would be a valid option for the participants that are receiving them.  We have found many benefits for both the instructor and the participant.  Some of the benefits of transitioning to eCards include:

•          Higher security and reduced risk for the AHA Training Center (TC)
•          Added efficiency for TC Coordinators (TCCs) and Instructors
•          Ability for TCCs and Instructors to issue eCards to students
•          Faster issuance of eCards to students
•          Ability to validate an eCard through the AHA website at www.heart.org/cpr/mycards to prove it was issued by a valid TC and instructor aligned with that TC (currently, that function requires a call to the TCC if the TC is known; if not, it may not be an authentic AHA course completion card)

To assist in the transition, each instructor must attend a TC eCard Training.  The enrollment is limited per session, so be sure to sign-up early.  The official date that all instructors will be required to transition to eCards is January 1, 2017.  For those of you that are excited about eCards and don’t want to wait until January, you don’t have to!  Once an instructor has attended the training they are eligible to transition to eCards! 

Upcoming training dates and times are:

•          September 16, 2016 – 1pm-3pm
•          October 13, 2016 – 3pm-5pm
•          November 7, 2016 – 10am-12pm
•          December 2, 2016 – 1pm-3pm
•          December 8, 2016 – 1pm-3pm
•          January 4, 2017 – 10am-12pm

Please plan to attend the entire two hour training session.  You can register for these sessions at http://sanfordhealthemseducation.org/registration and selecting eCard Training under Other.  You will be redirected to our registration system where you can select the date and time that works best for you. 

We look forward to working with you during this transition to provide a timelier and secure service to our students. 

If you have additional questions, please contact myself or Carmen.

Thank you,

Kelly Wanzek                                                                               Carmen Wang
Kelly.Wanzek@fmambulance.com                                          Carmen.Wang@fmambulance.com

G2015 Heartsaver ILT  is now available!

Transition to 2016 Heartsaver Courses & Materials - Effective June 28, 2016, only new course materials can be used for conducting all Heartsaver courses.

Training Centers and Instructors may continue to use previous stock and all Heartsaver interim materials posted on the AHA Instructor Network through June 27, 2016. Appropriate course completion cards must be issue for the course materials being used. Please review the official Heartsaver Training Memo for additional information.

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RESOURCES FOR BLS & HEARTSAVER INSTRUCTORS: Order Heartsaver Course Materials through your AHA Distributor Visit the Heartsaver page on the AHA Instructor Network to: • View & download free Heartsaver First Aid and CPR AED Course Resources   • View the official Heartsaver Training Memo   • View the Frequently Asked Questions for 2016 Heartsaver First Aid and CPR AED Courses ATTACHED !     Heartsaver® First Aid and CPR AED Instructor-Led Training Materials Now Available! Heartsaver courses are designed to prepare students to provide first aid, CPR,  and automated external defibrillator (AED) use in a safe, timely, and effective manner. Heartsaver courses are designed for anyone with little or no medical training who needs a course completion card for job, regulatory (e.g., OSHA), or other requirements. These courses can also be taken by anyone who wants to be prepared for an emergency in any setting. Get ready to teach the new Heartsaver! Before teaching the new Heartsaver First Aid and CPR AED Courses, BLS and Heartsaver Instructors must: Have completed their 2015 Guidelines Instructor Update for BLS and/or Heartsaver. Have received their 2016 Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course DVD. Reviewed all new Instructor resources for conducting the Instructor-led Heartsaver First Aid and CPR AED Courses, available on the AHA Instructor Network. Heartsaver Product & Course Orientation - Available Soon Additionally, it is recommended that BLS and Heartsaver Instructors complete the Heartsaver Product & Course Orientation before teaching their first new class. This tool, designed to aid Instructors in understanding the new Heartsaver Course design, teaching strategies, and new materials, will be available soon on the AHA Instructor Network. PLEASE REVIEW: Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual The Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual (AHA product 15-1023) includes information on pages 27 and 28 that is not applicable to Heartsaver courses and should be disregarded by AHA BLS and Heartsaver Instructors. Information to disregard includes:  "Application for CE/CME," Part 3, page 27 - Heartsaver courses are not eligible for continuing education through CECBEMS "Challenge Option," Part 3, page 28 - There is no challenge option for Heartsaver courses

We are pleased to announce that materials for the AHA’s Heartsaver^® First Aid and CPR AED Instructor-Led Training (ILT) Courses, updated to reflect the 2015 AHA Guidelines Update for CPR and ECC, will be available from our AHA Distributors on Tuesday, April 26, 2016.

AHA Distributors will begin proactively marketing and accepting pre-orders for these materials at 12:01 a.m., CST, on Wednesday, April 6.

Materials for the Heartsaver First Aid and CPR AED ILT Courses include the following:

Student Materials:

15-1018           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Student Workbook

15-3117           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Student eBook

15-1020           Heartsaver CPR AED Student Workbook

15-3116           Heartsaver CPR AED Student eBook

15-1021           Heartsaver First Aid Student Workbook

15-3115           Heartsaver First Aid Student eBook

15-1022           Heartsaver First Aid Quick Reference Guide

15-3118           Heartsaver First Aid Digital Quick Reference Guide

         

Instructor Materials

15-1019           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED DVD Set

15-1023           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual

15-3114           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Instructor Manual eBook

Cards

15-1812           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Course Completion Card (3-card sheet)

15-3002           Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED eCard

15-1810           Heartsaver CPR AED Course Completion Card (3-card sheet)

15-3004           Heartsaver CPR AED eCard

15-1811           Heartsaver First Aid Course Completion Card (3-card sheet)

15-3005           Heartsaver First Aid eCard

15-1814           Heartsaver Instructor Card

Supplemental

15-1024           Heartsaver Adult CPR AED Wallet Card

15-1025           Heartsaver Child & Infant CPR AED Wallet Card

15-1045           Heartsaver Child & Infant Choking Wallet Card

15-1030           Heartsaver Poster Pack

15-1028           Heartsaver Adult Poster Pack

15-1029           Heartsaver Child & Infant Poster Pack

15-1026           Heartsaver Adult CPR AED Poster

15-1027           Heartsaver Adult Choking Poster

Please see the attached Product Announcements for additional details. To pre-order, please contact one of our Distributors below. Also attached is the updated materials lists for 2015 Guidelines training and education products.

Channing Bete Company One Community Place South Deerfield, MA 01373 Phone: 1-800-611-6083 Fax:     1-800-499-6464 aha.channing-bete.com

Laerdal Medical Corporation 167 Myers Corners Road Wappingers Falls, NY  12590 Phone: 1-888-LMC-4AHA (562-4242) Fax:     1-800-227-1143 laerdal.com

WorldPoint, Inc. 1326 S. Wolf Road Wheeling, IL 60090 Phone: (888) 322-8350 Fax:     (888) 281-2627 WorldPoint.com

Thank you!

Dear BLS Instructors, We are pleased to announce that the BLS Product & Course Orientation (P&CO) is now available! This orientation may be accessed from the BLS Course page on the AHA Instructor Network. The AHA developed the BLS P&CO to help BLS Instructors understand the new, 2016 BLS Course design and teaching strategies, and to quickly get up to speed on the latest and most important updates to the BLS Course materials. The P&CO provides you: Information about new course materials, course curriculum updates, and how the changes impact the way you will teach the BLS Course Details, clarification, and direction on various course formats Specifics about new BLS course materials

Steps to incorporate new updates into various course settings

The AHA has released the 2015 BLS for the Healthcare Provider Exam!!!

BLS Instructors may only begin administering new exams once they

1.    Have completed their 2015 Guidelines Instructor Update for BLS.

2.    Have received their new BLS Instructor Manual. The manual covers critical information on conducting the new BLS Course, including how to administer the exam according to new science and educational principles.

Please note the following new features of the 2016 BLS Exam:

·         New exams include scenario-based questions, which challenge students to evaluate real-life situations and use critical-thinking skills to show mastery of course content.

·         Based on feedback from the AHA Training Network, exams now include both the traditional Answer Key (with page numbers for referencing correct answers) and an Annotated Answer Key. The Annotated Answer Key provides rationale for the correct answers to the exam questions, along with the highlighted correct answer and page numbers for reference.

·         Beginning with the launch of new courses updated to reflect 2015 Guidelines science and education, as part of new education methodologies, the AHA has adopted an open-resource policy for exams. This policy is described in the BLS Instructor Manual. This is another critical reason why Instructors should not administer new exams until they have received new BLS Instructor materials.

Reminder: Exam Security

Please remember, you are responsible for the security of exams.

To receive new exam, please email Kelly at kelly.wanzek@sanfordhealth.org.

Thank you,
Kelly

Greetings TC Instructors!

With the 2015 Guidelines, the AHA is updating the course completion cards.  With this change comes an increase in price.  Beginning July 1, 2016, the cost per card for BLS & Heartsaver level cards will increase to $6.50 per card. 

You will begin to see the updated cards as they become available. However, to allow you time to make any budget changes, we will hold off on passing along the increase until July 1, 2016.

We anticipate that there will also be an increase in ACLS & PALS cards. but this information in not yet available from the AHA.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Kelly Wanzek, TC Coordinator

Carmen Wang, Education Assistant Extraordinaire

Ron Lawler, Director of Education

December 31, 2015

Dear F-M Ambulance TC Members,

It’s hard to believe that it is already Training Center (TC) renewal time!  We have been working hard and evaluating our past practices for renewal in an effort to improve the process for you, the instructors!  Due to some regulations from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the 2015 Guidelines getting published we will be conducting our TC renewal differently this year.

f you are interested in continuing with F-M Ambulance TC, you need to attend one (1) of the upcoming renewal session dates:

•         Thursday, January 7^th, 2016 (1pm-7pm)
•          Friday, January 8^th, 2016 (9am-4pm)
•          Saturday, January 9^th, 2016 (10am-4pm)
•          Monday, January 25^th, 2016 (9am-11am)

At your renewal session, you will complete the following:  update your instructor profile; complete an instructor agreement; successfully complete the BLS for the Healthcare Provider written exam; successfully perform provider skills; provide documentation of completion of the 2015 AHA Guidelines Online Instructor Update Course(s) for each discipline you instruct.  Instructors will also be conducting the provider skills evaluation of a peer to allow the Training Center Faculty the opportunity to monitor instructor performance.

The 2015 AHA Guidelines Online Instructor Update Course(s) can be completed at http://ahainstructornetwork.org/2015instructorupdate.jsp.  You will login using your AHA Instructor Network username and password.

As outlined in the Program Administration Manual (PAM), in order to maintain your instructor status, you must teach two classes every year (or four classes in two years).  If you have not met these minimum requirements we will not be able to renew your instructor card when it expires. 

Prior to attending, please visit the AHA Instructor Network, www.ahainstructornetwork.org , and verify that your instructor and contact information is up-to-date. 

The 2015 Training Center dues are $65.00 per instructor.  The price of card processing will be $6.00 per BLS Card and $8.00 per ALS card. 

We continue to use our online database to track records.  If you are unfamiliar with the online roster submission process or have questions, please contact Carmen at 701-364-1758.

You are required to pay your 2015 dues at your renewal session.  All instructors are required to attend a renewal session.  If you do not attend a renewal session you will not have access to the online database and we will assume that you no longer want to be affiliated with the F-M Ambulance TC.

Please register for a renewal session here, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VBVGGTM. 

Thank you,

Kelly Wanzek                                                   

Training Center Coordinator

701-364-1750

kelly.wanzek@fmambulance.com