membership

Yale EMS Leadership
2011 executive board
YEMS is managed by the Executive Board, whose members are elected to serve one-year terms by the general YEMS membership. Executive Board members must be members in good standing for at least two semesters and must hold Connecticut state certification at the EMT level or higher for the duration of their term of office. The Executive Board manages all aspects of YEMS including its EMS operations, patient care, training programs, membership, regulatory compliance, university relations, and operating budget.
Chief of Administration David Suwondo ’13
david.suwondo@yale.edu

Chief of Operations Kate Szigety ’12
katherine.szigety@yale.edu

Administration Lieutenant Alyssa Bilinski ’13
alyssa.bilinski@yale.edu

Operations Lieutenant Cam Best ’13
cameron.best@yale.edu

Special Projects Lieutenant Sherwin Soltani ’12
sherwin.soltani@yale.edu

board of advisors
The Board of Advisors provides oversight for YEMS activities.
Sandy Bogucki, M.D., Ph.D. (Medical Director)
Associate Professor, Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine

David Cone, M.D. (Interim Medical Director)
EMS Section Chief, Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine

Carin Van Gelder, M.D. (Interim Medical Director)
MIC Medical Director, New Haven Sponsor Hospital Program

Paul Genecin, M.D.
Director, Yale Health

Shaun Heffernan, EMT-P, EMS-I (EMT Course Instructor)
Assistant Chief & Fire Marshall, Branford Fire Department, Branford, CT

Stephanie Spangler, M.D.
Deputy Provost for Health Affairs, Office of the Provost

Judith Madeux
Deputy Director, Yale Health

Marjorie Lemmon
Risk Manager, Office of Risk Management

W. Marichal Gentry
Dean of Student Affairs, Yale College

Melanie McCloskey, MSN, RN, BC
Assistant Director, Specialty Care Services, Yale Health

Jennifer Franssen
Financial Analyst, Finance & Business Operations, Yale Health

If you are not an EMT, please click here for information on our class.
To join YEMS, you must hold current EMT certification in the State of Connecticut. This page provides information and instructions for graduates of the EMT class as well as other new EMTs who wish to join YEMS and describes the requirements that must be met before you can begin working shifts with us as a full member of a crew. Please see the Membership section of this page below to get started.

Membership in Yale EMS
YEMS is dedicated to providing the highest level of patient care and emergency medical services to the Yale community. In order to work EMS standby shifts as a full member of a crew, YEMS members must meet all compliance requirements listed below and maintain good standing as members of YEMS.

Good standing requirements
In order to work EMS standby shifts as a full member of a crew, you must be a member in good standing with YEMS. To be in good standing, you must hold current State of Connecticut certification as an EMT as well as current National Registry certification at the EMT-Basic level and must satisfy all YEMS compliance requirements outlined below. Members must also be familiar with and abide by the YEMS Standard Operating Procedures available for review on the YEMS internal group management website. In order to maintain good standing and active membership status in YEMS, you must sign up for a minimum number of scheduled shifts at the beginning of each semester and must attend regularly-scheduled continuing education and practical skills review sessions held by the Executive Board once a month.

Compliance requirements
1. EMT certification
You must hold current State of Connecticut certification as an EMT (with a valid CT certification number) and be registered with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Graduates of the EMT class should schedule their state practical exam (which is independently administered at several locations throughout Connecticut) as soon as possible. After passing the Connecticut state practical exam, you will be cleared to take the NREMT written exam, which can be taken at any Pearson VUE testing center throughout the nation. Upon passing the NREMT written exam, you will receive an NREMT number and will be issued State of Connecticut EMT certification by the state Office of EMS.

2. Membership Application
Complete the YEMS Membership Application (Form 200) available here and return to David Suwondo, Chief of Administration, at david.suwondo@yale.edu.

3. Read the YEMS Standard Operating Procedures and Bylaws
Available for review on the YEMS internal group management website at groupspaces.com/yems

4. State and University Compliance Requirements
The following compliance requirements are mandated by Yale University and/or the State of Connecticut Office of EMS and are required for all YEMS members. Most requirements can be managed and completed online through the Yale training website at yale.edu/training (login with your Yale NetID). All of these requirements need only be completed once, except where otherwise stated. You must send proof of completion for each course and a copy of your training transcript to Kate Szigety, Chief of Operations, at katherine.szigety@yale.edu.

Online Training
HIPAA for Clinical Care Providers: http://learn.caim.yale.edu/hipaaTraining/
HIPAA General Security: http://learn.med.yale.edu/hipaaTraining/security/
TB Awareness: http://www.yale.edu/ehs/onlinetraining/TB/TB.htm
Bloodborne Pathogens (annually): http://info.med.yale.edu/bbpclinical/
YUHS Code of Conduct: https://bmsweb.med.yale.edu/tms/tms_enrollments.offerings?p_crs_id=1976&p_std_id=88953#
FEMA ICS 100: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/is100b.asp
FEMA ICS 700: http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS700a.asp

Immunizations
PPD (TB skin test): required annually, available at Yale Health free of charge for YEMS members
MMR
Tetanus
Hepatitis B

HEPA Mask Fitting
You must be fitted for a HEPA mask by Yale Environmental Health & Safety. Schedule a mask fitting through the Yale training site.

5. emsCharts account (after completion of Steps 1-4 above)
Following completion of Steps 1-4 above, you will be eligible to begin field training shifts with a supervising EMT. Contact katherine.szigety@yale.edu to request a login and account for emsCharts, our e-PCR software; you will learn how to use emsCharts during your field training shifts.

6. Field Training Shifts
You must work a minimum of three field training shifts with a Supervising EMT (a member of the Executive Board or a similarly qualified EMT designated by the Executive Board), during which time you will receive experience in working with patients, checking and preparing equipment, radio operations, and electronic run form documentation using emsCharts Mobile.

Shift scheduling is conducted online through the YEMS members website at groupspaces.com/yems, where you can view all available shifts and manage the crews assigned to each. To request a user login and account, contact david.suwondo@yale.edu.

Each member undergoing field training will be assigned to a member of the Executive Board, and you will be required to successfully and satisfactorily handle a minimum of three calls, which will be assessed by the supervising EMT on your shift and reviewed with your assigned member of the Executive Board. When your supervising EMT feels confident in your ability to handle calls (following at least three shifts and at least three patient contacts), the Executive Board will vote to induct you as a full member of YEMS.

7. YEMS Uniform
When you have been cleared from field training, you will be issued a YEMS uniform shirt. The uniform shirt must be worn with full-length navy blue work pants (no jeans, shorts, or sweatpants; EMS pants are strongly recommended) and dark closed-toe boots (EMS boots recommended). For new members who plan to work shifts on a regular basis, or those who wish to volunteer with a local EMS ambulance service, it is strongly advised that you purchase a good pair of EMS pants and boots, which can be ordered online or through a handful of nearby public safety supply stores; contact any member of the Executive Board for more information. In the event of cold or inclement weather, YEMS high-visibility jackets are available in the equipment room to be used during your shift and returned to the room at the end of your shift.

8. Continuing Education and Training Requirements
All full members of YEMS are required to undergo continuing education and training requirements in order to maintain good standing. Continuing education involves two distinct elements: call reviews, and practical skills reviews. Both are held on a monthly basis at required YEMS membership meetings; contact david.suwondo@yale.edu to request a specific topic or call to be reviewed at the next session. YEMS employs a stringent quality assurance process through which all electronic patient run forms must pass, and a member of the Executive Board reviews every electronic chart before advancing it to the regional level. The Executive Board will flag items in your chart that require your attention or need to be addressed and will take further action as necessary.

Opportunities as a YEMS Member
YEMS member EMTs are eligible to work in any or all the following capacities.

work yems standby shifts as a paid emt
YEMS members in good standing who meet all compliance requirements above are eligible to work as a paid EMT at any of the large number of standby shifts that YEMS covers on the Yale campus, typically in the form of club sports games and campus events. This a great opportunity to gain experience working with patients as well as dealing with challenging situations. All shift scheduling and crew management is conducted electronically through the YEMS members website at groupspaces.com/yems.

work as a paid assistant instructor for the emt class
All YEMS members who have passed their state practical exam are eligible to help teach and demonstrate practical skills to the current EMT class. The class has practical skills training sessions scheduled throughout the semester in conjunction with the lecture part of the class, and YEMS members are eligible to serve as paid assistant instructors at these sessions by teaching the skills and serving as mock patients. YEMS members also serve as practical skills evaluators and mock patients at all practical skills exams that the EMT class takes each semester. EMT class dates, instructors, and details are managed electronically through the YEMS members website at groupspaces.com/yems.

become a cpr instructor
YEMS teaches CPR, First Aid, and AED certification classes at all levels for members of YEMS, Yale University, and a variety of Yale organizations as well as private organizations and individuals. YEMS members who hold current CPR instructor certification from the AAOS Emergency Care and Safety Institute are eligible to serve as paid CPR instructors at YEMS-run classes. For YEMS members who wish to obtain CPR instructor certification, YEMS offers a one-weekend, 16-hour CPR instructor certification class each year. You must be a member in good standing for at least one semester, and the cost of the course will be fully covered by YEMS on the condition that you agree to serve as an instructor for at least one CPR class per semester on behalf of YEMS at the normal pay rate.

ride for a volunteer ems agency: echo hose ambulance corps
Echo Hose Ambulance Corps is the volunteer EMS agency serving the city of Shelton, CT, located midway between New Haven and Bridgeport approximately 30 minutes from Yale’s campus by car or CT Transit bus. Echo Hose handles more than 5,000 calls per year and transports patients to hospitals throughout the region, including Yale-New Haven. Echo Hose has a high-quality, well-developed EMS Academy training program that allows YEMS members to undergo an accelerated preceptor process before becoming full members. The minimum volunteer requirement at Echo Hose is a very manageable 12 hours per month. A number of YEMS members, including most of the Executive Board, volunteers with Echo Hose. For more information, please contact david.suwondo@yale.edu or katherine.szigety@yale.edu.