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July 2025; Volume 14, Issue 7
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Utah Emergency Medical Services for Children
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Pedi Points
Tia Dickson RN, BSN
PCH Trauma RN, Utah EMSC Nurse Clinical Consultant
This month’s newsletter highlights pediatric injury prevention resources available for EMS providers to use in community outreach efforts such as safety fairs, school visits, and other public education events. These tools are designed to support your role in keeping kids safe by promoting evidence-based prevention strategies around common pediatric injuries, including car seat safety, bike helmets, water safety, and more. Whether you’re planning a community event or looking to strengthen partnerships with local families and schools, these resources can help you make a lasting impact.
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Children’s Health, Community Health
Michelle Jamison, MHA
Community Health Program Manager
Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital
Excerpts from Jun 9th, 2025 PETOS
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Primary Children’s – 2 campuses, expanded services
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Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital (PCH) is expanding into surrounding states to improve access to specialized pediatric care. This includes new facilities and partnerships, with EMS providers playing a key role in patient transport and care coordination. Additionally, the initiative will offer community injury prevention resources to these areas, helping to reduce accidents and promote child safety. The goal is to enhance both immediate care and long-term health outcomes for children in these expanded regions.
2023-2025 Community Health Priorities
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Improve mental well-being
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Improve chronic and avoidable disease outcomes
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Address and invest in social determinants of health
PCH is working on the priorities above and while they have began an assessment of needs for the next cycle, these topics are likely to remain high on the list.
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Brand characters were introduced when the Lehi campus opened to normalize open-ended discussions about emotion.
They provide a safe space to inspire connection, conversation, and well-being.
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Through rebranding and expansion Primary Children’s is making new resources available to the community in the form of campaigns.
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Each of these campaigns includes education, data and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. They also provide ‘assets’, resources that can be shared with the community to promote these best practices. You will also find:
The top three campaigns in this cycle—Emotional Wellbeing, Car Seat Safety, and Helmet Safety—are prioritized due to their significant impact on preventing child fatalities.
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Let’s Highlight One of These Campaigns
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Emotional Health
Definition: Ability to express feelings, adjust to emotional challenges, tolerate frustration, and cope with life stressors.
Key Components:
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Understanding strengths and areas for improvement
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Resilience and persistence after setbacks
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Developing flexibility and autonomy
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Letting others offer support
Tip: With practice and tools, you can discuss emotional health with your child.
Social Health
Definition: Healthy relationships with family, friends, and community.
Development: Tweens start pulling away from family, focusing more on peers.
Parental Role:
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Encourage social skills and positive interactions
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Support healthy relationship-building
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Allow practice and provide gentle guidance
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Reinforce the importance of being themselves and trying new things
Tips: Establish routines and encourage open communication.
Physical Health
Definition: Essential for mental and emotional wellbeing.
Key Aspects:
Nutrition: Supports brain development and emotional resilience.
Parental Role: Prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutritious meals to enhance overall health.
Spiritual Health
Definition: Sense of purpose, connection, and meaning beyond material needs.
Importance: Helps cope with stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions.
Parental Role:
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Encourage reflection, values-based activities, and open conversations.
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Foster connection with nature or community.
Tip: Support spiritual growth alongside emotional and mental development for a balanced sense of wellbeing.
Anxiety and Stress
Normal Emotions: Anxiety and anger are natural and signal the need for adaptation.
Managing Anxiety: Use stress-management techniques for kids and adults.
Parental Role: Discuss emotions and stressors with your child to provide support.
When Bad or Hard Things Happen
Trauma: Any upsetting or harmful event that overwhelms a child’s ability to cope.
Signs of Struggling:
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Intense fear, negative feelings, and avoidance
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Difficulty with attention or sleep
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Anger or withdrawal from activities
Parental Role: Help children process trauma and provide a safe environment to heal.
Suicide Prevention
The campaign not only covers all the subjects listed above but also dives deeper into the specifics of each. In particular, there’s a strong emphasis on preventing suicide, addressing both the needs of children and their caregivers.
They promote talking to tweens, free online suicide prevention training, and a fantastic document on caregiver prevention.
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Other Assets Within this Campaign
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Gunlocks, information cards, emotion wheels, brand character plushies and other items are available upon request.
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How to Access All the Campaign Materials
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For additional guideline direction check out the UPTN website or the new app, “Utah PTN” on android and apple devices.
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CME credit for this issue
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Training officers may review the topic above as a team training AND perform a simulation/skills check as directed. Once complete, send a roster of participants to Utah.PETOS@gmail.com and those listed will be issued 1-hour of CME credit from the Bureau of EMS, DPS.
Individuals who don’t have a training officer can get CME credit on their own by viewing a PETOS presentation in our archives and completing the instructions on the webpage.
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Skills checking
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Review the newsletter content with your team.
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Contact Michelle Jamison and use one of the campaigns in an agency outreach project.
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Take a picture on send it to tdickson@utah.gov along with your roster of those who participated.
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On June 19, 2025, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services received notification about an unvaccinated Utah resident who tested positive for measles by PCR test. This individual is an adult and currently resides in Utah County. This person has no out-of-state exposures which indicates the infection was transmitted within Utah. No other people with measles have been identified at this time.
During their infectious period, the Utah County resident visited public places. People who were at these sites at the same time or 2 hours after this person could have been exposed to measles. We encourage clinicians to be aware of the risk to unvaccinated people who were in these locations during the exposure time period. Check the Utah DHHS 2025 measles response webpage for these dates and places.
While the general risk of measles in Utah remains low, we want clinicians to be aware of this situation and the potential for additional cases. We strongly encourage vaccination of all people older than 1 year of age, regardless of an exposure to this event. Given the limited risk in Utah, we do not recommend early vaccination for infants in Utah. However, infants who are 6 to 11 months of age should be given an early dose if they are traveling on domestic flights or to areas in the U.S. with active measles spread. The Center for Outbreak Response Innovation has a good resource to help you understand where recent cases have occurred in the U.S. It is appropriate to follow the standard guidance for early vaccination for international travel for domestic travelers at this time. An early dose is allowable for infants older than 6 months of age. Any infant who gets an early dose will need to get 2 later doses in accordance with the standard vaccination schedule at 12–15 months and then a dose at 4–6 years.
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Hospital NPRP is right around the corner
We are excited to announce that the next National Pediatric Readiness Project (NPRP) assessment of Emergency Departments (EDs) across the U.S. is set to launch in March 2026, reflecting updated national guidelines and growing momentum in pediatric emergency care.
Launch Date: The next NPRP assessment of Emergency Departments (EDs) nationwide will begin in March 2026
Purpose & Importance: This national assessment supports ongoing efforts to improve Pediatric Readiness and pediatric emergency care consistency.
Momentum:
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New research links Pediatric Readiness to improved survival.
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ACS‑COT now includes it in trauma center verification.
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Media coverage is increasing awareness.
Your Role: Continued engagement before and during the assessment is essential. Additional details will be shared later.
NPRP assessments evaluate EDs on a 100-point scale and provide customized reports to help close gaps in pediatric emergency care. With research showing that high pediatric readiness can reduce child mortality by up to 76%, the stakes are high—and the tools to improve are available now. EDs can access toolkits, quality dashboards, checklists and more at www.pediatricreadiness.org to start preparing today.
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Autism awareness training (agency and hospital)
If your agency is interested in the John Wilson Autism training or in receiving the free autism kits, contact Jeff Wilson, PM @jeffwilson122615@gmail.com.
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PECC development
For Utah hospital and EMS Agency PECCs
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Understanding the PECC role
For hospital PECCs
For EMS PECCs
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PECC quarterly meeting
You will receive an invitation with the link through email. If you are a PECC and don’t receive this invitation, contact our program manager, Jared Wright jaredwright@utah.gov.
When?
Tuesday, Aug 19th, 2024, 10:00 AM
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Pediatric education from Utah EMSC
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Pediatric Emergency and Trauma Outreach Series (PETOS)
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PETOS (pediatric emergency and trauma outreach series)
This lecture provides 1 free CME credit from the Office of Emergency Medical Services, DPS for EMTs and Paramedics. The lectures are presented by physicians and pediatric experts from Primary Children’s Hospital. The format is informal; inviting questions and discussion.
Upcoming topics
Jul 14th, 2025 – Measles, Pertussis and Bird Flu, Oh My! with Hilary Hewes MD
Aug 11th, 2025 – Derm Issues with Robert Sylvester DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC
Sep 8th, 2025 – Patient Perspective with Seantae Jackson
02:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98193757707?pwd=UzdNeXppQUdtZ01KZUp2UFlzRk9vdz09
Meeting ID: 981 9375 7707
Password: EmscPCH
Archived presentations can be viewed and also qualify for CME credits. You can access them at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/for-professionals/PETOS.
To obtain a completion certificate—follow the instructions on the website
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Emergency Pediatric Course – NAEMT
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Other pediatric education for all
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EMS Education Night – St. George
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Virtual Education Series: Measles: Connecting the Dots
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Intermountain Pediatric Emergency Care Conference (I-PECC)
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University of Utah Pediatrics ECHO 2025
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The Pediatrics ECHO is back! For those new to Pediatrics ECHO, you can earn CME for participating in a case-based learning session with experts in a variety of pediatric topics.
You can view previous session recordings and other programs on the Project ECHO page. CME is available for participation in these classes.
More Information
The University has a new EMS education website.
When? Wednesdays 12 – 1 pm (MT)
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University of Utah Injury Prevention Learning Series
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University of Utah’s EMS Trauma Grand Rounds
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Hospital-focused pediatric education
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Primary Children’s Pediatric Grand Rounds
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Offered every Thursday, September-May (currently on hiatus, archives available)
Offering both RN and MD CME
The pediatric grand rounds weekly lecture series covers cutting-edge research and practical clinical applications, for hospital and community-based pediatricians, registered nurses, and other physicians and practitioners who care for children of any age.
Every Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. from September through May in the 3rd Floor Auditorium at Primary Children’s Hospital and at Lehi a broadcast will be held in the education center (1st floor in rooms 1 & 2).The lectures are also broadcast live to locations throughout Utah and nationwide. Click on this link to view the broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNQP-M_3-PdPDvnICr2Fjpg
Connect live
Click here for the PGR PCH YouTube channel to find the live broadcast. Archives (without continuing education credit) will be posted here within 1 week of the broadcast.
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Emergency Medical Services for Children Utah, Bureau of EMS, Department of Public Safety
The Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program aims to ensure emergency medical care for the ill and injured child or adolescent is well integrated into an emergency medical service system.
Email: tdickson@utah.gov
Website: https://ems.utah.gov/
Phone: (801) 707-3763
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