Goodbye to the C-collar? A first look at the 2015 AHA Guidelines

Changes are coming this year to controversial areas of EMS! Is c-collaring going away???? Stay tuned! Every 5 years the American Heart Association updates its guidelines for best practices. The 2015 update comes out in October.
http://www.medicscribe.com/2015/01/23/aha-2015-guidelines-a-preview/

Introducting the MASHH WFR 2015!!!!!!

The MASHH Collective is getting the word out about our June 2015 Wilderness First Responder course! Date and location TBD, but I will leak the info that we are looking at a location about an hour and a half from the Bay Area.

Greetings!Medicine for All Seeking Health and Healing (MASHH) WFR 2015 dates are tentatively set for next early-mid June in Northern California.  Site to be announced.  There will be 16 openings for participants, and an application process. Course length will be 11 days, with a break in the middle for optional certification in Herbal First Aid.  

Please contact us if you need re-certification so we know how many are needing/interested in a separate recertification course.

Also please contact us if you would just like to volunteer to help out at the course. We'll need cooks, site support and good actors for scenarios.

Thanks for your interest and support of MASHH.

Breitenbush Herbal Conference September 4-7

I'll be teaching for the first time at the Breitenbush Herbal Conference near Portland, OR September 4-7. It is an honor to join this tradition of healers and teach alongside some of my teachers. Plus, there's hot springs! In addition to this intensive, I'll be lecturing on hospital-acquired infections and recognizing prescription drug names.  

Lifesaving Skills: celebrating herbalists’ heroic hands and hearts

with Laurel Pena

When stuff really goes down, you have a short amount of time to act and possibly save a life. Don't let fear paralyze you. There are really only a few simple actions that make a difference in the first minutes. You don't need any special equipment, just preparation and presence of mind. In this class we will develop both. We will practice first aid for choking, drowning, bleeding, heart attacks and other emergencies. We will examine the barriers that might keep us from taking action when it is needed. Working in small groups, we will develop our skills in a safe and supportive environment. Emotional first aid and aftercare for healers will be emphasized. CPR certification card available from ASHI for an additional $10.

http://www.breitenbushherbalconference.com/

Wilderness First Aid at the Siskiyou Field Institute Sept. 20-21

I'm excited to teach at the lovely Deer Creek Center on the Illinois River in southern Oregon! Registration is open now.

Wilderness First Aid

Instructor: Laurel Peña
Dates: Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 20-21, 2014
Location: Deer Creek Center, Selma
Tuition: $110; additional $35 for CPR class evening of September 19

Be prepared for medical emergencies in the backcountry. Students will learn to manage simple conditions and injuries while recognizing when advanced care is needed. Each class will be an approximate 50-50 mixture of lecture and outdoor scenarios/ practice. Topics treated include working with a patient assessment system, identifying life threats, moving patients, treating traumatic injuries, evacuation considerations, medical conditions, minor injuries, assembling a first- aid kit for backcountry trips and an introduction to herbal first aid. Part of the outdoor classwork will take place in the evening. This class is ideal for anyone who works, plays or lives in our wild bioregion. Students will receive American Safety and Health Institute certification upon completion.

*CPR training is required for this course. We will offer a brief CPR class Friday evening.

SFI Wilderness First Aid

Spring is overpowering my winter inertia, and real life is taking over from the school year....

I have really enjoyed being in Paramedic school (because I am a nerd) but am feeling pretty ready to be done. Lately all the negatives of the emergency medicine industry have been weighing on me heavier than usual. I am trying to turn that energy into a renewed commitment to making healthcare accessible, affordable, and accepting of  who we are as patients and providers, in any small way I can.

I still have an internship to get through, which feels like being thrown to the streets... streets of wolves... that go through a briarpatch.... but I love wolves and briars so it should be good.

Look for an updated teaching schedule soon! Emerging with the Spring,

Laurel

Upcoming CPR trainings - February 2013

February 25th at 1800 I will be offering a CPR Pro recertification class for Happy Camp Ambulance and Happy Camp Fire. Other river area responders are welcome to join in!

February 16th I'll be recerting members of the MASHH clinic collective in CPR. This is a great group that provides holistic first aid at various events. http://mashhclinic.wordpress.com/