Update: LERN Responds

It would seem that my recent rant about the Lousiana Emergency Response Network ruffled more than a few feathers. But aside from the indignant replies from some folks at LERN (Doesn't posting on blogs from state computers violate Louisiana's government's acceptable use policy, Ahsley?), I've also had some feedback from LERN officials in other regions* who are interested in more constructive dialogue than a game of Kill The Messenger.

What follows is a note from Paige Hargrove, LERN Executive Director:

Participating LERN Providers,

My name is Paige Hargrove and I am the newly appointed Executive Director of the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN).  One of my first priorities as the LERN Executive Director is to gain a detailed, clear understanding of the value LERN currently delivers to our participating providers. 

As you know, one of the major services LERN currently offers is the LERN Communications Center (LCC).  Through the LCC, LERN facilitates the efforts of our participating EMS and Hospital providers to get trauma patients to the most appropriate hospital facility in the most efficient manner. 

LERN now has over three years of experience operating the LCC.  We think it is time to conduct a formal survey of the LERN participating providers to measure your general perceptions about the value a LERN Communications Center provides to our statewide trauma system.  In other words, we want to know if you believe the LCC is an important resource that warrants LERN’s continued investment and development.  We also want to know how you rate the current performance of the LCC.

We have developed a short web-based instrument to survey all participating LERN providers.  It includes 8 questions – you will be able to complete the survey in less than 5 minutes.  Please take a few moments to give us your honest input.  We need to know what you think so we can best serve our participating LERN providers and Louisiana’s citizens.

The LERN Communications Center Survey can be found here.

If you are a Louisiana hospital or EMS provider, I urge you to take the survey and give LERN your constructive criticism (or attaboys).

Hopefully they can use your feedback to improve their system and make it more user-friendly to us EMS providers, and the next time I call LERN I'll have reason for public praise instead of public ridicule.

For my part, I took the survey, but my suggestions from the other post bear repeating here, because I suspect most of the LERN folks were too outraged to read all the way to the end:

• Location
• Entry criteria
• Needed resources at the receiving hospital

That's all you need to give me an appropriate receiving hospital for my trauma patient, stroke patient, or STEMI patient. Do that, and I'll be happy to answer all the rest of your questions with a smile on my face and a song in my heart, while I'm transporting.

Do that, and the LERN Call Center would be a far more use-friendly resource than it currently is.

*Many thanks to my old friend and co-worker Deborah Spann for forwarding me Mrs. Hargove's letter and survey.