Mark Meredith, M.D.
Pediatric EMS standards focus of new role
A new position in the Pediatric Emergency Department focuses on improving the emergent care of children, even before they reach the hospital.
Mark Meredith, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, will join the Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center (CRPC) training team at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as clinical director for Pediatric EMS (emergency medical services).
Meredith will travel with the CRPC team throughout the region to teach hospital emergency staff and EMS providers standards of care for emergency treatment of infants and children.
Meredith will also join Corey Slovis, M.D., chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for the Nashville Fire Department, in efforts to keep Nashville's on-scene treatment and transport of infants and children at the highest quality level.
Meredith will serve as the assistant EMS medical director for Pediatric Care and provide oversight for pediatric issues, in addition to quarterly in-services on pediatric care.
“This is the first time we have ever had a Pediatric Emergency Medicine specialist devoted to providing education to our paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) at the Nashville Fire Department,” Slovis said.
“Mark has had a passionate interest in EMS care and will be attending our quality improvement meetings at NFD to offer insights and expertise into best practices for transporting children and infants.”
Meredith will also be working within Children's Hospital to develop a database of children who are transported to the Pediatric ED in an effort to document how care is delivered in the field as well as at other hospitals.
“What we are finding is outside hospitals and EMS agencies are often concerned about doing something wrong when they work with an injured child,” Meredith said.
“They are concerned about everything from the correct dose of medication in a small child to the proper management of a pediatric airway.
“Our goal is to reassure them and let them know that we are here to help them so that the children of Middle Tennessee get the best care possible,” Meredith said.
Meredith, who recently completed a three-year fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Children's Hospital, joined the staff as a full-time faculty member July 1.