The Ontario Base Hospital Group Education Subcommittee (OBHG ESC) has released its Companion Document for the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards version 5.1. 

The Companion Document is an educational tool that helps to provide clarification on changes and updates to the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards.

Medical Directives Page

• Paramedics with disabilities can request accommodations for barriers they encounter in certification, education, or other RPPEO services.
• Each request will be evaluated individually, and appropriate accommodations will be determined collaboratively.
• The policy is available on RPPEO.ca in the Policy section.

The Ontario Base Hospital Group (OBHG) is seeking applications for new representation from front line paramedics for all provincial committees:

• Ontario Base Hospital Group Medical Advisory Committee (OBHG MAC) -2
• Data Quality Management Subcommittee (DQM) -1
• Education Subcommittee (ESC) -1

 Term: April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2027

For more information about this opportunity and how to apply, please see the invitation on the OBHG website. Note that the application deadline is March 1, 2024.

More information about OHBG and its committees is available by visiting the Paramedics section of the OBHG website. 

Remember when you could bring a page of notes into your math exam? Having all the formulas written out in your teeny-tiny scribble really helped not to forget that r was squared and c was a constant equal to the speed of light.

Now you've got a similar tool integrated into the Ontario Paramedic Clinical Guide.

The new tool isn't for math, though. The Ontario Base Hospital Group put the key highlights for applying the prehospital Canadian Triage and Acuity Score (CTAS) to your adult patients into graphic form.

We're thrilled to share an exciting update that will improve patient care: the expansion of Online Medical Consultation (OMC) services to two more base hospitals - the Centre for Paramedic Education and Research (CPER) in Hamilton, and Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury.

Palliative Care Treat & Refer Directives are now available.

The Palliative Care Medical Directives provide the standards of paramedic care for patients receiving palliative care who are attended by emergency paramedics participating in the Ministry of Health's special project, Paramedics Providing Palliative Care.

Read more

Enhance Your Pediatric Care Skills with this Expert Seminar on Trauma and Resuscitation in Ottawa on November 29

Join us on Wednesday, November 29 from 09h until 11h30 for a compelling seminar led by Jonathan Lee, an acclaimed Critical Care Paramedic and the founder of KinderMedic. Geared towards a diverse audience of healthcare professionals – paramedics, nurses, physicians, and more – this free seminar promises to elevate your knowledge and skills for managing critical pediatric trauma and resuscitation effectively.

During the session, Mr. Lee will delve into evidence-based concepts and key assessment findings crucial in pediatric resuscitation. Drawing from over 25 years of extensive experience in 911 response, critical care, aeromedical services, and pediatric critical care transport, Jonathan will also share insights on trauma for pediatric patients. These young patients often pose unique challenges, making this seminar a valuable learning opportunity for healthcare providers.

RPPEO paramedics are invited to attend a live online discussion about the landmark "DOSE VF" study on October 6, 2023 at 10am. Register now for this event!

The RPPEO has rescinded Medical Advisory 2012-006 "Drug Shortage: Atropine preload."

With the coming into effect of the Advanced Life Support Patient Care Standards version 4.9 on February 1, 2022, the Symptomatic Bradycardia Medical Directive now indicates an IV atropine dose of 1mg. This dose may be repeated twice.

Paramedics should provide treatment consistent with this directive.

Fall 2023 CME for Advanced Care Paramedics launches online October 11, 2023.

The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario (RPPEO) has revised several of our policies.

Paramedics and others for whom RPPEO policies provide guidance should note that there are two important updates to policies CLI 180 and CLI 230. Most of the other policies reviewed received minor revisions that do not substantively impact the guidance.

The revised policies and all RPPEO Policies are available in the online Policy Manual. Read on for more detail on the policy updates.

RPPEO is pleased to present an important online seminar addressing Undifferentiated Loss of Consciousness on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, from 2-3pm ET. The webinar is presented as part of RPPEO Spring 2026 CME programming. All are welcome to attend!

Pre-eminent clinical educator and STARS Air Ambulance critical care physician Dr. Katie Lin presents a lecture packed with pearls for those encountering loss of consciousness in prehospital care. Register now! 

You'll find the complete online Spring 2022 CME ready for you now in MedicLEARN!

This entirely online CME launched on May 11, 2022. While this CME activity is directed at Advanced Care Paramedics certified at the RPPEO, Primary Care Paramedics are welcome to view or complete these modules as well!

Paramedics have until the end of the current certification period - January 31, 2023 - to complete Spring 2022 CME and any other requirements for maintenance of certification.

RPPEO Spring 2024 CME is launching online on Wednesday, March 13. The RPPEO's Spring continuing medical education module is aimed at ACPs. PCPs from paramedic services supporting participation are also welcome to participate in the Spring session.

RPPEO today emailed a Spring 2024 CME Launch Letter containing details of the education to each certified paramedic in our region.

Paramedic services will have participants' class schedule as we move into the classroom period this Spring.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

The online module for RPPEO's Spring 2025 Continuing Medical Education (CME) program is now available on MedicLEARN!

All Advanced Care Paramedics and those Primary Care Paramedics participating in Spring CME are encouraged to complete the online portion as soon as you can. The module available on MedicLEARN must be complete before paramedics undertake the classroom portion. 

RPPEO-certified paramedics are invited to participate in Trauma Day, an 8-hour intensive learning experience where you will learn and practise the latest techniques in trauma response and management.

RPPEO has partnered with Prescott-Russell Paramedic Service to bring paramedics this focused learning opportunity. Trauma expert Eric Gagnon, ACP, will show you the latest information and concepts in trauma management in this hands-on class.

Trauma Day is being offered in Kingston on November 22 and in Ottawa on December 20. A limited number of spots are available. ACPs receive priority booking since the content focuses on advanced care concepts and techniques.

The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario (RPPEO) is excited to announce the return of Trauma Days for 2024! Following the success of our full-day courses in Ottawa and Kingston last year, Eric Gagnon is back to deliver his popular and informative Trauma Day Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions.

The Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario (RPPEO) is excited to announce the return of Trauma Days for 2025! Following another year of success, Eric Gagnon is back to deliver his popular and informative Trauma Day Continuing Medical Education (CME) sessions.

Patients can now have one support person accompanying them at an Ottawa Hospital (TOH) emergency room (ER).

On August 16, 2021, TOH updated its visitor restrictions. The Ottawa Hospital is currently in low visitor restrictions as part of the hospital’s ongoing response to COVID-19. 

Paramedics are encouraged to inform family and loved ones of patients who would benefit from a support person that they may go to the TOH ER.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Sara-Pier Piscopo has joined the Regional Paramedic Program for Eastern Ontario as a new Associate Medical Director.

Dr. Piscopo is a pediatric emergency physician with a strong background in prehospital and transport medicine. She completed her fellowship in Prehospital and Transport Medicine (PTM) at the University of Ottawa, where she developed a keen understanding of EMS systems and care delivery beyond the hospital setting.

Now we're committed!

Spring 2021 CME announced, staff working on content

We pushed the little green 'go' button launching Cycle 1 2021 CME last week.

New to our line-up this year is a series of four one-hour workshops featuring paramedics who are content specialists. Registration is now open for paramedics to attend the virtual live events with four presenters that Jeremiah has lined up across May 4, 5, and 6.

Read More

Methoxyflurane Study Launches Treatment Phase

Our research study will begin to use Penthrox on the road in Hastings-Quinte starting on Wednesday.

Since Health Canada approved Penthrox for pain relief use in Canada in 2018, paramedic services have been adopting the non-opioid analgesic.

The low-dose medication is delivered to patients by an inhaler which patients who have acute trauma may use themselves when they're in the care of paramedics. Patients report improvements in pain scores, with "side effects" that include dizziness and euphoria.

Read More

Following identification of patient safety incidents regarding use of IV EPINEPHrine for anaphylaxis across the region, Dr. Richard Dionne, Regional Medical Director, has issued an important Medical Advisory for paramedics identifying the patient safety risk with using the IV route in administration of EPINEPHrine for anyone who is profusing.

Paramedics should read Medical Advisory 2022-02. If you have any questions, please contact quality@RPPEO.ca.

MedicNEWS Issue 2.3 is here! In this issue, find out what you should be watching for with MIS-C or Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children - sometimes called Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS). It's suspected to be a heightened inflammatory response caused when the child's body releases cytokines that lead to organ and tissue damage and may be related to pediatric COVID-19. Also, in this issue, you'll find an argument debunking the idea of so-called brittle diabetes, announcements about your CME and news for paramedics in this region. Read July MedicNEWS here.

We are pleased to present our Dissemination Activities Report for the 2020-21 year of Improvement Science work at the RPPEO!

RPPEO_ANNUAL_DAR_Final2020-2021.pdf

The Regional Paramedic Program presents an accounting of our knowledge production and dissemination work for the 2021-22 year.

RPPEO_ANNUAL_DAR_2021-2022_Js_2022-07-12.pdf

The Regional Paramedic Program presents an accounting of our knowledge production and dissemination work for the 2022-23 year.

RPPEO_ANNUAL_DAR_2022-2023_FINAL.pdf

Once again this year, we are pleased to present our Dissemination Activity Report for the last year of Improvement Science work at the RPPEO: 2019-2020.

Download the PDF

We're recruiting for participants in our new Pre-hospital Inhaled Methoxyflurane Non-Clinical Occupational Exposure Study Interested?

Email research@RPPEO.ca or call 613 737-7288 ext 77911