CMA

To view COTS' current committee and subcommittee meeting dates, times and locations, click here. 

COTS provides the infrastructure that advances the emergency healthcare response across systems in the Central Ohio community.  Much of this infrastructure exists through COTS committees. COTS committees serve as a neutral “place” where stakeholders are convened with the intention of resolving trauma and emergency healthcare service issues, as well as advancing health system disaster preparedness.  COTS stakeholders are typically from hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), public health agencies, and other non-profits.  Stakeholders serve as COTS committee chairpersons on a voluntary basis.  Respective committee issues are presented, discussed, strategized, and resolved via consensus and parliamentary processes. 

COTS maintains multiple committees and subcommittees which include the Executive, Clinical Trauma, Diversion, Fall Prevention Network, Pre-Hospital, Registry, Regional Hospital Emergency Preparedness, Stroke, and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Committees.  Each committee has a distinct focus with Board-delineated roles and responsibilities aimed at enhancing trauma and/or emergency healthcare services for central Ohioans.  COTS committees meet bi-monthly, monthly or quarterly depending on the work at hand.  COTS provides additional support for its committee initiatives by researching strategies, expert opinions and best practices from other communities. 

COTS committee work is patient-focused.  The result of COTS’ committee work is the establishment of regional protocols, guidelines and/or standards that improve emergency care and disaster response for Central Ohio residents.  Stakeholder training on the initiatives is provided as needed.  All COTS protocols, guidelines and/or standards are evaluated on a regular basis for effectiveness and the need for revision.  A process improvement plan helps determine appropriate follow up with stakeholders as needed.  A list of COTS committees as well as their stakeholder co-chairs, roles and responsibilities are as follows.

Executive/Finance Committee, Robert A. Lowe, MD, FACEP (Doctors Hospital), & Medard R. Lutmerding, MD, FACEP (Mount Carmel Health System), Co-Chairs

• Manages the general business of the COTS Board of Trustees and coordination of COTS committee projects/work
• Oversees COTS’ legal activities and legal documents
• Assesses budgetary needs and drafts the Annual Budget; oversees the Budget and accounting
• Assists with grant-seeking and writing 
• Establishes public and corporate partnerships to promote the COTS mission and goals in the community; establishes community partnerships to aid in financial support 
• Facilitates long-term financial planning 
• Coordinates COTS Internal Review Board to allow information sharing from COTS Registry with legitimate researchers and community agencies; oversees COTS Trauma Registry data for publication and research 
• Publishes the Annual Report on Trauma to the Community 
• Liaisons with State trauma-related groups (State EMS Board, State Trauma Committee, State Registry Advisory Committee, Region V Regional Physicians Advisory Board) 
• Oversees other executive-related activities as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees
  

Aeromedical Communications Committee, Sherri Kovach, RN, EMT-B, EMS CE I (Nationwide Children's Hospital), & Robert A. Lowe, MD, FACEP (Doctors Hospital), Co-Chairs

• Monitors aeromedical transport communication issues related to patient safety
• Conducts regional performance improvement initiatives for aeromedical transport communication issues
• Recommends regional protocols to improve communication and safety of aeromedical transports
• Undertakes other related activities as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees 
  
  

Clinical Trauma Committee, Victor Dizon, DO, FACOS (Mount Carmel West), Jeff Hubartt, RN (Riverside Methodist Hospital), & Douglas Paul, DO, FACOS, (Grant Medical Center), Co-Chairs 

• Monitors trauma care from a regional perspective as consistent with mandates of Ohio legislation related to trauma victims; assesses regional trauma care trends
• Conducts regional trauma care process improvement initiatives
• Recommends clinical trauma protocols based on data analysis from COTS’ Registry
• Coordinates professional continuing medical and nursing education related to trauma care
• Establishes regional baseline standards for Level I and Level II trauma alert criteria
• Assists regional hospitals in complying with the establishment of written protocols and transfer agreements as mandated by Ohio law
• Undertakes other clinically-related activities relevant to trauma care as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees 

Diversion Committee, Shawn C. Koser, NREMPT (Columbus Division of Fire), & Medard R. Lutmerding, MD, FACEP (Mount Carmel Health System), Co-Chairs   

• Provides a forum for hospitals, emergency departments, and emergency medical services to address issues related to regional diversion patterns
• Established, maintains and oversees the Regional Emergency Care Access Plan (RECAP) and Emergency Patient Transport Plan (EPTP)
• Provides oversight for regional performance improvement related to diversion
• Oversees the regional diversion database/real-time emergency department status website
• Engages in other diversion and patient access-related activities as directed by the COTS Board

Fall Prevention Network, Anne Goodman (Grant Medical Center) 

• Provides a networking forum for injury-prevention stakeholders interested in decreasing the incidence of falls among the elderly; the forum shall provide opportunities for sharing current fall-prevention initiatives that may benefit each others' programs and especially the general public
• Provides a forum for establishing a shared initiative when feasible under COTS that will address an aspect of fall prevention

Pre-Hospital Committee, Thomas J. Gavin, MD, FACEP (Dublin Methodist Hospital), & Alan G. Gora, MD, FACEP (Mount Carmel Health System), Co-Chairs 

• Provides a forum for resolution of community-wide EMS / hospital issues (other than diversion)
• Assesses pre-hospital trauma care trends and recommends protocol changes based on need
• Coordinates pre-hospital trauma training as requested by the emergency medical services community
• Establishes and evaluates EMS field triage destination protocols of trauma victims
• Establishes regional protocols/guidelines as needed to promote emergency services care; provides oversight and ongoing assessment of existing regional protocols/guidelines
• Assists with community disaster management planning involving hospitals and EMS
• Engages in other prehospital-related activities as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees

Regional Hospital Emergency Preparedness (RHEP) Committee, Medard R. Lutmerding, MD, FACEP (Mount Carmel Health System), & Joe Tulga (Marion General Hospital), Co-Chairs 

• Assists central Ohio hospitals with regional disaster management planning and exercises to maximize local resources in the event of a mass-casualty event
• Liaisons central Ohio hospitals with the city, region, and state in disaster/terrorism preparedness efforts
• Oversees the COTS Hospital Incident Liaison (HIL) role to assist Central Region hospitals, the Central Ohio community, and the State with healthcare response in a large-scale, mass-casualty incident
• Helps hospitals receive preparedness funding and meet deliverables of Assistant for Preparedness and Response (ASPR); the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI); Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); Joint Commission; the Ohio Department of Health (ODH); and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA)
• Oversees other regional disaster preparedness activities as directed by the COTS Board

Registry Committee, Renae Kable, CSTR, CAISS (Nationwide Children’s Hospital), & Peggy Rhoades, CSTR (Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University), Co-Chairs 

• Establishes procedures for trauma registry data submission in accordance with State guidelines, regional requirements, and hospitals’ needs
• Assesses COTS Registry software needs
• Provides ongoing education for hospital registry-related personnel via a COTS Registry manual and on-site one-on-one Registry data abstraction training
• Monitors data quality, reliability, and validity
• Participates in other registry-related activities as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees

Stroke Committee, Heith Good, EMT-P (Norwich Township Fire Department), & Duane Kusler, RN, MBA (Nationwide Children’s Hospital), Co-Chairs 

• Provides a forum for discussion of stroke care issues in Central Ohio
• Establishes recommendations for the uniform screening of suspected stroke patients
• Completes and disseminates to EMS an accurate assessment of Central Ohio Hospitals stroke capabilities
• Develops an educational plan for EMS colleagues inclusive of a uniform screening tool and  destination guidelines
• Implements and oversees a regional process improvement plan for the emergency care of stroke patients in Central Ohio
• Engages in other activities related to the assessment and care of stroke patients as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Committee, Lyn Nofziger, Lt., EMT-P (Upper Arlington Division of Fire), & Michael R. Sayre, MD (The Ohio State University Hospitals), Co-Chairs 

• Provides a forum for discussion of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) care issues in Central Ohio
• Establishes regional recommendations and/or guidelines for the care of SCA patients
• Establishes sample EMS protocols for the care of SCA patients
• Engages in other activities related to SCA care as directed by the COTS Board of Trustees 

Several of these COTS Committees have one or more active subcommittee.  COTS committee membership is open to any interested members of the central Ohio community.  For information about their work and/or to join any COTS Committee, contact (614) 240-7419.