Current Monthly Briefing
February 2012
January saw the successful completion of the first NBDHMT sponsored diver medic refresher training course. It was held in conjunction with the Association of Diving Contractors International 'Underwater Intervention 2012', in New Orleans. Speakers were a veritable 'who's who' of the Gulf of Mexico diving medicine scene. Dr.'s Van Meter, Sirio, Bourgeois, Alleman, Murphy-Lavoie, LeGros and Buford joined Cal-Dive Int.'s Health and Safety Director (and NBDHMT Executive Committee Member) Terry Overland, Safety Management Systems Chris Peppler, and this writer. Two full days were packed with reviews and updates on decompression illness, barotraumas, marine life injuries, case management scenarios and 'lessons learned' from past accidents. A series of interactive case presentations and several hands-on clinical skills stations rounded out the course.
All of the speakers willingly gave of their time and expertise and did so without expectation. They freely interacted with attendees during didactic and practical sessions. The quality of the speakers and their material was not lost on the attendees. Early and enthusiastic feedback was sufficient to warrant this course becoming an annual event.
On Friday, January 27, the first Beta testing of the new DMT certification was undertaken. A total of 22 recently graduated diver medics from courses in Key Largo, Florida (The Aquarius Seabed Laboratory) and Denver, Colorado, agreed to take part in this process. Several other DMT training programs will join assist in this manner over the next several months. Results are being fed back to DMT teaching teams so that they can fine tune respective course content in order to address any perceived weaknesses. The Board's goal is to introduce this standardized examination by the end of 2012.
Dick Clarke, President
National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical Technology