The Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, has been selected to host the 32nd Annual Critical Care Transport Medicine Conference (CCTMC) on 8–10 April 2024.

CCTMC is presented by the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA), the Air Medical Physician Association (AMPA), and the International College of Advanced Practice Paramedics (I-CAPP).

Who should attend

You need to attend this clinically driven educational opportunity in the medical transport industry if you are a physician, nurse, paramedic, respiratory therapist, or allied healthcare professional responsible for pre-hospital and emergency care of the critically ill and injured patient.

Why you should attend

You will learn the essentials of care required for the complex patient requiring critical care air and ground transport and important leadership skills to enhance your professionalism. There will also be plenty of time for personal interaction with your peers and leaders in the profession.

ASTNA is offering continuing education contact hours education credits for nurses. I-CAPP is offering Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education – accredited continuing education for emergency medical technicians/paramedics, and physicians will receive accreditation through AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

What the conference offers

You can expect a wide variety of critical care transport topics. Check out some of the following session titles:

• Anger management: Safely managing combative patients
• From dungeons filled with dragons to a galaxy far, far away: Roleplaying games as a tool for training and professional development
• The art of effective leadership relations in transport medicine: The paramedic/nurse story
• Life after near death: I certainly wasn’t expecting this
• Special delivery! The small baby bundle – when a tiny package is a big deal
• Ventilator loops and waveforms aren’t just for RTs. Learn to master them
• Navigating the fatigue and wellness in EMS: from ground to sky. Fatigue management is not about management
• Current state of the evidence for the management of the pregnant trauma patient
• Step away from the needle: Reconsidering the management of tension pneumothorax in the pre-hospital setting
• The blood pressure is what? Management of the obstetric patient experiencing hypertension, pre-eclampsia, or eclampsia in transport
• Live wire: A shocking tale of electrical injury
• Under pressure: Assessment and management of the critically ill patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

There are over 60 sessions to choose from.

Other extra-curricular activities include:

• Yoga
• Pool party
• Beach 5k
• Sunrise breakfast
• Beach party
• Glow-in-the-dark volleyball
• Bonfires
• CCTMC takes over the Flora-Bama
• Chair massages.

Annual Scientific Forum

CCTMC offers an annual Scientific Forum sponsored by AMPA, ASTNA and the I-CAPP. Original research abstracts are presented in poster form and judged by a panel of critical care transport experts followed by publication in the Air Medical Journal. An Outstanding Research Award is given to the best entry. The Scientific Forum is widely known as the place to see the best of research in air and ground medical transport.

Preconference highlights

Come early and add to your knowledge and professional expertise. The following pre-conference events will be held before the start of the conference:

• I-CAPP will offer The Pittman Review Course on Friday 5 April and Saturday 6 April. Register at i-capp.org
• The International Board of Specialty Certification will offer the FP-C, CCP-C, and CP-C exams on Sunday morning, 7 April. Register at IBSCertifications.org
• The 12th annual Running with an Angel, a 5k run/walk, will be held on the beach Monday morning, 8 April. Help ASTNA honor our fallen colleagues and support their loved ones. Register at ASTNA.org

Exhibition hall

This is an opportunity to meet and spend one-on-one time with vendors who provide the equipment and services that help you in your job. Past exhibitors have included Bell Helicopters; Ninth Brain; Med-South; Golden Hour Data Systems; SafER Medical Products; Protean; ImageTrend; Air Methods; International Biomedical; Teleflex; emsCharts; LifeBlanket; Classic Air Medical; Columbia Southern University; US Navy; Siemens; Operative IQ; EMK Medical Services; and ZOLL Medical Corporation.

Transport Medicine Competition (TMC@CCTMC)

This year sees the return of the CCTMC critical care simulation competition, Transport Medicine Competition (TMC@CCTMC). We will be looking for six critical care transport teams to compete in multiple scenarios in various settings. These will be teams of two and may include paramedics, nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and nurse practitioners. The competition will include a series of matches in front of a live audience using high-fidelity simulation manikins to test skill, knowledge, critical thinking, and communication. Join in for fun, sand, and simulation in the sun. Winners will be announced before Wednesday’s closing session.

For more information on the conference and to register, visit CCTMC.net.

Orange Beach awaits

Bring the family. Get out of the cold and experience a warm welcome along Alabama’s 32-mile beach. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach beckon visitors to relax, unwind, and embrace the area’s charming coastal culture. Seafood, arts, outdoor adventure, and water sports combine for unforgettable experiences for you and your friends and family.

The newly renovated, Mediterranean-style resort with private beachfront is located in Orange Beach, Alabama, just two miles west of the Florida state line. Learn more at perdidobeachresort.com.