Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
June 30-July 2, 2017
Course Schedule
Friday, June 30:
0700 NOON Pre Course
ACLS Recertification (Mazama Lodge)
Climbing Medicine and Basic Self-Rescue (French’s Dome)
Land Navigation and Survival (Mt. Hood)
12:00 NOON Course Registration
1:00
PM
Introduction to Wilderness Medicine & AWLS
1:30
PM
Patient Assessment
2:00
PM
Wilderness Wound Management
3:00
PM
HEENT and Dermatology
4:00
PM
ROTATING TEACHING GROUPS
1: Patient Assessment
2: Cervical Spine & Patient Movement
3: Splinting & Dislocations
4: Hypothermia Wraps and Patient Packaging
7:30
PM
Daily Wrap-Up
Dinner @ Mazama Lodge
Saturday, July 1:
6:30
AM
Breakfast @ Mazama Lodge
7:00
AM
Medical Kits
7:30
AM
Legal Issues in the Wilderness
8:00
AM
Medical Problems (Breakout Sessions)
9:00
AM
Avalanche
9:30
AM
Break
9:45
AM
Altitude Illness
10:15 AM
Hypothermia/Frostbite
11:00 AM
Hyperthermia
11:30 AM
Water Purification and Hydration
12:00 NOON Lunch @ Mazama Lodge
12:30 PM
Lightning
1:00
PM
Animal Injuries, Bites, and Stings
2:00
PM
Wilderness Medicine Scenarios
5:00
PM
Meet and Greet/Happy Hour
6:00
PM
Dinner (with presentation)
Sunday, July 2:
6:30
AM
7:00
AM
8:00
AM
8:30
AM
8:45
AM
9:45
AM
1:15
PM
Breakfast @ Mazama Lodge
Dive Medicine
Submersion Injuries
Break
Infectious Disease (Breakout Sessions)
AWLS Practical Testing Scenarios
Test & Lunch
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Sign-in
The class will be held within the downstairs meeting room of the Mazama Lodge. All students must
enroll in the course prior to Friday, June 3rd. Sign-in for enrolled students will be June 30th from 12:001:00 PM at the Mazama Lodge, Mt Hood, OR. Detailed directions to the lodge are included below. Signs
will be posted on the morning of the 30th to assist in reaching the lodge.
You will receive your complete schedule when you sign in. Sign-in is required so that we have an
accurate record of your attendance for Continuing Education credits.
Course Materials
The course textbook is available at the awls.org website as a digital download. You will be emailed a
registration confirmation with the password to access this download. You will also receive a hard copy
of the AWLS textbook at the time you sign in for the course. The printed and e-reader version of the
textbook is also available for purchase from Amazon.com, if you would like a copy of the text shipped
to you in advance of the course.
Course Description
“Learn the skills to prevent medical problems, reduce suffering and save lives in non-traditional medical
settings”
Earn your Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS) certification
Learn the latest practical hands-on wilderness medicine skills for patient assessment, treatment,
and evacuation protocols
Practice your skills in live scenarios with our expert instructors
Obtain up to 20.5 hours of category 1 CME*
Receive Wilderness Medical Society Fellowship (FAWM) credits
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- To provide a practical foundation in Wilderness Medicine for medical professionals
- To teach patient assessment and treatment guidelines for life support until definitive care or evacuation
is available
- To train the provider in methods for managing medical and traumatic emergencies and urgencies in
the wilderness when evacuation is unavailable or unnecessary.
- To teach techniques and guidelines for evacuation
Students will be divided into groups for the hands on teaching sessions.
You must hold a medical license (MD, DO, PhD, Nurse, PA, NP, Paramedic, EMT, second year or later
student) to certify in AWLS. We also require that you have completed a BLS or CPR certification at
sometime in the past.
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
TOPICS INCLUDE
Patient assessment
Trauma
Medical problems
Infectious disease
Head, Ear, Eye, Nose, Throat, Skin
Animal & insect bites
Musculoskeletal injuries
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Wound management
Water treatment
Hyperthermia, hypothermia, frostbite
Medical kits
Lightning
High Altitude Pulmonary Edema & Cerebral Edema
Dive Medicine
*The Wilderness Medical Society designates this educational activity for a maximum of 20.5 AMA PRA Category 1
Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the
Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Wilderness Medical
Society and AdventureMed. The Wilderness Medical Society is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical
education for physicians.
Course Faculty
J. Pearce Beissinger, MS, PA-C, FAWM
Pearce is a California native who mostly grew up on the East Coast. He is a physician assistant with a specialty in
cardiothoracic surgery and is an accomplished mountaineer with successful summits under his belt both within the United
States and abroad. Pearce has dedicated many years of service to search and rescue teams and has participated in
numerous mountain rescues.
Pearce is a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and served on the board of directors for the non-profit
organization- the Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine (ACWM). He is a member of Portland Mountain Rescue
(PMR) and earlier in his career; he served as a guide for LL Bean.
Pearce also participates in mountain mission work; his most recent service was with Climbing for Christ during their
Mission-Nepal Expedition 2012. While he cherishes his time in the mountains, nothing compares to the blessing of his wife
and two beautiful children.
Seth Collings Hawkins, MD, MFAWM
Seth Collings Hawkins began rock climbing in Vermont in the 1980s, where he worked as a climbing instructor at Farm &
Wilderness. He went on to become an emergency physician specializing in EMS and wilderness medicine. Seth is the
founder of the Appalachian Mountain Rescue Team (currently in application to become the first Mountain Rescue
Association-endorsed team in the southeast), the Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship, and the Bhutan EMS Task Force. He
serves as Medical Director of the Burke EMS Special Operations Team, which provides emergency response to climbing
areas in the deepest gorge in the eastern United States (Linville Gorge), and Medical Advisor to the NC Outward Bound
School’s climbing program.
Seth is a full-time board-certified clinical emergency physician who was named a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” by the
American College of Emergency Physicians for his wilderness medicine work. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness
Medicine, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. In addition
to enjoying recreation climbing he also teaches in climbing rescue and medicine programs around the country, including
the annual Carolina Wilderness EMS Summit, which he established in 2012.
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Deb Simon, RN, FAWM, CPT/FNS, DiMM
Deb, originally from Ontario, Canada, is a registered nurse and avid climber and mountaineer having summited peaks on
five continents. She is an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine,
holds a Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) through the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA),
and is pursuing her master’s degree in Mountain Medicine through the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.
Deb is a member of the American Alpine Club, Medical Expeditions, and Wilderness Medical Society. She is also a certified
personal trainer and trainer-in-chief at Vertical Medicine Resources with a focus on high altitude fitness and nutrition.
Anyone who has seen her ‘guns’ knows that she takes fitness in the mountains seriously.
R. Bryan Simon, RN, FAWM, DiMM
Bryan, a native of West Virginia, is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a former U.S. Army
infantry officer and a graduate of the US Army Ranger School. After an injury in 2003, he left the military to pursue other
goals. He is also an AMGA Certified Single Pitch Instructor (SPI), a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine, and holds
a Diploma in Mountain Medicine from the UIAA.
Bryan has climbed and trekked around the world and has participated in rescues both here and abroad. In addition to his
work with Vertical Medicine Resources, he serves on the board of directors for the non-profit Appalachian Mountain
Rescue Team (AMRT), on the membership committee of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), and is an ambassador for
the American Alpine Club (AAC) in the Southeast US.
Bryan writes on a variety of subjects related to wilderness and climbing medicine and adventure sports and his work has
been featured in Climbing, Dead Point Magazine, Wilderness Medicine, and Nursing, among others. He serves on the editorial
board for the journal, Nursing, is an editor for the American Alpine Club’s Accidents in North American Mountaineering,
and is the climbing medicine columnist for the magazine, Wilderness Medicine.
Additional Instructors
Vertical Medicine Resources also employees a small cadre of instructors with many years of experience in wilderness and
climbing medicine, in addition to specific knowledge of major ranges throughout the world. These instructors go through a
rigorous vetting and credentialing process to insure they meet the highest standards of care and expertise in their fields of
endeavor. They are employed on a contractual basis based upon their individual area of expertise and the specific needs of
the client to provide current medical, climbing, and geopolitical information.
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Mt Hood
Mt. Hood is the highest point in Oregon, not so much a mountain as an active volcano and the crown jewel of the Columbia
River Gorge, an area seemingly designed by the gods of outdoor recreation. Mt. Hood’s slopes beg to be climbed, skied,
snowboarded and hiked. Its many lakes and rivers cry out to be floated and fished. Its foothills offer orchards, farms full of
fresh ingredients and exotic wildflowers. The mighty Columbia invites windsurfing, sailing, parasailing and hang-gliding.
And when the day is done, be sure to enjoy the charming towns, handcrafted beers and spirits, and hot tubs of Mt. Hood’s
endless cabins.
Lodging
There are many lodging options in the area. We offer onsite camping and bunkhouse lodging to students
at the Mazama Lodge. Rates and details are listed below. There are other options ranging from rugged
to luxurious to fill your lodging requirements. We have provided a short list of the many lodging options
below.
Mazama Lodge
Camping and bunkhouse lodging is available at the course location. Reservations for these facilities can
be completed on our website during registration.
Camping
Rate: $12.50 per night ($25.00 for course)
Full facilities (Toilet, Showers, Wi-Fi, access to lodge, and amenities throughout)
- There is a designated camping area within walking distance of the lodge.
Bunkhouse
Rate: $25.00 per night ($50.00 for course)
Full facilities (Toilet, Showers, Wi-Fi, access to lodge, and amenities throughout)
- There are multiple bunkhouse rooms of various sizes and configurations available for large number of
students in the upstairs portion of the lodge with toilet and shower facilities for men and women. A
mattress pad is provided to each bunkhouse guest, but students should bring additional bedding
materials (sleeping bag, pillow, towel). A sleeping deck is also available for students who would like to
enjoy the wonderful air of the Cascades.
A short list of other available lodging options:
Timberline Lodge
Distance from course: 5.4 miles
Phone: 503-272-3410
Web address: www.timberlinelodge.com/lodging/
Collins Lake Resort
Distance from course: 1.1 miles
Phone: 800-234-3410
Web address: www.collinslakeresort.com
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Huckleberry Inn
Distance from course: 0.9 miles
Phone: 503-272-3325
Web address: www.huckleberry-inn.com
Best Western Mt. Hood Inn
Distance from course: 1.4 miles
Phone: 503-272-3205
Web address: www.bestwestern.com
Meals
All meals during the course are included in the tuition costs and prepared by our onsite chef. This
includes dinner on Friday night, Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner on Saturday, and Breakfast and Lunch on
Sunday. Additionally, we will feature local microbrews for all course participants on Friday and Saturday
dinner.
If you have any food allergies, restrictions, or special dietary needs we ask that you please inform us
when you register so that we may do our utmost to accommodate your requests.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is available free of charge for all course participants and ranges throughout the lodge.
Clothing and Other Equipment
We will be spending a lot of time outdoors and we hope that you will want to enjoy some of the exciting
outdoor activities here when you are not in class. So be ready!
The course will be held rain or shine, so participants should bring raingear and warmer layers to account
for unexpected cold or precipitation. Hats and sunscreen are recommended for sun protection. All
equipment and supplies for the hands-on teaching sessions will be provided, but feel free to bring some
of your own gear if you would like to discover new and exciting uses for it.
To get a better understanding about what the area has to offer and the current weather conditions,
please visit the US Forest Service site at: www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/mthood/recreation or the
Timberline Lodge website at: www.timberlinelodge.com/conditions/
Directions/Parking
From Portland, travel east on HWY 26 (Mt. Hood Highway) to the town of Government Camp. At the
summit of a small rise at the east end of Government Camp, turn left up toward Timberline Lodge on
Timberline HWY. After roughly 200 meters, take a sharp left. Proceed about 200 meters and take a right
onto West Leg Road. Travel up West Leg Road approximately 300 meters, and take the first right to the
Mazama Lodge. Signs will be posted to assist you through the final turns to the lodge.
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
A useful address for most GPS devices and for Google Maps is:
30500 W Leg Rd, Mt Hood National Forest, Government Camp, OR 97028 (Mazama Lodge)
Upon arrival, we ask that you deposit your gear/bags at the unloading area at the front of the lodge.
Parking for participants is located a short distance downhill from the main lodge. Again, signs will clearly
mark the unloading and parking areas.
Registration and Additional Information
The Registration process is easy and can be accomplished in one of two methods. Visit our website and
register via our easy PayPal Shopping Cart using your credit card, or complete the following form. If
your institution, school, or employer is paying for your tuition, and they need additional information,
please have them email [email protected] for assistance.
TO REGISTER:
Option #1: Go to the online registration form at:
www.vertical-medicine.com/training/awls
(This is the preferred method)
Option #2: You may complete the form below and mail with registration fee to:
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO Box 16895
Portland, OR 97292
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Vertical Medicine Resources
Visit: www.vertical-medicine.com
Visit our page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/VerticalMedicineResources
Email: [email protected]
Call: 971-217-7867
Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS) – General questions
Visit: www.awls.org
Email: [email protected]
Call: 970-444-4001
Advanced Wilderness Life Support – Mt. Hood, Oregon 2014 – Course specific questions
Visit: www.vertical-medicine.com/training/awls
Email our Course Director: [email protected]
Vertical Medicine Resources, LLC and AdventureMed, LLC™
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO
Box 16895, Portland, Oregon 97292
(971) 217-7867 ● www.vertical-medicine.com
Advanced Wilderness Life Support®
Mt. Hood, OR Course – June 30-July 2, 2017
Registration Information- Please enter conference attendee’s information below. Please complete all fields
including the type of registration
First name
Degree
Last name
_____________________________________ (Level of Medical Education)
Company or employer
Billing address
Address 2
City
State _______
Province/Country
Zip
Email
Phone
Alternate phone
___________________________________
Comments or special or dietary requests
Registration Type
Doctoral (MD/DO/PhD)
- With 2 nights camping
- With 2 nights bunkhouse
Associate Providers (EMT, RN, NP, PA)
- With 2 nights camping
- With 2 nights bunkhouse
Students and Residents
- With 2 nights camping
- With 2 nights bunkhouse
Payment option #1:
Tuition (Meals included throughout course)
$745
$770
$795
$545
$570
$595
$545
$570
$595
Online
Payment may also be made online at: www.vertical-medicine.com/training/awls
Payment option #2:
Check
Make check payable to Vertical Medicine Resources and remit to the address listed below:
Vertical Medicine Resources
PO Box 16895
Portland, OR 97292