Central Maine Medical Center and the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute will present a series of professional education programs as part of its celebration of National Emergency Medical Services Week.

CMMC is inviting emergency medical services professionals from throughout the central and western Maine region to participate in any or all of five presentations set for Monday to Friday, May 19 through 23, at CMMC.

The theme of the National EMS Week observance is "Your Life Is Our Mission." The programs will feature emergency cardiovascular topics to highlight CMHVI's fifth anniversary.

The following programs will be offered:

"12-Lead EKG" with registered nurse Mary Philbrick, critical care educator at CMMC, at noon Monday in the CMHVI Conference Room. Philbrick will discuss evaluating ST segment elevations quickly on a 12-lead EKG. A light lunch will be provided.

"The CMMC Experience: Prehospital Treatment of STEMI" with Dr. Kevin Kendall, medical director for emergency services at CMMC and for LifeFlight of Maine, at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Kendall will talk about the evolution and status of CMHVI's pre-hospital cardiac catheterization lab activation program. The activation program - which to date involves 12 area first responder services - has "door to treatment" times that consistently rank in the top 5 percent of U.S. hospitals that perform 1,000 or less emergency cardiac angioplasties annually. Hors d'oeuvres will be served.

A presentation on stroke management will be offered on Wednesday, but details are still being arranged. An update will be posted at www.cmmc.org/calendar/calendar.tml.

"Metoprolol" with CMMC pharmacist Bethany Rajotte, Pharm.D., will take place Thursday at noon. A light lunch will be served. Rajotte will consider the use of metoprolol, a beta-blockers that is used to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure. She will review the mechanisms, indications, use per protocol, side effects and administration of the drug.

"ST Elevation MI Treatment at CMMC" will be held with Dr. William Phillips, chief of cardiology at CMHVI, at 8 a.m. Friday. A light breakfast will be served. Phillips will discuss how CMMC and CMHVI diagnose and treat patients who have ST elevation heart attacks.

The presentations will be held in the first-floor Young Wing conference room at the institute. Continuing Medical Education credits will be available. Any EMS provider wishing to attend a presentation should e-mail cmmc@cmmc.org and indicate which session he or she wishes to attend.