SHEILA WHEELER, RN, MS, is acknowledged as one of the world's leading experts in the field of telephone triage. She has practiced nursing for over 30 years, primarily in critical care, emergency department and clinic settings. An accomplished writer, educator, researcher and consultant, Ms. Wheeler is currently President of TeleTriage Systems in San Anselmo, California.

Ms. Wheeler provides consultation and training to physician offices, clinics, urgent care and emergency departments, HMO call centers and student health centers.  She has served as an expert witness in telephone triage for more than 25 cases since 1995.  Ms. Wheeler currently practices as a front-line telephone triage practitioner in a call center in San Francisco.

Ms. Wheeler is the author of Telephone Triage: Theory, Practice, and Protocol Development as well as Telephone Triage Protocols. Ms. Wheeler has written for Nursing 97, Journal of Emergency Nursing, and has lectured nationally. She is the founder and chairperson of "Telephone Triage:  Essentials for Expert Practice, the first annual national conference from 1994 to 2003.

Milestones

Since 1985, Sheila Wheeler has pioneered the field of telephone triage through developing innovative products and seminars. Listed below are several principal milestones.

• 1988  Author "The Fine Art of Telephone Triage", the first CE program in telephone triage.
• 1990  Assistant producer, "Anonymous Hero", the first training video for emergency medical dispatchers. Also developed the original concept for Jeff Clawson, M.D., pioneer of emergency medical dispatch, still uses this award-winning film as a training modality.
• 1993  Author, "Telephone Triage, Theory, Practice and Protocol Development", the first training manual and "how to" text and audiotape on telephone triage practice. This best selling text, considered the definitive work in the field, was also the first to explain how to develop telephone triage protocols. Over 25,000 copies have been sold since 1993.
• 1994  Founder of the first national telephone triage conference. Chairperson/Speaker "Telephone Triage: Essentials for Expert Practice." Approximately 6,000 attendees
  
• 1996  Developed the first age-based Telephone Triage Protocols. Editor-in-chief and Project Manager for "Telephone Triage Protocols of Pediatric and Adult Populations". Currently in use in approximately 500 sites.
• 1997  Consultant in the development of electronic versions of protocols used by six VA hospitals in northern California and Hawaii.
• 2000  Member of Task Force for National Certification Corporation to develop first certification examination for telephone triage nurses.
• 2001  Developed the first Protocol Competency CE Course
• 2002  Second edition of Telephone Triage Protocols for Adult and School Age Populations published by Aspen Publishers
• 2009 New Edition of Telephone Triage Protocols for  Adult Populations published by McGraw Hill.
• 2010 Presentation of Telephone Triage program for Hospital Authority, Hong Kong, China
• 2011 Legal Nurse Consultant Certification

Professional Legal Nurse Consultant Certification August 29,  2011

LEGAL CONSULTATIONS

1994 Garza vs. MD Office

1995 Alexis et ux vs. HMO

1998 Barnett vs. MD Office

1998 Fontenot vs MD Office

1999 Stallings vs. HMO

2000 Fuentes vs. Medical Center

2001 Entwhistle vs. HMO

1999 Runyon vs. MD OFFICE

2000 Whidden vs. HMO

2001 Smith vs. Clinic

2002 Weichel vs. MD Office

2000 Utterback) vs. HMO

2001 Bevel vs. Call Center

2002 Hernandez vs. Hospital

2003 Gibson vs. HMO

2004 Alexander vs. HMO

2005 Black vs. Hospital

2010 Tapp vs. HMO

2011 Robertson vs. NHS

To request more information or schedule a consultation, please contact TeleTriage Systems.