Medic2medic Podcast

Jonathan Washko as been involved in the EMS industry for over 30 years and has held progressive leadership position with small, medium and large EMS systems in government. Mr. Washko is considered the leading industry expert on EMS system design, High Performance EMS concepts and Industry Best Practices. Jon was one of my classmates at Hahnemann and knew from the first time I met him that he would great for EMS.

Mike Taigman has over 41 years working as an EMT, paramedic, QI manager and General Manager. He is currently the Improvement Guide for FirstWatch Solutions. Mike has written over 600 articles and published a book on EKG interpretation. Mike has taken his leadership and QI abilities all over the United States, Canada and the Middle East. We talk about our connection toTodd Stout and similar career paths as well as other interesting topics in EMS.

Lynn Nowak is a paramedic and volunteer for Cary Area EMS. Lynn has been volunteering with Cary Area EMS since 1995. Listen how a different subject path in school guided her to EMS. We talk about how another service missed out on her sprit to volunteer and how Cary Area EMS gained a dedicated volunteer.

Gene Lambert retired after 31 years working for Wake County EMS. In those 31 years, Gene held different positions from Paramedic to Training Chief. Gene’s dedication to public service was spurred by the tragic death of his sister, a nurse, when he was 12 years old. Listen to Gene's stories on how he went from law enforcement to EMS and arrived first at an airplane crash. We also talk about his days when he was the Chief of a Rescue Squad and how he became the Chief.

Dan Swayze is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania and is widely considered one of the earliest pioneers of community paramedicine. Dan has been in Emergency Medical Services and has been involved in EMS for more than 30 years. In addition to receiving several local and state EMS awards, in 2014 he received national recognition by JEMS and Physio-Control as an EMS10: Innovators in EMS award for his work with the CONNECT Community Paramedic project in Pittsburgh.

Randolph Mantooth and the TV Show Emergency has influenced countless of people to become EMTs, Paramedics and Firefighters. I am one of those countless people. For our 30th Episode, I was lucky to have him as a guest. Mr. Mantooth is a well known speaker at conferences and advocate for EMS and the fire profession. Mr. Mantooth and I talk about his acting career, how he was selected to play Johnny Gage, the impact of the show, his relationship with Kevin Tighe, an inside look on of the production and set of the show. Mr. Mantooth also provides his thoughts on the state of EMS today and his thoughts on a reunion show.

Medical Rescue Team South's Paramedic David Terkel is my guest. David is longtime resident of Mt. Lebanon, PA and started serving the community in 1995. He is part of the Allegheny County HMMR (HazMat Medical) team. The team is the medical support for the county HazMat team. David and I discuss numerous topics, which David has some strong opinions and thoughts. We talk about him being assaulted and how he handled the aftermath.

Alexander Garza MD, MPH is the Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and and Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) and is board certified in Emergency Medicine. He holds academic appointments in the Epidemiology and Emergency Medicine at the Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice and School of Medicine as well. In addition, he is the Medical Director and Homeland Security advisor for FirstWatch Inc, a data and quality improvement software company in Encinitas, CA focusing on emergency responders.Prior to coming to SLU, Dr. Garza was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate as the Assistant Secretary and Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Homeland Security. He oversaw all aspects of health and security at DHS, was a principal advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security and briefed the White House on health and security issues. Dr. Garza’s career has included working at all levels of emerg

Doug Widmer is a Paramedic and Deputy Chief at Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA) in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Doug knew when he was 5 that he wanted to be in EMS and he has the proof. Listen to how he got started as a volunteer, being a dispatcher at 16 and how his career path landed him in my old office at MRTSA.

Peter Dworsky and I went to Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) and graduated from their EMS Degree Program. We talk about those early days of the program, his career path and interest in safety for EMS providers. For the past 12 years Peter has been working for MONOC Mobile Health Services in New Jersey. Originally, as Director of Special Operations and most recently at the Corporate Director of Support Services. He also spent 18 years working as a field paramedic in New York City. Peter lectures at national and state EMS conferences, written several text book chapters on various aspects of EMS and disaster management. He is also a two time recipient of the JEMS EMS 10 Innovation Award.

Erin and I discuss what it is like to be married to an EMS provider and you hear how we met. Erin is a Real Estate agent and offers a great program if you are buying or selling a home. Hometown Heroes is an organization designed to give back to those who help make our communities a better place to live by offering real savings. Listen to hear more about this program and get a small glance into support she has provided me during my career.

Jon Olson is the Deputy Director, Chief of Operations for Wake County EMS. Jon has 28 years of EMS experience that included being a former Chief of Cary Area EMS. A few years back a Tornado struck Wake County and Jon was right in the middle of the operation. Listen to him describe his thoughts and the story behind this incident. Jon grew up in Western Pennsylvania and is a Steeler fan.

Kevin Hazzard worked as a paramedic from 2004 to 2013, primarily at Grady Hospital in Atlanta. He is the author of A Thousand Naked Strangers. The book provides an inside look into Kevin's journey in EMS. We talk about his transition from journalist to Paramedic and his thoughts on EMS today.

Dr. Paris is a pioneer in EMS, an innovator and one of the biggest supporters of EMTs and Paramedics. He also has a strong opinion on where EMS is going. Dr. Paris a long with Dr. Ron Stewart were a crucial in the early success of the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS. I finally get a chance to say thank you to Dr. Paris for something he did for my family.

David Lindell has over 40 years of EMS experience as a provider, educator, flight medic and leader. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. Listen to his story of being part of Freedom House Ambulance Service and part of the first class of Paramedics to be hired by the City of Pittsburgh. Dave's current position is with Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh as an EMS Program Coordinator and he works part-time with Penn Hills EMS.

Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is Editor-in-Chief of EMS1.com. He is an educator, author, paramedic, and marathon runner. We talk about how EMS1.com got started as well as a hot button topic as ballistic vests for EMS providers.

Chris Colangelo is the Chief Operating Officer for Wake County EMS. Chris's path to this position starts outside Hampton Roads VA and hear how he makes his way to North Carolina and Wake County.

Mike Yee and I worked the busiest Medic Unit in the City of Pittsburgh. We reminisce about our days on Medic 5 and the closeness that partners have together.

Joe Bourgraf is the CEO of Ferno. See how Ferno was started and learn about the new Integrated Patient Transport Systems coming to EMS.

Chief Tant is a veteran of the Wake County EMS System and he kicks off 2016's Medic2Medic Podcast.