Preparedness and Response to a Rural Mass Casualty Incident: Workshop Summary (2011)

Robert Bass (Workshop Chair), was the past president of the National Association of State EMS Officials and currently works as the executive director of Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. Dr. Bass received his undergraduate and medical degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972 and 1975 respectively. Prior to completing his undergraduate education, he was employed as a police officer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and served as a volunteer member of the South Orange Rescue Squad. Dr. Bass completed an internship and residency in the United States Navy and is board certified in emergency medicine and is a Life Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has served as a medical director for emergency medical services (EMS) systems in Charleston, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; Norfolk, Virginia; and Washington, DC. Since 1994, he has been the executive director of the Maryland Institute for EMS Systems, the state agency responsible for the oversight of Maryland’s EMS and trauma system. He is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Dr. Bass is the past president of the National Association of State EMS Officials and the National Association of EMS Physicians, and he is the past chair of the EMS Committee of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He was a member of the Institute of Medicine Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. Additionally, he currently serves as chair of the Atlantic EMS Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Trauma Society.

Roy Alson began his EMT career in the 1970s as a responder. As a medical director in North Carolina EMS, he manages 800 firefighters, EMTs, and rescue personnel, as well as more than 20 agencies. He is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, a regional level I trauma center and burn center. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. and an M.D. from Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University. He completed a residency in emergency medicine at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and is a Fellow of ACEP and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He currently serves as medical director for Forsyth County EMS in North Carolina. He is the former commander and deputy commander of Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) NC-1 and has led the team’s response to numerous disasters at the state and national levels, including Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina. He currently serves as the medical director for the NC Office of EMS State Medical Response system. He serves on numerous committees and councils in various leadership roles, is active in nonprofit organizations, and is a contributing author to many texts.

CDR Mercedes Benitez-McCrary is deputy director of the Emergency Preparedness & Response Operations at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CDR Benitez-McCrary is a member of the U.S. Public Health Service Corp as a regular corps, active-duty officer. She began her undergraduate studies in speech and language pathology at New York University (NYU) and completed her studies at George Washington University in Washington, DC, in 1978. She possesses undergraduate and graduate degrees from George Washington University in speech and language pathology and is board certified in speech and language pathology. Currently Commander Benitez-McCrary is an active-duty officer in the seventh branch of the uniformed services—the Commissioned Corp of the United States Public Health Service. She is stationed at DHHS/CMS (Medicare), OOM EPRO, as deputy director of emergency preparedness and response operations. Past duty assignments include: CMS; CDR Benitez-McCrary served as special assistant to the office of the 17th Surgeon General VADM Richard H. Carmona, member of the faculty, at Howard University College of Medicine, and chief of staff/executive assistant to the president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. CDR Benitez-McCrary has completed and published research in health literacy, health disparity, aphasia, and special needs patients after a disaster, and the bilingual fluency patient implications for treatment and care. The commander has served as a member of the Hispanic Health Initiative of 1993 chaired by the Honorable Antonia Novello, the U.S. surgeon general. This initiative produced an agenda for action to prevent disease and injury and promote, educate, and

repair the health of Hispanic Americans throughout the United States and its commonwealth properties.

Aimee Binning is a region III director for NAEMT and serves as the membership chair for the association and secretary for the NAEMT Foundation. Aimee often advocates for rural and frontier EMS at the state and national level and participates in various events. Aimee is also completing her 10th year for Sublette County EMS as an EMT-I. She has served in many capacities for this frontier department including education coordinator, volunteer EMT and full-time EMT, along with special events coordinator and treasurer. Aimee began her career as a FF/EMT for South Ogden in Utah in 1994. Aimee volunteers her time as an educator at the college and small departments around the state of Wyoming.

Timothy Bohlender is the medical director of Granby Medical Center (GMC). He received his medical training from the University of Colorado, graduating in 1984. He performed his residency training at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, earning a specialty in family medicine. Dr. Bohlender began practicing medicine in Grand County in 1986 at 7Mile Medical Clinic. After opening his own private practice in Denver for 4 years, Dr. Bohlender soon found himself working back in Grand County at Timberline Medical Center from 1992 to 1996 as the director of family practice and emergency medicine. After working at Timberline, he spent a short time at a family practice in Golden, and then returned to Grand County in 1997 when he began working at the current Granby Medical Center (GMC). He began as a staff physician, working primarily in family practice, but also spending a considerable amount of time seeing patients in the emergency department as well. In 2001, Dr. Bohlender became the medical director of family practice, and in 2007 he was appointed the medical director of GMC, covering both the family practice and the emergency department. Since then, he has been instrumental in improving services at GMC to include the installation of a new CT scanner, implementation of diagnostic ultrasound testing, and the construction of a new wing to the facility among many other things. In addition, Dr. Bohlender has helped establish joint protocols and improved working relationships with local EMS, lead by Chief Ray Jennings. Grand County covers over 1,800 square miles and has around 16,000 full-time residents, averaging about 7 people per square mile. The population in the county can swell to well over 60,000 during the height of tourist season in winter and summer. Granby Medical Center is centrally located in Grand County and is the primary provider of emergency services as a level IV trauma center. There is a small community hospital in the county as well, but most patients that require extensive emergency care are transported to Denver, well over 100 miles away, to St. Anthony’s Hospital, the closest

level I trauma center. Due to Granby Medical’s rural location and transportation options that depend greatly on weather factors, the cooperative efforts between GMC, county EMS, Flight for Life, Front Range hospitals, as well as the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is necessary to provide adequate transport options. Nearly 25 years experience in rural medicine has given Dr. Bohlender a great understanding of the medical needs in rural communities and the relationships that are necessary in order to provide these rural locations and its patients with the best possible medical care.

John Chiaramonte is a lead associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, is the program manager leading the delivery of operational and technical support for the National 9-1-1 Program Office for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Previously, John was the program manager for the USDOT’s Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Initiative, responsible for developing the project deliverables, including the concept of operations, requirements analysis, architecture, and the benefit-cost analyses. In 2008, John successfully led a team that implemented an NG9-1-1 proof of concept (POC) demonstration involving software developers and technical and functional experts to test key functional and technical requirements. John’s professional experience includes key positions in both the public and private sectors. Holding multiple operational and leadership positions with a volunteer ambulance and paramedic service in New York State, he has a strong background in public safety operations and delivery of advanced emergency medical care. Additionally, John was a public safety dispatcher for the Rochester, New York, Office of Emergency Communications and helped implement a replacement computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. Prior to joining Booz Allen, Mr. Chiaramonte was a senior project manager delivering public safety software applications to 9-1-1 centers. He has been key to the success of many public safety IT implementations, both as the end user and a vendor and throughout the entire implementation process. He is a subject matter expert on CAD and 9-1-1 systems and operations and is a certified project management professional (PMP).

Drew Dawson is the director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the U.S. Department of Transportation. The National 9-1-1 program is also located at the NHTSA Office of EMS. Dawson became Montana’s State EMS Director in 1976, a position he held for over 20 years. From 1999 to 2003, Drew served as chief of the Health Systems Bureau in the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Drew also served many years as an EMT in a small, rural service. After serving over

30 years with Montana State government, Dawson became the director of NHTSA’s Emergency Medical Services Program in 2003. Dawson has also served as president of the National Association of State EMS Officials and as chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

James DeTienne is currently supervisor of Montana’s EMS and Trauma Systems Section. He has over 35 years background in rural EMS of which 25 years has been spent working with state-level systems development in rural EMS, trauma system, and injury prevention. In his current position he works with regionalized care, information management, and development of model system care, which have been core goals of his program. For example, he has worked with Montana’s development of a rural, voluntary, inclusive trauma system, which is a prime example of rural, regionalized, inclusive system development. Additionally, as chair of the NASEMSO Rural EMS Committee and co-chair of the NASEMSO/NOSORH Joint Committee on Rural Emergency Care, Jim brings the rural perspective to development of emergency care systems.

Norm Dinerman is the medical director of the Access Management System, and the medical director of the Critical Care Transport Medicine System at Eastern Maine Medical Center. In these positions, he provides medical oversight of the system for transfer of patients to Eastern Maine Medical Center, as well as the statewide LifeFlight of Maine air and ground critical care transport teams and the MedComm Communications Center. He is an active participant in national, local, and statewide activities that bear upon the “perihospital” care of patients. He continues to practice clinically as an emergency medicine physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Dr. Dinerman served as the chief of the Emergency Medicine Service at Eastern Maine Medical Center for 18 years, completing his tenure in this position on October 31, 2006. From June 1992 to June 1996 he served as the state EMS medical director for Maine. From March 1979 until October 1988 he served as the associate director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver General Hospital, Denver, Colorado, as well as the director and physician advisor for the Paramedic Division for the Denver Department of Health and Hospitals, and physician advisor to the Denver Fire Department. During the same period he served as the agency disaster coordinator for the Denver Department of Health and Hospitals. He is a former member of the National Association of EMS Physicians where he served as the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee. He has served as a member of the EMS Technical Assistance Team for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration on multiple occasions. He lectured as a charter faculty member of the National

EMS Medical Directors’ Course and Practicum for more than 12 years. Dr. Dinerman is a native of New York City and received his undergraduate education at Columbia University and his medical degree from Yale University. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado. He is board certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine. He is the author of a number of articles on prehospital care and disaster medicine and has lectured extensively on these subjects. He has a deep and abiding interest in the academic, operational, and particularly, the political aspects of EMS systems in America.

Gloria Tavenner Dow is a firefighter, paramedic, and instructor with Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, one of the busiest departments in Georgia. She is a flight and critical care paramedic and past president of the International Association of Flight Paramedics. Active in local, regional, and national education projects, Gloria’s privileged to have learned from providers and patients in Texas, Alaska, Kansas, New York, and Georgia.

Floyd (Budd) Dunson is the deputy coordinator of the Howard County Arkansas Office of Emergency Services and Fire. Here he developed and leads the county’s medical first responder program. Mr. Dunson is the chief of the Mineral Springs Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, which is the lead department for hazmat decontamination in the county. He is also one of the founding members of Howard County Search and Rescue. He is also a NREMT and a past recipient of the Star of Life. He serves as a special advisor to the Arkansas Emergency Management Association Board of Directors. Budd graduated from Central Baptist College in 1979 with a degree in religious education and has never stopped trying to learn. He is an instructor I for the Arkansas Fire Academy, a ham radio operator, a member of Midway Baptist Church, and a proud volunteer of his community.

Randy Easter is the director of Emergency Medical Services and safety officer at Memorial Hospital in McPherson, Kansas. He has been active in local, regional, and state medical response planning. He has more than 30 years of service in this field and has recently, with the help of other EMS directors throughout the state, formed MERGe—a major emergency medical response group. This group was formed to help with major disasters or events that required additional assistance from surrounding rural areas. It is currently being modeled by hospitals and law enforcement throughout the state of Kansas. He has been involved with the Kansas State Hospital Association and the South Central Kansas Regional Hospital Prepared-

ness Group. At the local level he is chair of the local emergency planning committee.

Glenn Gaines is acting United States fire administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He assumed acting responsibilities on June 18, 2010, and is responsible for managing the United States Fire Administration and the programs and training activities at the National Emergency Training Center. Chief Gaines served with the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for the DHS from its inception in 2001 until 2009. He served as a principal architect and member of the senior staff for three of the primary grants managed by FEMA’s Grants Program Office, and was the agency’s lead in developing the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program in 2005. Chief Gaines began his fire service career as a volunteer member of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Virginia. During his 37-year career, he served in numerous capacities, including fire marshal, chief training officer, and chief of operations, culminating in his appointment as fire chief from August 1991 until December 1998. He was in charge of the nationally recognized Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Urban Search and Rescue team, frequently deployed throughout the United States as well as internationally. Chief Gaines holds a degree in fire administration. He has authored a fire service text, contributed to several others, and written numerous articles for several trade publications. He has served as a faculty member at the United States Fire Administration’s (USFA) National Fire Academy, and is actively involved with organizations related to the professional development of the fire and emergency services.

Dia Gainor has served as the Bureau Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the State of Idaho Department of Health & Welfare Division of Health for over 18 years, where a major focus over the past 4 years has been facilitating a statewide multi-agency, multi-association, and multi-disciplinary project to develop legislation that would create systems of shared local governance of regionalized emergency medical services systems in rural areas. She earned a bachelor of science in Emergency Health Services Administration from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the George Washington University in Washington, DC. During her 12 years of field experience as a paramedic and firefighter in Pennsylvania and Maryland she specialized in vehicle extrication, which continues to drive her professional interest in emergency response personnel safety during highway incidents. A past president of the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials, she currently chairs their Highway Incident & Transportation Systems Committee. The committee is currently charged with overseeing two projects

of national significance: the development of a rural highway mass casualty “Event Response and Readiness Assessment” tool and a proof of concept for an inventory of emergency care resources along segments of highways nationwide. The Western Governors Association awarded her the George S. Mickelson Memorial Fellowship to complete Six Sigma certification at the Juran Institute and help others apply it to EMS challenges. In 2008 she was appointed by Secretary Peters to serve on the National EMS Advisory Council to the U.S. Department of Transportation and was selected by the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to serve as the Council’s first chairman. She has also served on the Intelligent Transportation Systems Transportation Safety Advancement Group since its formation in 2000, which focuses on interdisciplinary opportunities to promote technology and protect public safety personnel and travelers. As its current chairman she is leading the “Next Generation 9-1-1: What’s Next?” Forum project to identify the priorities of traditional emergency response, as well as highway operations personnel that advances in technology transmissions to and through public safety answering points in the future may make possible.

James Grove is a regional director for DHS’ Science & Technology Interagency and First Responder Programs Division conducting activities with other federal, state, local, tribal, academia, nonprofit, and first responder organizations and agencies in the mid-Atlantic (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania) and Great Lakes Regions (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana). He integrates among the various organizations across all threats to identify and facilitate S&T projects and engagement within the regions. He provides a conduit to subject matter experts for government homeland security agencies and first responders. He has a broad range of experience in first responder organizations and emergency management. Mr. Grove served as an Army Medical Service Corps officer in the Maryland National Guard from October 1979 until his retirement as a colonel in January 2008. He served in various staff positions in personnel, logistics, and operations. During the last 10 years of his career he served as the state’s deputy for army operations, director of military support to civilian authorities, and joint chief of staff. In addition, Jim has served as a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, and is a trained hazardous materials technician. Until June 2009, Mr. Grove served as a joint experimentation planner with Benchmark International, Inc., in Alexandria, Virginia, in support of the National Guard Bureau’s J-8 Capabilities Development Division. During this period he lead the development of the National Guard’s experimentation program, science and technology engagement and participated in the design and execution of several major experiments in support of the Na-

tional Guard’s domestic operations capabilities development process. Mr. Grove received a masters degree with departmental honors from American Military University in 2000 and a bachelor of arts from Western Maryland College.

Jennifer Hamerlinck is the director of the Mercer County Emergency Management Agency in Mercer County, Illinois, and a public health nurse at Mercer County Health Department. She has 8 years of experience in emergency planning, program coordination, and rural response. She is the co-coordinator for the Tri-County Medical Reserve Corps, supervisor for the Mercer County Flood Relief Program, and a grant writer. She is a recipient of the Certificate of Recognition, Office of Security, Illinois DHS, “Dedicated Service to Illinois residents affected by the 2008 floods” 3/10; and was nominated for the Local Leadership Award at the Illinois Department of Public Health 2nd Annual Director’s Awards Reception 2010. Past response coordination includes the June 2008 severe flooding of the Mississippi River with Mercer County being declared a federal disaster area, the 2007 ice storm causing widespread and long-term power outages, and H1N1 response. She has designed and facilitated numerous tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises including pandemic influenza response, mass medication dispensing site, and mass triage during a chemical incident. Mrs. Hamerlinck has extensive experience in the integration of ICS into a rural response system at the county and regional levels. She lives on a farm with her husband Steve, daughter Jesse, and son Noah.

Michael Handrigan currently serves as a senior medical advisor and acting director for the Emergency Care Coordination Center within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the Department of Health and Human Services. He is an emergency medicine physician with expertise in the science and practice of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. Prior to his current role with ASPR, Dr. Handrigan held basic science and clinical research positions with the Center for Outcomes and Evidence in the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality and with the United States Navy through the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. He also served as an active duty emergency physician and researcher for the United States Army.

Dan Hanfling is special advisor to the Inova Health System in Falls Church, Virginia, on matters related to emergency preparedness and disaster response. He is a board-certified emergency physician practicing at Inova Fairfax Hospital, northern Virginia’s level I trauma center. He serves as an operational medical director for PHI Air Medical Group—Virginia, the largest private rotor-wing air medevac service in the Commonwealth of Vir-

ginia, and has responsibilities as a medical team manager for Virginia Task Force One, a FEMA- and USAID-sanctioned international urban search and rescue team. He has been involved in the response to international and domestic disaster events, including the response to the Izmit, Turkey, earthquake in 1999, the Pentagon in September 2001, the response to Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, and Gustav and Ike in 2008, and most recently, the devastating earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Dr. Hanfling was integrally involved in the management of the response to the anthrax bioterror mailings in the fall of 2001, when two cases of inhalational anthrax were successfully diagnosed at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Dr. Hanfling serves on a number of committees focused on disaster-related efforts, including those established by HHS/ASPR, DHS, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has contributed to a number of Institute of Medicine Preparedness Forum projects. And he has authored and coauthored articles on subjects related to hospital preparedness and response. Dr. Hanfling received an AB in political science from Duke University and was awarded his medical degree from Brown University. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, and an emergency medicine residency at George Washington/Georgetown University Hospitals. He is clinical professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University and an invited member of the George Mason University School of Public Policy Advisory Board.

Jenny Hansen is the CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., a woman-owned small business providing project management support to government agencies undertaking large-scale efforts in public safety communications. Jenny has over 30 years experience in the field of public safety. Much of her career was spent in the San Francisco Bay area where she worked as a supervisor of emergency communications for various agencies including the San Jose Police Department, San Jose Fire Department, San Francisco International Airport, and as a logistics specialist for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 3 in Menlo Park, California. She then moved to Montana for a communications integration project in Bozeman, then onto Helena, Montana, where she served as chief of public safety services for the state, creating statewide 9-1-1 and interoperable land mobile radio projects. Her expertise was requested in Washington, DC, where she managed the US-DOT Next Generation 9-1-1 Project and worked closely with the public and private sectors in developing new standards for routing emergency communications in an IP environment. Jenny has been involved in many public safety issues including efforts with local, state, federal, and tribal agencies around the country. She is currently contracted with the U.S. Navy, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, South Carolina,

and with the State of Pennsylvania Police Department for assistance in consolidating their command center operations.

Kelly Hardy is a highway safety engineer with over 10 years of experience in the highway safety field. She has worked on various highway safety research and development projects for the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Federal Highway Administration. As the program manager for safety for the past year at AASHTO, Kelly is responsible for supporting member departments’ efforts to improve highway safety from the “4E” perspective (engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency medical response). Kelly coordinates with highway safety partner organizations, and supports AASHTO committees, research projects, and implementation of safety-related publications. Kelly has bachelor and master degrees in civil engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Christopher A. Hart was sworn in as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board on August 12, 2009, and designated by the President for a 2-year term as vice chairman of the board on August 18. Member Hart joined the board after a long career in transportation safety, including a previous term as a member of the NTSB. Immediately before returning to the board, Member Hart was deputy director for air traffic safety oversight at the Federal Aviation Administration. He was previously the FAA assistant administrator for the Office of System Safety. He served as a member of the NTSB from 1990 to 1993. After leaving the board, he served as deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, before moving to the FAA in 1995. From 1973 until joining the board in 1990, Member Hart held a series of legal positions, mostly in the private sector. He holds a law degree from Harvard University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Princeton University. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association. Member Hart is a licensed pilot with commercial, multiengine, and instrument ratings. Member Hart’s family has a tradition of accomplishment in the field of transportation. His great uncle, James Herman Banning, was the first African-American to receive a pilot’s license issued by the United States government, in 1926. His term expires December 31, 2012.

Eileen Holloran is the program coordinator of the HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy where she works to improve health and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative programs. Ms. Eileen Holloran joined the Office of Rural Health Policy in 1991. She is currently the coordinator of the Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant and the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Grant (RAED) Programs. Ms. Holloran is the resident staff expert in the

following focus areas: Transportation, Chronic Disease Management, and Emergency Medical Services. Ms. Holloran has been a public health analyst since 2002 and has directed multiple office programs.

Richard C. Hunt is the director of the Division of Injury Response in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC). With 20 years of experience in emergency medicine and acute injury care research, he has been instrumental in leading an effort to identify gaps that exist in the area of acute injury care for our nation. In addition, since his appointment, he has guided research and preparedness activities in disaster and terrorism response as it relates to injuries and fostered partnerships with the acute injury care community that will be crucial in a mass casualty event. Dr. Hunt began his career at CDC in 2004. Prior to that time, he served as professor and chair of the department of emergency medicine at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University at Syracuse.

John Isfort is currently the director for business development and physician services at Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital in Irvine, Kentucky. In addition, he serves as the manager of the Trauma Care program. John is also a paramedic for the Madison County Emergency Medical Services in Richmond, Kentucky. John has been actively involved in rural health issues at the local, state, and federal level. He is a 2007 graduate of the Rural Voices program sponsored by the U.S. Health and Human Services, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy. John regularly serves as a grant reviewer for HRSA. John has been involved in EMS for over 28 years and is currently an ACLS, PALS, and ITLS instructor. He has been a flight paramedic, dispatcher, and administrator for a hospital-based air medical service as well as a paramedic/shift supervisor for a municipal emergency medical service. He currently serves as the chairman of the Estill County Ambulance Taxing District in Irvine, Kentucky. In this position, John provides oversight and leadership to a rural EMS agency that responds to approximately 3,000 calls annually. John also serves on the Kentucky Trauma Advisory Committee (KTAC) subcommittee on hospital verification. This committee is charged with providing site visits and verification of compliance to those hospitals seeking to become trauma centers in Kentucky. John’s interest includes rural health issues related to disease prevention, early detection, and transportation. His EMS interest includes prehospital quality assurance/performance improvement, patient satisfaction, 9-1-1 communications, advanced airway management, air medical service, and grant funding for EMS. He holds both associate and bachelor degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and has completed graduate work in public administration.

Jerry Johnston is a second-generation EMS provider who began his career in 1975. He has been employed by private as well as hospital-based EMS systems. He currently holds the position of EMS director at Henry County Health Center (HCHC) in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, a countywide all-ALS system. In 1998, HCHC EMS was the recipient of NAEMT’s Paramedic Ambulance Service of the Year award. He serves on a variety of local, state, and national organizations and associations. He is a past president of the Iowa EMS Association. He is currently immediate-past president of the National Association of EMTs, an organization where he has served on the board of directors, as treasurer and as president.

Rick Jones is operations issues director for the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). He provides leadership and guidance for NENA’s various operationally focused committees and working groups which develop operations standards, best practices, and other operational guidelines. He participates in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) NG9-1-1 Project and 9-1-1 Technical Assistance Center. He has participated in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) TOPS 9-1-1 project on behalf of NENA, with Texas A&M University and Columbia University. He has also participated in the NENA Strategic Wireless Action Team Project, the US-DOT Wireless 9-1-1 Project, and various telecommunications standards-related groups including North American Numbering Council (NANC) Issues Management groups and various Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) committees. He is a member of the E9-1-1 National Stakeholder Council, a group representing the deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, and speech-impaired community. He helps manage NENA’s Next Generation 9-1-1 Project, including the Next Generation Partner Program. He is often involved in reaching out to the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) to be sure staff/members are represented on various initiatives, particularly those related to NG9-1-1, and he serves on various APCO committees, including data exchange/interaction and telematics. He previously served 25 years as public safety communications manager (including 9-1-1, 1989–2002) for a public safety answering point in northern Illinois.

Kenneth R. Knipper is director of the State National Volunteer Fire Council in Kentucky. His emergency service began in 1976 when he joined the Silver Grove Volunteer Fire Department. He was promoted to chief engineer within 8 months, promoted to lieutenant in 1978, to captain in 1981, and elected chief in 1986. Kenneth also served as president in 1980 and 1981 and is still active today. Kenneth recently served on the committee that resulted in his department’s fire district merger with two other fire districts. In 1984 Kenneth joined the Campbell County Firefighters Educational As-

sociation, was elected president in 1989, and served on and chaired many committees. In 1984 Kenneth began attending the Northern Kentucky Fire-fighters Association, served on many committees, and was elected president in 1991. Kenneth also served as a board member on the regional hazmat team. In 1985 the president of the Kentucky Firefighters Association (KFA) asked Kenneth to chair their EMS Committee, where he served in that position until 1998. In 1992 Kenneth was asked to chair the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Committee, and has served in that position to date. In that capacity Kenneth represents Kentucky’s more than 13,000 volunteer firefighters at the national level. Kenneth was inducted into the KFA Hall of Fame in 2008. The NVFC chairman asked Kenneth to chair their EMS Committee, and he has served in that position since 1995. He also represented them on NFPA EMS committees and other federal and organization committees. In 1997 the County Judge Executive asked Mr. Knipper to become the full-time director of the Office of Emergency Management. Kenneth retired from that position in 2008. In 2008 Mr. Knipper was appointed to the National EMS Advisory Council to represent volunteer EMS providers. Mr. Knipper was reappointed in 2010.

Jon R. Krohmer is the assistant secretary (acting) for health affairs and chief medical officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He began his service with the DHS in September 2006 and prior to his appointment to this position in August 2008, he served as the first principal deputy assistant secretary for health affairs and deputy chief medical officer. Prior to his work at the DHS, he was an attending physician and director of EMS, Emergency Medicine Residency, and the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Spectrum Health Butterworth Campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition, Dr. Krohmer was an associate professor of emergency medicine at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He is the former EMS medical director of Kent County Emergency Medical Services and was the medical director for the West Michigan Metropolitan Medical Response System, the Kent County Medical Reserve Corps, and the Michigan Region 6 Bioterrorism Preparedness Consortium.

Linda Larson has been in the EMS field for the past 10 years, She is currently an EMT-Intermediate and is the EMS director for San Juan County EMS, which provides EMS service for one of the largest counties, including portions of the Navaho Nation, in Utah. She also, serves as the assistant team leader for the Utah Department of Health, Bureau of EMS southeastern EMS Strike Team. These teams are deployed upon request from local jurisdictions through the State Bureau of EMS.

Rifat Latifi is professor of clinical surgery at the University of Arizona, and vice chair for international relations, and director of telemedicine at the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. He is the associate director of the Arizona Telemedicine Program where he leads telesurgery and international affairs. He is the founder and chief executive officer of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) (www.iveh.org), as well as both the founder and director of the Telemedicine Program of Kosova (TPK) (www.telemedks.org) and the Southern Arizona Teletrauma and Telepresence (SATT) Program at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona (www.surgery.arizona.edu). Dr. Latifi specializes in trauma, general surgery, and critical care, with special interest in reoperative surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, and nutritional support of surgery and critically ill patients. He has published eight books and has authored or coauthored over 100 articles and book chapters. Dr. Latifi’s principal interests in telemedicine are international collaborations and development of telemedicine and educational programs including electronic libraries in the underdeveloped countries and rural America. An upcoming book edited by Dr. Latifi and Dr. Poropatich on Telemedicine for Trauma, Disaster and Emergencies Management is in print and will be published this year. Dr. Latifi joined the University of Arizona’s Department of Surgery, Section of Trauma, Critical Care, and Emergency Surgery in 2003. His dedication and passion for improving health care in rural regions and underdeveloped countries has led to several advancements and achievements in telemedicine and teletrauma. Dr. Latifi’s leadership has lead to the following accomplishments both nationally and internationally:

• The establishment of the IVeH in 2001 as a nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving the healthcare infrastructure in developing countries through the application of telemedicine and e-health.

• Establishment and implementation of the Telemedicine Program of Kosova (TPK) in 2002. Created to help rebuild the medical system in Kosova by introducing and implementing telemedicine, telehealth, and virtual education programs through a four-pronged model: Initiate, Build, Operate, and Transfer (IBOT). The TPK, and the IBOT platform in which it was developed, serves as a model for the development of sustainable telemedicine and e-health systems in developing countries.

• Development of the Southern Arizona Teletrauma and Telepresence Program (SATT) in 2004.

• Awarded an international grant for improving healthcare in the Balkans using telemedicine, advanced technologies, and cultural exchange program as a platform.

• Implementation of the nation’s first Tucson ER-Link Telemedicine Project with the Tucson Fire Department and the City of Tucson.

• Medical director Amazon Swim Expedition, 2007. (www.amazon-swim.com/medicalteam).

• Recently awarded an international grant for establishing an integrated telemedicine and e-Health program in Albania, by USAID, using the IBOT model. He has been invited as a key note speaker and has presented at more than 100 national and international scientific meetings around the world and has been featured in the media around the world.

Deborah Levy is a captain with the U.S. Public Health Service and chief of the healthcare preparedness activity in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Captain Levy’s primary interest is all-hazards healthcare preparedness and emergency response (including pandemic influenza, bioterrorism agents, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes). She focuses on working with communities to assist them with integrating planning of the healthcare, public health, and emergency management sectors to improve response to surges of patients during incidents. This focus includes conducting workshops on community models of delivery of health care, implementing alternate care systems, conducting stakeholder (e.g., call centers, primary care) meetings to develop implementation tools and workbooks, as well as working with medical societies, academicians, and practicing clinicians to develop triage and clinical algorithms to cope with a surge in patients. In addition, she has been working with state and local partners through cooperative agreements to identify essential healthcare services under conditions of surge and scarce resources. Captain Levy joined the CDC in 1996 as an epidemic intelligence service officer in the Division of Parasitic Diseases where she focused on waterborne and food-borne diseases as well as water security issues, and moved to the DHQP in 2003. She earned a B.A. in psychology and a master’s of public health in epidemiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Charles W. Mains is the trauma medical director for Centura Health Trauma System, which includes 14 trauma centers throughout Colorado. In addition, he is the medical director of St. Anthony Central’s American College of Surgeons verified level I trauma center. Rural trauma experience includes holding the position of medical director of both a level III and a level IV trauma center. As chairman of the Denver Metropolitan Regional Trauma Advisory Council and chairman of the Colorado State Trauma

Center Designation Review Committee, Dr. Mains has extensive experience with trauma care delivery. Dr. Mains holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Tennessee, a doctor of medicine from Duke University, and completed his surgical residency at the University of Colorado. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a course director for Advanced Trauma Life Support through the American College of Surgeons and is an instructor for fundamentals of critical care support through the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Gregory Mears is an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Mears serves as the EMS medical director for the State of North Carolina and is the executive director for the Emergency Medical Services Performance Improvement Center (EMSPIC). The EMSPIC serves as a resource and technical assistance center for EMS performance improvement activities and houses the North Carolina PreHospital Medical Information System (PreMIS), a component of the National EMS Information System Project (NEMSIS), the EMS Performance Improvement Toolkit Project, and the State Medical Asset Resource Tracking System (SMARTT). Dr. Mears has well-documented interest and expertise in topics such as EMS services systems, EMS performance improvement, and EMS data systems. Dr. Mears served as the principal investigator for the National EMS Information System Project until 2006, and is still serving as a co-investigator with the NEMSIS Technical Assistance Center and the National EMS Database. Dr. Mears is a member of, and has served in a leadership role of, multiple professional organizations over the past 20 years including the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Association of EMS Physicians, and the National Association of State EMS Officials. Dr. Mears was named by the Journal of EMS (JEMS) as one of the top 10 EMS innovators of 2008.

Glenn Mitchell was named chief medical officer after joining the Sisters of Mercy Health System 4 years ago as vice-president for clinical safety. He is now responsible for developing and implementing a full spectrum of physician-related programs such as evidence-based medicine use and effective peer review, and for the development of medical informatics, as well as for safety and quality across the organization. For 30 years he has been actively involved at the local and national level, in the development of emergency and preventive medicine, clinical and administrative practice, medical information systems, provider and staff education, and disaster medicine. Dr. Mitchell is a graduate of Brown University and Brown University Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island. He is board certified

in both emergency medicine and aerospace medicine. He is also a certified physician executive. At Brown University he became chief of emergency medicine at Memorial Hospital, assistant professor at the medical school, and the first medical director of Rhode Island’s EMS system. He was placed on the National Emergency Mobilization Board by Surgeon General Koop to guide the formation of the National Disaster Medical System and was the founding chair of the American College of Emergency Physicians’ (ACEP) Disaster Committee. In 1984, he entered the active duty Army, serving at Ft. Rucker, Alabama; USUHS medical school in Bethesda, Maryland; Brooks Air Force Base and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas; the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai Desert, Egypt; Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Ft. Gordon, Georgia; the U.S. Army War College; U.S. Southern Command; Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Command; and finally as commander of William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Ft. Bliss, Texas, where he retired from active duty in March 2005. Prior to joining Mercy, he spent 2 years as chief of emergency medicine and director of ambulatory care while practicing full-time emergency medicine and improving the EMS system for the Indian Health Service, serving the Navajo Nation at Ft. Defiance, Arizona. Dr. Mitchell holds several clinical academic appointments including clinical associate professor at University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. He is past president of the International Aerospace Medical Association, and former vice chair of the American Board of Preventive Medicine. In 2002, he received the Outstanding Military Emergency Physician Career Award in recognition of his achievements. Dr. Mitchell has received many other honors and awards including the Defense Superior Service Medal, three awards of the Legion of Merit, and Master Flight Surgeon wings. He has published over 40 papers and book chapters.

Paul Patrick is deputy director for the Division of Family Health and Preparedness for the Utah Department of Health. On February 13, 2006, Dr. Patrick was selected as the emergency medical services director and public health and hospital preparedness director for the State of Utah. In 1988, Dr. Patrick began working for the State of Utah, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, as a regional consultant. In addition to his normal duties he received additional training at the state and national level. In 2000 he became a program manager for the bureau supervising the Technical Assistance and Quality Assurance Program, and in 2005 he also took on the role as acting director for the bureau. From 1983 to 1986, he served as an affiliate faculty member for the Utah Chapter of the American Heart Association serving as chairman of the chapter for 2 years. In 1987, Dr. Patrick served 2 years on the national faculty for the American Heart Association, and he is currently a member of the Western Regional Stroke Task Force.

Following graduation he worked in the construction industry for 14 years as a supervisor, foreman, and general building contractor. In 1978, Dr. Patrick was certified as an emergency medical technician and worked for 25 years as a volunteer with the Springville Ambulance Service. Dr. Patrick earned a design engineering degree in 1978 from Brigham Young University. He has received many quality awards from the Department of Health, was involved extensively during the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics, preparations for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, and with the many agencies in the state on EMS issues.

Sally Phillips is the deputy director of the Health Threats Resilience Division in the office of Health Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Prior to joining DHS, she was a senior nurse scholar at AHRQ, managing a portfolio that ranged from her primary area of bioterrorism to multidisciplinary education for safety and related healthcare workforce initiatives. Prior to her work at AHRQ, Dr. Phillips was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and Health Policy Analyst for Senator Tom Harkin for 2 years. She brought a wealth of expertise in the area of multidisciplinary education, patient safety legislative initiatives, and curriculum with health professions education to her role at AHRQ. Dr. Phillips joined the AHRQ staff in September 2002 as the director of the Bioterrorism Preparedness Research Program, now the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program. She is an accomplished author, consultant, and speaker on public health, medical preparedness, and response research initiatives. Dr. Phillips holds a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Robert Pollack has been the safety data manager for FHWA’s Office of Safety since November 2005. In this position he is responsible for developing programs to improve the quality of the data used to make safety decisions. This includes programs such as the Model Inventory of Roadway Elements (MIRE) and the Crash Data Improvement Program (CDIP). Prior to joining the FHWA he spent 18 years as a highway safety specialist for NHTSA’s Chicago Regional Office where he was the traffic records coordinator. In this capacity he interacted with the Traffic Records Coordinating Committees for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, as well as assisting in the developing the operational methodology for the Section 408, Data and Traffic Records Systems Improvement Program. He has a BS in psychology and a MS in experimental psychology from Illinois State University.

Barbara J. Quiram serves as director of the Office of Special Programs, director of the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness, and

professor of health policy and management at the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. She represents the school at the local, regional, state, and national level and serves as principal investigator/project director on a wide range of public health practice and research projects, including the CDC-funded USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness and the HRSA-funded Texas Public Health Training Center. Dr. Quiram has over 35 years experience in health care and public health. In 2002, Dr. Quiram codeveloped and implemented the Texas Training Initiative for Emergency Response (T-TIER), a self-supporting, continuing education initiative and the first such training offered in the state. Due to the national attention T-TIER received and the need for this type of training initiative beyond Texas, it was expanded nationally into USA-TIER and taken to other rural states, including South Dakota and Maine. Dr. Quiram has obtained and managed more than 30 projects and research grants. Her research, training and evaluation interests include rural emergency preparedness, rural public health infrastructure, public health workforce development, health policy, and rural community capacity development.

Aarron Reinert is the executive director for Lakes Region EMS. Lakes Region EMS is a rural ambulance service covering a 450-square-mile service area composed of 40 full-time staff with a paramedic/EMT staffing pattern. Previous to Lakes Region EMS, Aarron was the field services manager for the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. At the EMSRB, his projects included creating and implementing a statewide web-based data collection system, developing statewide EMS communication systems, and coordinating EMS bioterrorism preparedness. Aarron is considered a national expert in EMS data collection and also a leader in leadership training for current and future leaders in EMS. He has served as a subject matter expert for numerous states such as Georgia, Nebraska, and New Hampshire as they began to develop statewide EMS data collection systems. Additionally, he assisted the country of Ireland to explore the development and implementation of a national EMS data collection system. Aarron was recently reappointed by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to serve on NHTSA’s National EMS Advisory Council. He has pioneered the use of the Balanced Score Card within ambulance services. He continues to be a practicing paramedic of 20 years, has a B.A. in organizational leadership, and is a regular educator for ambulance management and leadership, and he is a consultant for Public Safety Communications and EMS data collection.

Nels Sanddal is the president of Critical Illness and Trauma Foundation and past-director of the Rural Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Technical Assistance Center (REMSTTAC). Mr. Sanddal has been involved

in EMS since the 1970s and has held many state, regional, and national positions in organizations furthering EMS causes, including president of the Intermountain Regional EMS for Children Coordinating Council and core faculty for the Development of Trauma Systems Training Programs for the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mr. Sanddal is a nationally registered emergency medical technician-basic, volunteers with a local fire department, and has been a board member of the CIT Foundation since its inception in 1986. Mr. Sanddal holds a M.S. in psychology.

Dorothy Spears-Dean is a communication and technology professional with over 16 years of experience, possessing extensive knowledge of public safety technology issues affecting state and local governments. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Richmond and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she is employed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency as the public safety communications coordinator and is responsible for managing the Commonwealth’s 9-1-1 program and spectrum assets. In conjunction with her professional responsibilities, Ms. Spears-Dean is an accomplished author and presenter, having had numerous articles on topics related to information technology published in professional journals. She also has designed a grant management course for the National Emergency Number Association, which she regularly presents around the country, along with lecturing on 9-1-1 related topics at numerous state and national conferences. In addition to her work with the Commonwealth of Virginia, she is completing her Ph.D. in public policy and administration at the Center for Public Policy on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Craig Thomas is the chief of the Outcome Monitoring and Evaluation Branch where he is responsible for developing and evaluating public health emergency preparedness program standards and outcome measures that support program improvement and accountability. He joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1998 where he served as a behavioral scientist responsible for planning and conducting evaluation activities in support of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention. In 1999, Craig accepted an evaluation position in the Epidemiology Program Office, Guide to Community Preventive Services Branch, where he was responsible for developing and managing evaluation projects assessing the dissemination and implementation of published findings from the Guide to Community Preventive Services. In 2003, Craig joined the Program Evaluation Research Branch in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention where he developed and implemented the Program Evaluation and Monitoring System (PEMS) and associated projects focused on evaluating CDC-funded HIV/AIDS prevention programs and activities. Dr. Thomas received his Ph.D. in social psychology

with an emphasis in applied research methods, measurement, and program evaluation. He has over 10 years of professional experience in the planning, design, and implementation of evaluation projects and initiatives across a range of public health programs including mental health, tobacco prevention and control, public health emergency management and response, and the prevention of STDs, HIV, and unintended pregnancy.

Debbie Von Seggern-Johnson is the EMS/trauma coordinator for the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Prior to her role at UNMC, she was the BLS/ALS program coordinator at Nebraska Methodist College. Deb began her career in EMS in 1991 and has remained active with various volunteer agencies. She is currently a nationally registered paramedic, a Nebraska state-certified EMS instructor and is the assistant fire chief of the North Bend Volunteer Fire Department. She has been involved with and served on many organizations and committees at the national, regional, state, and local levels of EMS and the American Heart Association for many years. In 2000, she was the recipient of the Leo O’Brien Jr. Award for Excellence and Outstanding Contributions to EMS, and AHA Coordinator of the Year in 2001 and 2002. She also received the Chuck Woll Memorial–EMS Instructor of the Year in 2002. Deb is currently the Nebraska EMS Association (NEMSA) president and past president of the Nebraska Association for Advanced Providers. She has taught all levels of healthcare professionals, including first responders up to physicians who serve as medical directors in the areas of initial and continuing education needs. One of her personal goals is to actively mentor emergency healthcare professionals in the areas of effective communication and organizational needs specific to their areas. Deb has organized and chaired many state and regional emergency medicine conferences for prehospital providers and clinicians. In 2010, Deb received UNMC’s Chancellor’s Silver U award for special achievements to help meet UNMC’s mission. She has touched many lives through her career in EMS, and her passion remains strong.

Leonard J. Weireter, Jr., is the Arthur and Marie Kirk Family Professor of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He is the medical director of the Shock Trauma Center at the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. He is a governor of the American College of Surgeons and is the chairman of the ad hoc Committee on Disaster and Mass Casualty Management of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

Jolene R. Whitney has worked with the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, Utah Department of Health, for 29 years. She spent the first 6 years of her career as a regional EMS consultant traveling through nine counties in rural Utah. She became assistant training coordinator in 1986. She was pro-

moted to program manager for EMS systems and trauma system development in 1991. Ms. Whitney is currently the deputy director for the Bureau of EMS and Preparedness, and supervises 22 staff performing various functions related to trauma system development (including stroke and STEMI), chemical stockpile emergency preparedness, surge capacity and MCI planning, emergency department, trauma and prehospital databases, EMS licensing and operations, BCI, certification and testing processes, critical incident stress management, National Disaster Medical System, EMS medical disaster resources, and the EMS for Children Program. Jolene earned her masters in public administration from Brigham Young University and a B.S. in health sciences, with an emphasis in community health education from the University of Utah. Jolene made the dean’s list in her masters program and graduated with cum laude honors with her undergraduate degree. She was certified as an EMT-basic in 1979. She also obtained certification as an EMT instructor and became certified as an EMT III (intermediate) in 1983. She has attended numerous conferences, courses, and workshops on EMS, trauma, and disaster planning and response (ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800). Jolene is a coauthor for three publications on domestic violence, and state and hospital surge capacity planning. Ms. Whitney has served on several national committees and teams, which include state EMS system assessments for NHTSA (Michigan, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Missouri), ACS trauma system assessments (Minnesota, Alaska, Louisiana, Colorado, and Texas), HRSA rural trauma grant reviewer, and contributor to the development of the HRSA model trauma system plan, the NASEMSO trauma system planning guide, National Trauma Data Standards, and the NHTSA curriculum for EMT refresher course. Jolene is the current chair for the National Council of State Trauma System Managers/NASEMSO and served as vice chair for the previous 2 years. She is a member of the American Trauma Society, Utah Emergency Managers Association, and previous member of the National Association of State EMS Training Coordinators and Utah Public Health Association. Ms. Whitney spent 250 hours in the Olympic Command Center, serving as an EMS liaison for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. She assisted in the passage of state legislation and funding for the EMS grants program, trauma system, DNR, and CISM. In 2005, Jolene was nominated by her staff and received a Utah Manager of the Year Nominee Award from the governor. She also received appreciation from the Utah Association of Emergency Medical Technicians in 2006 for dedication and support.

Timothy Wiedrich is section chief of the Emergency Preparedness & Response at the North Dakota Department of Health. Tim Wiedrich joined the North Dakota Department of Health in 1984 as a program representative for the Division of Emergency Health Services. He became the state

emergency medical services training coordinator in 1986 and was appointed director of the division in 1988. In 2002, Tim became a section chief for the North Dakota Department of Health reporting directly to the state health officer. Divisions within Tim’s section include the Division of Public Health Preparedness, the Division of Hospital Preparedness, and the Division of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma. Tim also directs the Division of Education Technology. Tim received bachelors and masters degrees in business administration and management from the University of Mary. He received a Certificate of Public Health Emergency Preparedness from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He is a past president of the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Directors. He served as the first president of the Directors of Public Health Preparedness, which is a national organization of state officials organized under the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. On October 19, 2009, Tim received the State-Level Excellence in Public Health Award from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. This national award is given to recognize outstanding service on behalf of the public health community.

Gamunu Wijetunge is a 2008 graduate of the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) School of Public Policy with a master’s in public management. He was admitted to public administration honors society (Pi Alpha Alpha). He has been an actively practicing volunteer paramedic, firefighter, and lieutenant with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad since 1995. Gamunu is currently a staff member in the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). He is a staff specialist on homeland security/preparedness, workforce issues, and pandemic flu planning.

Linda Williams is Chouteau County emergency management coordinator and an affiliate faculty member at Montana State University. Linda has been the county extension agent for 33 years and the emergency management coordinator for 23 years. This unique combination of responsibilities has melded together to form the basis for her public education-focused rural emergency preparedness programs. In 2007 Chouteau County was the recipient of the “Model Community” award from the CDC. The plaque reads, “For establishing and implementing effective strategies that enhance collaboration and strengthen the relationship between public health and emergency care, thereby serving as an example to other communities to promote the improvement of daily operations and disaster preparedness nationwide.” Throughout the years, Linda has been fortunate to be involved in a wide range of emergency-related experiences including: EMT on the Ft. Benton ambulance, 9-1-1 coordinator, Critical Incident Stress Management

Team, and Interagency All-hazard Incident Management Team qualified. As part of an all-hazard incident management team, she has been involved with numerous incident responses and ICS planning for events. Linda also represents MSU as a delegate to the national Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) and serves as a board member and treasurer for the Critical Illness and Trauma Foundation.

Robert Winchell is currently the chair of the Trauma Systems Evaluation and Planning Committee of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. He is also the head of the Division of Trauma and Burn Surgery at the Maine Medical Center, and associate clinical professor of surgery at the University of Vermont School of Medicine. Dr. Winchell received his undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology, and his M.D. from Yale University. He did his internship, general surgery residency, and trauma and critical care fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, where he remained on the faculty as associate professor of clinical surgery in the Division of Trauma until 2000. After leaving the University of California, Dr. Winchell established and subsequently directed the Tacoma Trauma Center in Washington, a successful new trauma center operated as a joint venture between two previously competing hospitals. Dr. Winchell moved to the Maine Medical Center in 2001, and assumed his current post in 2004. Dr. Winchell has been involved in trauma center and trauma system design and operation throughout his career in a wide variety of settings covering the spectrum of system development. He was involved with both the day-to-day operations and ongoing development of the San Diego County trauma system for over 10 years and served as chair of the San Diego and Imperial County Committee on Trauma. He participated in the operation and ongoing development of the Washington state trauma system, serving on the state advisory board, and as chair of the Southwest EMS region. Since coming to Maine, Dr. Winchell has worked to develop the Maine state system, is a member of the state advisory board, and was the chairman of the Maine State Committee on Trauma until 2010. In addition to his work with the Trauma Systems Evaluation and Planning Committee, Dr. Winchell also serves as a senior site reviewer for the trauma center verification program of the ACS COT. Dr. Winchell is board certified in general surgery, with added qualifications in surgical critical care. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of its Committee on Trauma, and is also a member of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Association for Academic Surgery, the Southwest Surgical Congress, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He is author of more than 40 scientific papers and book chapters, and has given over 100 regional, national, and international presentations.

Gary Wingrove is director of government relations and strategic affairs for Mayo Clinic Medical Transport of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. He is president of the National EMS Management Association; chairs the EMS Issue Group of the National Rural Health Association; is president of the Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Research in EMS; and is chairman of the International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine.

Myra L. Wood has been chief executive officer of Vital Link Emergency Medical Service since August 1990 and came into EMS from a nursing and hospital administration career of 13 years. Mrs. Wood has advanced Vital Link EMS from a one-county intermediate service to a paramedic/advanced life support ground ambulance service for three counties and 80,000 people in north central Arkansas. Under Mrs. Wood’s leadership Vital Link EMS has achieved accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services and has been named the Arkansas ALS Service of the year twice. Mrs. Wood serves on the Arkansas Governor’s Trauma Advisory Council and was integrally involved in the development and now the advancement of the new Arkansas trauma system. She also serves as the chair of the Arkansas Emergency Medical Services for Children Council, is the EMS coordinator for the North Central Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Committee, is a current board member and the past president of Arkansas Ambulance Association, and is a consultant with Gerson Lehrman Group. Mrs. Wood consults with communities and ambulance companies that are facing challenges in securing and providing quality emergency medical services. Mrs. Wood is also an invited speaker at numerous state and national conferences speaking on such topics as emergency preparedness, providing and measuring quality emergency medical care, employee development, and leadership.

Michael Zanker joined the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Office of Health Affairs in 2006 and currently serves as director of component liaison coordination providing medical advice for operational planning, response, and force health protection to the department’s operating components. Prior to joining DHS, Dr. Zanker served as the Connecticut Department of Public Health’s state emergency medical system (EMS) medical director and medical advisor to the Department’s Office of Public Health Preparedness. He has held the positions of medical director for the Capitol Region (Hartford, Connecticut) Metropolitan Medical Response System program as well as unit commander of CT-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (CT-1 DMAT). Dr. Zanker has had practical experience on numerous DMAT deployments as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Dr. Zanker received his M.D. from the Chicago Medical School in 1993. He completed his

residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Connecticut followed by a fellowship in EMS at Hartford Hospital. He is currently on staff at Hartford Hospital and holds the position of assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Dr. Zanker is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and has held numerous leadership positions within the Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians.

This page intentionally left blank.