SPEAKERS
Stephanie Ashford has dutifully served her community in the field of EMS for more than 25 years. She is an international EMS presenter, specializing in education and quality & safety, and one of only a handful of paramedics in the world to hold the Fellow of the Academy of EMS (FAEMS) designation. Today she serves as the full time Quality and Safety Coordinator at the St. Charles County Ambulance District. She is senior faculty for the NAEMSP Quality &Safety Course, and co-director for the NAEMSP EMS Educator Collaborative.
Dr. Erica Carney Carney is a graduate of the UMKC School of Medicine’s BA/MD program and completed her Emergency Medicine Residency as a Chief Resident at Truman Medical Center / UMKC SOM. She then completed an EMS Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and subsequently returned to Kansas City, MO as a double board-certified EM and EMS Physician. Dr. Carney currently practices as a staff physician in the Emergency Department at Truman Medical Center - Hospital Hill / UMKC SOM. She also serves as the EMS Medical Director for the City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCFD), the Missouri Region A EMS Medical Director, the Missouri State EMS Medical Director, Central Jackson County Fire Protection District's Medical Director, the UMKC EMS Education System Medical Director, and is the Medical Director for the Kansas City Zoo.
Darick Day, BS, EMT-P, CCP-C, FP-C, currently serves as the Director of Clinical Services and Deputy Chief of EMS for Washington County Ambulance District. Darick holds a Bachelor’s of Science in EMS Administration. Darick is a licensed Paramedic in the state of Missouri, Board-Certified Critical Care Paramedic and Board-Certified Flight Paramedic. Darick serves as the lead instructor for the Fundamentals of Critical Care and the primary paramedic instructor for the Mineral Area College EMS program. Darick provides regional lectures on various critical care topics and outreach education to other regional, healthcare entities. Darick’s mission is to elevate prehospital and transport medicine to its highest potential and inspire others to help push our industry into the future.
Justin Duncan, BS, NRP, CCEMT-P, FP-C, currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Washington County Ambulance District and is President of the Missouri EMS Association (MEMSA). Justin holds a Bachelor of Science in EMS Administration and is a graduate student, seeking a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership. Justin is a Nationally Registered Paramedic, Missouri Licensed Paramedic, Board-Certified Critical Care Paramedic and Board-Certified Flight Paramedic. Justin also holds numerous instructor certifications and designations. From ground and air EMS clinician, to clinical educator, to line level supervisor, to department manager, to regional director and now Chief Executive Officer, Justin has a well-rounded patient care and leadership portfolio. Justin’s passions include: advocating for the EMS profession as true healthcare professionals, the changing world of EMS (where are we going next), mechanical ventilation of the acutely ill (invasive and non-invasive), engaging in a good and healthy debate, educating eager minds and supporting those who take care of the ill and injured; Justin is a dedicated servant leader.
Gillian Earnst - As a clinical manager at LifeFlight Eagle, my primary responsibility is to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care and attention during their transportation. I lead a team of skilled medical professionals and work closely with hospital staff and community partners to develop and implement patient care plans that are tailored to each unique situation.
My experience as a paramedic, nurse, and flight caregiver has given me a deep understanding of the challenges faced by patients and caregivers in emergency situations. I am passionate about providing patients with the best possible care experience and ensuring that they have the resources they need to fully recover from their medical emergencies.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and pursuing outdoor activities. My love of nature and adventure has given me a strong appreciation for the importance of health and wellness in our daily lives. I strive to embody these values in my work as a clinical manager and as a member of my community.
Katie Eisenbeis began her EMS career in 2011 at Christian Hospital EMS as an Emergency Medical Technician. She obtained her Paramedic license and has diligently worked her way to the Clinical Supervisor role for the EMS department. Over her tenure in EMS, Katie assisted in the growth and development of the Field Training Officer program, she established the first emotional support dog at Christian Hospital EMS, and assisted with the development and implementation of the of the mobile integrated health program for Christian Hospital. Katie has a Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management and is actively pursuing her Master’s in Healthcare Administration. Katie enjoys spending her free time with friends and family doing various outdoor activities.
Joseph Finney, MD P is a pediatric Emergency Physician & EMS Physician at St Louis Children’s Hospital Focusing on improving the pre-hospital care of children through focused clinical research and education.
Ashlee Hollis serves as a Flight Paramedic and Outreach Education Coordinator for LifeFlight Eagle. Prior to joining LFE in 2021, Ashlee worked for ground EMS agencies and taught for local training centers for more than 15 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Crisis and Disaster Management at the University of Central Missouri. She lives in Concordia, MO., with her three dogs.
Art Hsieh, MA, NRP has been practicing EMS since 1982, and has worked as a volunteer, line medic, educator and chief officer in private, third service and fire-based EMS. He has directed both primary and EMS continuing education programs, and currently is the Faculty Coordinator at the Santa Rosa Junior College (California, USA), Public Safety Training Center Emergency Medical Care discipline.
Michelle Mayer, EMT-P is
the Chief of Union Ambulance District in Union, Missouri. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Fontbonne University. She became Chief in February of 2019 after 15 years of service with the St. Louis Fire Department Bureau of EMS.
She held several positions with the STLFD EMS including EMS dispatcher, EMT-B, paramedic, and paramedic crew chief. The last seven years with STLFD EMS were served as the QA/QI Officer.
Taz Meyer, Served 20 years of service with St. Charles County Ambulance District [SCCAD] and 35+ years in the emergency medical services industry. He serves as Chief of Bureau of Emergency Medical Services for the State of Missouri.
George Miller, George Miller has worked in Emergency Medical Services for over 45 years. In 1972, he became a firefighter and followed with obtaining his paramedic license in 1980. George taught emergency medical programs at The University of Missouri for 15 years; it was during that time that he helped write Missouri regulations and statutes for EMS programs.
George joined The Bureau of EMS in April of 2017; during that time he has developed the Quality Improvement Continuing Education program, and has developed pilot program guidelines for hybrid EMT courses. George is also working with our team to update current regulations and statutes to bring them to current EMS standards as well as updating procedures and guidelines as it relates to EMS programs, entities and personnel.
Capt. Kirk Mittelman is a 43-year veteran of EMS and Public Safety, Capt. Kirk retired in 2001 from Provo City Police after 22 years and a Purple Heart. Upon retiring from Law Enforcement, Capt. Kirk went to work full time in the Fire/EMS service where he again retired after serving as a Paramedic Captain and EMS Coordinator for Eagle Mountain Fire Department. Capt. Kirk is currently working for Reach Air Medical, serving Contra Costa County Fire Protection District as the Clinical Quality Improvement and Clinical Education Coordinator. Capt. Kirk teaches all levels of EMT’s and wilderness medicine as the Co-Founder and Program Director of Mt Nebo Training. In his spare time Capt. Kirk travels to 3rd World countries as a volunteer teaching EMS to physicians, nurses, and EMS personnel. When things get too hectic Papa Kirk can be found waterskiing and enjoying the sun at Lake Powell with his 4 children and their spouses, 14 grand and 4 great grandchildren (with more on the way).
Phil Moy, MD is a board-certified Emergency Medicine and EMS physician who enjoys educating through his podcast. The Prehospital Emergency Care Podcast, The But Why EMS Podcast and the Air Methods Prehospital Education Podcast (AMPED) He is also the medical director for ARCH Air Methods, Lincoln County Ambulance District and Mercy Hospital, Lincoln Emergency Department and Physician Member at Large for the National Association of EMS Physicians.
Kat Probst is the Assistant Chief Executive Officer for Adair County Ambulance District. Kat’s additional responsibilities entail oversight of Operations, Patient Billing, Information Technologies, Compliance and Exposure Control for the District. Kat’s EMS career began with dispatching at the Adair County E911 center in 2005. Kat chose to advance her career and became a licensed EMT in 2006 and obtained her Paramedic license in 2008 and became a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the District in 2010.
Kat’s passion for the EMS field is reflected in her services across the state of Mo representing the EMS industry in many capacities such as the President of the Missouri Ambulance Association, Vice Chair of Central Region EMS, and numerous task forces locally and statewide to enhance EMS services across the state. Some of these task forces and committees include advocating at the legislative level, CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) in EMS statewide, Non-Urban & Northeast Healthcare Coalition, Board member of NEMO Heart Health, EMS Mutual Aid & Disaster Coordination, and Time Critical Diagnosis committees at a local and state level.
Heather Scruton - Assistant Director of Children’s Mercy’s award-winning Critical Care Transport Team, she has worked in healthcare for almost 30 years. Her experience includes nursing and leadership roles in emergency medicine, high-risk obstetrics, and critical care air transport. She speaks nationally on multi-disciplinary topics including healthcare innovation, unconventional use of in-situ stimulation, conflict and communication and maternal mortality.
Shannon Watson began her EMS Career in Jacksonville, NC, where she earned her Paramedic license and Associate’s degree in Emergency Medical Science. She since completed her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Master’s in Healthcare. Shannon joined Christian Hospital EMS fourteen years ago, diligently working her way to the Assistant Chief position for the EMS Department. Watson is an instructor for a variety of certifications and teaches nationally at EMS conferences. She is a member of the East Central Region EMS Committee for St. Louis, and in 2012 became a contributing author of the Pediatric Education for Prehospital Providers (PEPP) textbook and author of the chapter on resuscitation. Watson was the NAEMT Emergency Pediatric Care (EPC) Regional Coordinator for two years prior to joining the EPC committee. She is now the Chair of EPC.
Shannon realized her love for education while at Christian Hospital EMS, where she was a field training officer and member of the education committee. Then, she became Clinical Supervisor and assisted in the development of the Christian Hospital EMS Academy, which offers more than 30 EMS courses annually to employees and outside EMS participants. She advanced to Community Health Supervisor and assisted in developing and implementing the Community Health Access Program (CHAP). She supervised the mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) program and EMS portion of CHAP for three years prior to moving into the Assistant Chief role for Christian Hospital EMS. She is married to a firefighter/paramedic and has three children
Hance Wilbert, Student-Physicians utilizing lessons learned in low resource, high acuity environments, as a Special Operations Medic, to improve outcomes for patients while reducing medical outcome disparities.