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Made possible with support from the UVM Green & Gold Professorship in Emergency Medicine and the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery

Conference Speakers

Keynote Speakers

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  • Dr. Todd Maxson is the Surgeon-in-Chief of the at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Surgery at UAMS. He also served the State of Arkansas as the consultant on trauma for the Department of Health during the creation of the State’s Trauma System.

    Dr. Maxson grew up with an academic family: his father serving as a college president and his mother, originally a nurse, changing careers, completing a doctorate in education, and working as a professor at the college level.

    He graduated from Texas A&M University and medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He took a general surgical residency at the University of Arkansas from 1990 – 1996. Following training in Arkansas, he moved back to Texas to complete pediatric surgical training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He was on faculty in Houston before moving to the University of Texas – Southwestern in Dallas to begin the trauma program at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. This program became the first level I pediatric trauma program in the southwest United States to be verified by the American College of Surgeons. He and members of his team from Dallas then moved to Austin, Texas to build the trauma service at the new Dell Children’s Medical Center, taking this facility to Level I status as well. He served for five years on the Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Texas trauma system before moving to Arkansas to build the system and his third level one Pediatric Trauma Program.

    He is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and has been funded for his research work in the area of brain injury in children and injury prevention. He lectures extensively both nationally and internationally on pediatric trauma and injury control.

    Most importantly, he is married to Amy Maxson, a pediatric nurse practitioner, and has three beautiful children, Mary Anne-29, Andrew-23, and Jake-21.

    When not building trauma programs or working clinically Dr. Maxson loves to travel with Amy and the kids, fly fish, sail, fly airplanes and scuba dive.

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  • Thomas Rea MD MPH is Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and Medical Director of King County Emergency Medical Services.  King County has a population of 2.3 million persons with 11 communities larger than 50,000 persons.  The County EMS follows a common approach to training, response, and care.  Dr. Rea works with a collaborative team to undertake evaluation of emergency health conditions, most especially out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.  t goes here

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  • Dan Batsie is the Deputy Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety.  He has been a paramedic in New York, Maine, and now Vermont for more than 30 years.  Over his career Dan has worked hard to elevate the profession of prehospital medicine and demonstrated a particular passion for high quality EMS education.  Dan has directed two accredited paramedic programs, authored two EMS textbooks, and lectured both nationally and internationally on current EMS topics.  In addition to his work at the state level, Dan is active in numerous national EMS projects and committees.    

General Session Speakers

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  • Dr. Michael Levy is an Emergency Medicine and EMS physician based in Anchorage, Alaska. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for Anchorage Areawide EMS, Medical Director for the Anchorage Fire Department, EMS Medical Director for the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and Medical Director for Rural and Community Programs for the State of Alaska.

     

    Dr. Levy is a Past President of the National Association of EMS Physicians (2021–2022). Over the course of his career, he has contributed to EMS systems from Chicago to the Navajo Nation, and for the past three decades has been dedicated to advancing prehospital care in Alaska. He has authored numerous medical publications, with a professional focus on resuscitation. His central mission in EMS is to empower providers to improve patient outcomes through education, training, and evidence-based practice.

     

    He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and his M.D. from Northwestern University. He completed residencies in both Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, achieving board certification in each, along with subspecialty certification in EMS Medicine. Dr. Levy is also an Affiliate Associate Professor with the University of Alaska and serves full time as an EMS physician.

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  • David Nelson, MD FAAP, FAAEM is a Pediatric Emergency Physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center.  He enjoys teaching about, and encouraging, pediatric readiness and preparedness at the pre-hospital, hospital, and state level.

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  • Joseph Kennedy, MD is a medical toxicologist and emergency physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Additionally, he serves as a staff and consulting toxicologist at the Northern New England Poison Center and as the Associate Program Director for the university's Emergency Medicine Residency. He cares for both adult and pediatric patients, and is a passionate educator of not only physicians, but pharmacists, nurses, medical students, and undergraduate students. After service as an officer in the US Air Force and US Special Operations Command, Dr. Kennedy graduated from medical school at Mayo Clinic. He then served as a resident in emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, and completed fellowship training in medical toxicology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. He has published and presented nationally on topics ranging from the toxicity of novel chemotherapeutic agents to the management of herbal- and plant-based supplement poisonings. He brings clinical expertise in the management of acute overdoses, occupational and industrial exposures, envenomation, pediatric lead poisoning, medication safety errors, and more. An awarded teacher who is recognized as an Expert Educator at the UVM Larner College of Medicine's Teaching Academy, he is most enthusiastic about bedside teaching at the student- and resident-level and welcomes opportunities to share his passion for toxicology and the care of poisoned patients. Teamwork and the chance to interact with people from all walks of life keep Dr. Kennedy excited to come to work every day. He enjoys the breadth and acuity that a career in emergency medicine affords, but also relishes the opportunity to take more time and form a longitudinal relationship with patients as a toxicologist.

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  • Pediatric Surgeon for approximately 25 years with board certification in Pediatric Surgery, Trauma & Critical Care and General Surgery

     Undergraduate Education: University of Pennsylvania       BA 1981

    Medical School: University of Vermont College of Medicine           MD 1990

    Fellowship: Trauma and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania             1996-1998

    Fellowship: Pediatric Surgery, Cardinal Glennon Medical Center, St. Louis University 1998-2000

    Faculty Pediatric Surgeon and Pediatric Trauma Medical Director: Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, St. Louis University, St Louis, MO, 2000-2007

    Faculty Pediatric Surgeon and Pediatric Trauma Medical Director: St Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, 2007-2022

    Faculty Pediatric Surgeon and Pediatric Trauma Medical Director, Professor of Surgery: University of Vermont Medical Center, 2022-present

    Previous committees of note:

    ACS-COT committee on ATLS and Rural Trauma

    Chair, Region 4, EMS Illinois

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  • I am an Associate Medical Director for HealthNet, Medical Director for HealthNet of New York, Emergency Medicine Physician for the University of Vermont Health, and Medical Advisor for Colchester Rescue (District 3). Following medical school at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, I completed an EM residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center and EMS Fellowship at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Through my current roles, I hope to expand prehospital care in rural VT and NY. 

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  • Licensed paramedic with 15+ years of emergency response experience and a proven track

    record as an EMS administrator and leader. Currently serving as Battalion Chief of EMS for

    the Burlington Fire Department, overseeing operations, credentialing, compliance, and quality

    improvement initiatives. Recognized for connecting quickly with people, leading with clarity,

    and modeling critical thinking, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning.

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  • Tiff Bombard, NRP, MD, FACEP is an emergency department physician at the UVM Health Network hospitals of northern NY. She had a long and diverse career in EMS before attending medical school, including work in ski patrol and avalanche control, rural, urban, critical care transport, flight and fire department systems. She continues to work in prehospital care as a service medical director, important regional and state leader and national educator.

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  • Jd Storn, MD, FAWM, NRP, DiMM is an Emergency Physician currently working at New London Hospital and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He is the Assistant Program director for the DH Wilderness Medicine Fellowship, medical director for the Mt. Washinton Avalanche Center and Brattleboro Fire Departments, and active in his local Fire, SAR and USAR agencies. Outside of work he tries to spend as much time in the mountains as possible climbing, skiing or trying to run. He is currently failing to share his appreciation for suffering in the mountains with his two young children.

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  • Sarah Lamb is a paramedic and training officer with Richmond Rescue. She was one of the first instructors helping to roll out High Performance CPR to Vermont EMS and has been involved with multiple other EMS initiatives for the state from Ready, Check, Inject to surgical crics to developing Wilderness EMS Protocols. Prior Speaking Engagements Presenting Cardiac Arrest Video: 2023- Reel Emergency Episode 16 with Peter Handtevy and Prodigy EMS. 2023- Zoll Summit, Denver CO: "Life in the fast lane: Resuscitation After a High Speed Pursuit." 2021- Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit, San Diego CA: "Life in the fast lane: Resuscitation After a High Speed Pursuit" (Received William H. Montgomery Excellence in Education Award). 2019- Northern New England Resuscitation Academy, Lincoln NH: Keynote- Dashcam cardiac arrest. 2018 to present- Multiple New Hampshire EMS Conferences and Events.

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  • Latimer has worked in rural EMS since 2009 in Vermont and Montana (and a bit in Canada). These experiences involve ambulance/first responder services, fire departments, emergency communications, ski patrol, and search and rescue. He has managed supply ordering, served as training officer, and written policies for multiple workplaces. In addition, Latimer holds a B.S. in Secondary English Education, a M.Ed. in Education Leadership, and Senior Alpine certification with the National Ski Patrol.



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  • Michael Cannon began his career in 1975 in Colchester, Vermont as a volunteer EMT with a local Fire Department. He became a founding member of Colchester Technical Rescue, which continues to be recognized for work in water and ice emergencies as well as hazardous terrain rescues. The Technical Rescue Team has been consistently managed by Mike and now serves a large geographic area of the State. Mike maintains a Level II Technical Rescue Instructor certification for the Vermont State Fire Academy and has been instrumental in organizing and training water rescue teams in Vermont. Mike also is a Swiftwater and Ice Rescue Trainer for Dive Rescue International, a nationally recognized water rescue corporation. Mike joined the Colchester Police Department in 1981, as a law enforcement officer. He was later assigned to the Marine Unit, which patrols 37 miles of international waterway on Lake Champlain. Mike held the position of Marine Supervisor, for law enforcement, for the last 25 years. Mike currently serves as the full-time Program Manager for the Vermont Department of Public Safety's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force One (VT-TF1). As Task Force Leader and Program Manager, responsibilities include readiness of the NIMS Type III State Team. This includes all administrative duties for roughly 90 State Employees assigned to the Task Force. Mike also operates as the State of Vermont Emergency Management ESF9 Urban Search and Rescue Coordinator where he is responsible for the coordination of all State and local USAR and water rescue teams. He sits on various State Homeland Security Special Operations committees and is the liaison to all local teams. Mike currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National State Urban Search and Rescue Alliance. Mike has deployed VT-TF1, through Emergency Management and Assistance Compact request, to Hurricanes Harvey, Florence, Dorian and Helene.

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  • Dr. Laurel Plante, MD, FACEP, FAEMS graduated from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 2003, and from Tufts-Baystate Emergency Medicine Residency in 2006. Prior to this, she served several years as an EMS provider on Shelburne Rescue and later on UVM Rescue. Upon graduation, she took a job as an Emergency Medicine attending at Rutland Regional Medical Center where she served as the District 10 EMS Medical Director from 2007-2010. Upon leaving there, she came to UVM Medical Center, where she initially served as the Medical Director of the grant-funded UVM Paramedic course, which graduated 18 new paramedics. This course allowed for paramedicine to start in District 3, the largest EMS District in Vermont (and the only one transporting primarily to UVM Medical Center, the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Vermont). After the completion of this class, Dr. Plante oversaw the implementation of paramedicine in the District and has helped to grow this program from an initial 15 paramedics to now almost 100. As the EMS Medical Director, she provides oversight, guidance and training for roughly 1000 EMS providers at any one time. Most recently, with a transition in focus towards education, she has accepted the role of the Medical Director of the UVM Health Network EMS Academy as well as the Associate Medical Director of the Elizabethtown Paramedic Program, overseeing the Vermont/NH portion. Dr. Plante is also an Associate Professor at the Larner College of Medicine and created and is Course Director for the 4th year Medical Student EMS rotation among many other responsibilities.

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  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and law enforcement professionals are increasingly encountering behavioral health crises in the community. Responding to these situations requires not only medical expertise but also knowledge of mental health intervention strategies and crisis de-escalation techniques. As a clinical co-responder embedded with law enforcement, I have firsthand experience navigating the intersection of public safety and behavioral health. This presentation explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in responding to behavioral health emergencies, emphasizing collaboration between EMS and law enforcement to improve outcomes for both patients and first responders. We will discuss practical approaches to on-scene assessment, crisis intervention, and connecting individuals to appropriate care resources. Participants will gain insight into the realities of co-response, including how clinical knowledge informs law enforcement decisions and how safety considerations shape mental health interventions. The session will highlight case examples, lessons learned, and strategies for reducing the risk of escalation while ensuring patient-centered care. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to support their own teams in addressing behavioral health crises more effectively and safely. By sharing a clinical perspective on public safety response, this session aims to strengthen cross-disciplinary collaboration, enhance responder confidence, and improve outcomes for individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.


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  • Kyle DeWitt is an Emergency Medicine Pharmacist Clinician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Ohio State University and a PharmD from Midwestern University College of Pharmacy. Thereafter, he completed a pharmacy practice residency at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY and an Emergency Medicine (EM) PGY2 residency at the University of New Mexico Hospital. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. DeWitt serves as the Residency Program Director for the EM Pharmacy Residency at UVM Medical Center and an Assistant Professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Vermont Campus. Kyle is President-Elect of the Academy of Emergency Medicine Pharmacists within SAEM which aims to advance EM pharmacy practice by fostering a community of dedicated professionals, driving research, enhancing training programs and disseminating best practices to improve emergency medicine pharmacy practice and patient care.

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  • Brian Canova is a third-year medical student at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine and a former 911 paramedic in California and the Northeast. He helped develop the 2025 Vermont EMS protocol update that expanded CPAP from an ALS to a BLS skill. His academic interests include emergency medicine, prehospital care, and community paramedicine (CP), with ongoing research on CP referral pathways and AED preparedness in Vermont schools, as well as a focus on protocol development and innovation.

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  • Dr. Campbell grew up in the South but fell in love with New England during her undergraduate years at Dartmouth College. She did EMT training and earned a Master of Public Health degree before attending medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she completed her pediatrics residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship. Now an associate professor at UVM, she continues to advance high-quality care for children. 

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  • I have been an EMT for close to 2 years now. I joined Shelburne Rescue as a volunteer in January of 2024, and Barre Town EMS as a paid EMT in July of 2025. I am also a geography minor at UVM who studies ambulance repositioning in the lab of Dr. Sarah Mah

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  • Dr. Charles is a tenured Professor of Surgery at the Larner College of Medicine, UVM, and Vice Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Surgery. In addition, he is the Trauma Medical Director of the UVMMC Level I Trauma Center and the Surgical ICU Director. Dr. Charles is recognized as an academic surgeon scientist passionate about global surgery, health services research, and the advancement of the education mission of our institution through high-quality learning experiences. Dr. Charles has been a principal investigator on numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health with a focus on trauma and burn injuries and health care disparities. He has an extensive array of publications related to his work, both nationally and internationally. He has over 350 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals, six book chapters, and more than 150 published abstracts to his credit. He is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

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  • Dr. Andrew McCoy is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington. Andy grew up in Indiana, attended medical school at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine followed by residency in Emergency Medicine in Buffalo, New York. Andy moved to Seattle to complete EMS fellowship and then joined the faculty at the University of Washington. Andy serves as the Medical Director for Shoreline Medic One and American Medical Response Puget Sound Operations, and Program Director for the University of Washington EMS Fellowship. Andy has been faculty at the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle for 10 years and now serves as the Medical Director for the Resuscitation Academy.

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  • Keith Hermiz is a Vermont licensed and NREMT certified AEMT. He has been an EMS provider for 20 years, serving his community of Grafton, Vermont as a first responder with the Grafton Rescue Squad and nearby towns as a volunteer provider for a handful of transporting services over the years. He has served as Grafton's Head of Service and has been a State licensed Instructor/Coordinator for the past ten years. His face may be familiar to some because he works as one of the three State ambulance inspectors. Keith was instrumental in designing Vermont's adult and pediatric Resuscitation Academy curriculums and producing the hybrid training videos used since the COVID epidemic. He was named Educator of the Year in 2019 and 2021.

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  • Andrew Pettit is an emergency medicine resident at UVMMC. He worked as a Firefighter/AEMT prior to medicine and continues to work per-diem in the fire service. He directed a prehospital ultrasound pilot program in New Hampshire, authored the NH EMS patient care protocol on prehospital ultrasound, and has published research on prehospital ultrasound.

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  • I am an Assistant Professor and full-time attending emergency and prehospital physician at an academic medical center. As a former EMS Fellow and now Medical Director for our critical care transport team and all UVM Health Network EMS assets, I have recognized the value of engaged, humble, and situationally aware medical direction. Over the past seven years, I have learned that the most effective clinical oversight comes from being willing to place oneself in the environment of care-whether in the ED, ground unit, or aircraft. Clinically, I actively care for patients as both an attending emergency physician and flight physician, trained to full crew member capability. This dual role provides me with firsthand experience in translating advanced hospital-based practices into the unique operational contexts of prehospital care. My professional activities include numerous case reviews and conference presentations on prehospital management of critically ill patients, resource utilization, operational decision-making, and advanced trauma care. Alongside colleagues, I have presented team-based case reviews at multiple National conferences, incorporating audience response systems to enhance engagement and shared learning. In addition to clinical and teaching roles, I have authored book chapters and white papers on prehospital ultrasound and EMS system integration, and I remain actively involved in regional and national EMS leadership organizations. These experiences, combined with my ongoing clinical integration and educational work, provide a strong foundation for meaningful contributions as a presenter.

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  • Career Lieutenant and Paramedic with the Williston Fire Department since 2011 and Clinical Associate at Vermont State University. Tony is an EMS innovator, leading Vermont's first CyanoKit program for cyanide treatment and implementing the Handtevy pediatric resuscitation system in Vermont. He oversees EMS training, quality assurance, and operational readiness, and mentors paramedic students in advanced prehospital care. Tony is a credentialed Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, a ProBoard Certified Fire Instructor, and was named Vermont ALS Provider of the Year in 2019.

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  • Ryan Mason, MD FAAEM is a Board-Certified Emergency Physician in the University of Vermont Health Network and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Vermont. He works clinically in under-resourced hospitals of Northern New York at Champlain Valley Physicians' Hospital in Plattsburgh and Elizabethtown Ticonderoga Free-Standing ED. He has a particular interest in Rural Emergency Care, spending his early medical career working rural settings of Antarctica, Idaho, Washington and the Indian Health Service of the Four Corners area.  


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  • Dr. Molly Furin is a highly experienced and accomplished physician specializing in Emergency Medicine, EMS, and Disaster Medicine. Her career has been dedicated to providing exceptional medical care both inside and outside the hospital setting. Dr. Furin began her journey at Boston Medical Center, where she completed her residency in Emergency Medicine. Driven by a passion for pre-hospital care and disaster response, she pursued a fellowship in EMS and Disaster Medicine at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. During this time, she also earned a Master's degree in Disaster Medicine and Management from Philadelphia University/Jefferson, solidifying her expertise in this critical field. For 13 years, Dr. Furin served the Philadelphia community at Einstein Medical Center and its associated sites. She played a key role in developing and directing the EMS physician fellowship program at Einstein, sharing her knowledge and passion with future generations of emergency medicine specialists. Dr. Furin's commitment to emergency preparedness extended beyond the hospital walls. She actively collaborated with Philadelphia's Emergency Management, contributing her expertise to mass gathering events and providing vital medical direction to various emergency medical services, including ALS, BLS, and transport services throughout Pennsylvania. Her dedication to education led her to teach basic EMT courses and mentor paramedic students in the field in Montgomery County. A strong advocate for pre-hospital care, Dr. Furin held Prehospital Physician certification in Pennsylvania and served as an active member of the Physician Support Unit. This experience provided her with invaluable hands-on experience delivering critical medical care in the field. Dr. Furin now brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to Vermont, where she continues to make significant contributions to emergency medicine and disaster preparedness. Her dedication to patient care, education, and community service makes her an invaluable asset to any medical community.

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  • Elly Riser, MD, MPH, FACP is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hospitalist and Addiction Medicine physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Riser completed medical school and an MPH at the University of Washington, followed by Internal Medicine residency at the University of Vermont. She is the Inpatient Director for the Star Treatment and Recovery Program at UVMMC, which is an innovative program for treating opioid use disorder in hospitalized patients. Dr. Riser is also an educator who founded the Addiction Medicine elective at the Larner School of Medicine.

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  • Dr. Aaron Brillhart is an emergency physician at UVM and NMC. He serves as regional medical advisor for the National Ski Patrol in northern Vermont, and service medical director for Stowe Mountain Rescue.  His UVM team recently published new research on effective CPR by ski patrollers and wilderness rescuers.  They are looking forward to sharing this unique prehospital experience of cardiac arrest and CPR in the VT ski and mountain environment at the VT EMS conference. 

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  • Nick is currently a Critical Care Flight Paramedic for the University of Vermont Health Network. Previous to his job in HEMS, he worked as a Senior Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Burlington, Vermont. Nick began his EMS career in 2011, Nick is a Firefighter I, Firefighter II, NR-EMT, NR-AEMT, Ice Rescue Operations, Swiftwater Operations, HazMat Operations, PADO, and ICS 100-800. He has worked as a career firefighter, municipal EMS, and critical care services. Nick also holds IBSC certifications of Flight Paramedic (FP-C), Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C) and Tactical Paramedic (TP-C). He holds paramedic licenses in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and New Hampshire. Nick is faculty for the American Heart Association (AHA) and Affiliate Faculty of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) in PHTLS and TECC. Nick is the producer and host of the Code 321 Podcast. He was a managing partner/owner of Northeast Emergency Training Solutions, LLC until 2023. Currently, he owns Precision Training, LLC based in Northern New England. In addition to his full-time job, he is a nationally recognized conference speaker and the Vermont State Ambassador for Mind the Frontline, a non-profit with the mission of supporting frontline responders.

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  • James grew up in Shelburne Vermont, leaving for Hamilton College where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Russian Studies.  After several years working in Russia he returned to the US to pursue a Masters of Public Health from the George Washington School of Public Health.  He returned to Vermont for medical school and completed his pediatric residency and a chief year at Seattle Children’s Hospital then spent 4 years as a hospitalist at Seattle Children’s and affiliated hospitals before being lured to a fellowship in child abuse medicine.  He returned to UVM to develop a the Child Protection Team as well to continue his work as a pediatric hospitalist.  His academic interests include early recognition of child abuse, post mortem imaging techniques, medical child abuse and safe reporting to CPS.  

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  • Dr. Ryan B. Gerecht started his career in EMS 20 years ago as an EMT. It was this time spent caring for others in the back of an ambulance that formed the foundation for a career dedicated to serving the sick and injured in the prehospital setting. Today Dr. Gerecht is board certified in both EMS Medicine and Emergency Medicine. He is currently the EMS Medical Director for Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Alice Peck Day and New London Hospitals. Dr. Gerecht is also Medical Director of Emergency Management at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and is extensively involved in local, state, and regional disaster preparedness efforts. Prior to joining Dartmouth in 2023 Dr. Gerecht served in multiple EMS Medical Director roles most recently as the Assistant Medical Director of DC Fire and EMS and the Medical Director for Tacoma Fire Department in Tacoma WA.

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  • Cindy Cox is flight nurse with the Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART) and has 7 years of nursing experience. She is originally from Virginia and lives in Concord, NH. She's passionate about patient advocacy, team dynamics, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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  • Sarah works with VITL, the non-profit that manages Vermont’s health information exchange. Her main focus is on VITLAccess, a free service that many EMS agencies use to responsibly access patient data to support patient care, billing, and quality improvement. Sarah has been part of Huntington First Response since 2024 and is looking forward to finishing up her EMT certification.

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  • Alia Aunchman MD, FACS is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, where she also attended medical school. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center and fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is Interim Division Chief of Acute Care Surgery at UVMMC,  Associate Vice Chair of Clinical Operations in the Department of Surgery, and Vice Chair of Quality in the Department of Surgery. She is also in negotiations to be the next Queen of England. She is actively involved in her college as a member of the working groups for the Surgical Critical Care EPA’s and the Mastery of General Surgery Fellowship.  In addition to collecting accolades, she has also collected four children, most of whom have the same father (#4 she adopted from Haiti with her husband). She will tell you that her greatest achievement is her family, but it’s really the fact that she has seen Taylor Swift in concert four times.

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  • Misha R. McNabb, MA-EMEL, VT-EMD, NRP, is a highly experienced emergency management and public health professional with over 25 years of operational experience in Fire and EMS. Currently serving as a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Specialist III for the Vermont Department of Health and founder of Crisis Management Partners, LLC, she specializes in crisis management, resilience training, and organizational preparedness. Misha combines her extensive field experience with academic expertise to provide practical, evidence-based strategies for building personal and team resiliency in high-stress environments, helping EMS personnel and emergency responders maintain mental wellness and operational effectiveness under pressure.

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  • Katrina Ducis earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Human Biology. She completed medical school at the University of Toledo followed by neurosurgery residency at the University of Vermont. The final step of formal training was at Riley Children’s Hospital/Indiana University where she was subsequently hired on as faculty. As Dr. First says, she heard the Green Mountains calling and returned to the University of Vermont in 2021. At present she is Associate Professor of Surgery, Neurosurgery Program Director and serves as the state’s only pediatric neurosurgeon. Her clinical interests span the vast nature of pediatric neurosurgery, and she really gets excited about vascular malformations, endoscopic treatment of hydrocephalus and quality in neurosurgery.

     

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  • I have enjoyed a career as a HEMS paramedic since 2011 and grown as a pilot since 2013, working to expand the crossover between aviation and medicine in daily practice as well as teaching. Learning and teaching in this specialized area is a passion, especially sharing my experience with new crew members as they learn how to safely operate in a dynamic, high-hazard environment. Areas of special interest include: advanced aviation operations, HEMS crew & single pilot resource management, accident prevention, and crew survival.

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  • Andrea Roche is an emergency medicine resident at UVMMC. She worked in EMS as a Park Ranger and Ski Patroller prior to medicine. She has directed multiple prehospital ultrasound courses for the State of New Hampshire, created an educational program for paramedic ultrasound training, and has published research on prehospital ultrasound.

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  • Daniel Wolfson, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and the State of Vermont EMS Medical Director. Dr. Wolfson has led numerous EMS-based research projects and is Vermont's site lead for the PAIN trial (Prehospital Analgesia Intervention trial), a national study comparing fentanyl and ketamine for prehospital pain management. His work focuses on advancing evidence-based EMS protocols, expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder, and improving systems of care in rural environments.

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  • Kate Soons is a critical care nurse and advanced EMT.  She has worked in the Vermont EMS system since 1989.  Kate is the Director of Health Science and Emergency Services at St. Michael’s College and enjoys teaching the Advanced EMT course and pediatric preparedness.

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  • Christian Pulcini is a pediatric emergency medicine physician and clinical investigator focused on children with special healthcare needs and medical complexity. Due to this expertise, he was also asked to be the co-chair of the Pediatric Pandemic Network Task Force focused on CYSHCN/CMC, which is intended to improve emergency care in all settings and improve disaster readiness for this vulnerable population.


  • Dr. Brooke Redmond is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine and an attending neonatal critical care physician at the Yale New Haven Children's Hospital. She is the creator and director of the 24/7 BABY program, an innovative partnership between Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (bit.ly/247BABY). Dr. Redmond is a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE), an Instructor Mentor for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and a steering committee member for the AAP Pediatric First Aid & Safety Committee. She is a 2024-2025 Public Voices Fellow at Yale with the OpEd Project. In 2024, Dr. Redmond was named Connecticut Emergency Medical Services Physician of the Year. She serves as a volunteer educator and content expert for regional EMS and fire services.

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  • I have 13 years of critical care transport experience and currently function as the clinical coordinator and a flight paramedic for the UVM HealthNet Critical Transport system. I have presented at ECHO, AMTC, and CCTMC in addition to teaching EMS classes for The University of Vermont and abroad in Honduras. Prior to transitioning to critical care, I worked in various EMS systems for 11 years and as the training officer for a combination 911 department. I am also involved with the IBSC as a subject matter expert for the FP-C and CCP-C exams. Functioning as the clinical coordinator and as a subject matter expert require expertise in all areas of clinical care provided in the prehospital setting. In relation to the topic of electrical storms, I was the provider on this case. I have also done extensive research into the best practice surrounding treatment to develop clinical guidelines for our team backed by research and best practice.


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  • Mark Pasanen, MD, FACP is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Primary Care Provider and Hospitalist at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Dr. Pasanen completed medical school at the University of Vermont followed by Internal Medicine residency and chief residency at the University of Washington. He has a long career in Medical Education and currently serves as the Vice Chair of Education for the UVM Health Network Department of Medicine.


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  • District 4 Medical Advisor

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  • Dr. Blake Porter is an emergency medicine pharmacist at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC) in Burlington, VT. He earned his Pharm.D. from the University of lowa College of Pharmacy. Thereafter, he completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, IA and an emergency medicine PGY-2 residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY. He is the current residency program director of the PGY1 pharmacy program at UVMMC and an active member of the Emergency Medicine Pharmacotherapy Research Network (EM-PHARMNET). More importantly, he loves spending time with his 2 boys and wife and fly fishing any moment he can get.

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  • Dr. Ajai K Malhotra is Professor of Surgery at University of Vermont. He received his medical education in India at MLN Medical College, Allahabad, and Surgical training at PGIMER, Chandigarh, before migrating to UK in 1991. After obtaining Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, he moved to the US and completed a surgical residency at Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine followed by a Surgical Critical Care/Trauma fellowship at University of Tennessee at Memphis TN.

     

    He specializes in Acute Care Surgery providing care to patients with injuries, emergent general surgical conditions and those requiring critical care in the ICU. His research interests are clinical and related to all aspects of Acute Care Surgery. He has a strong interest in improving trauma care in low and middle income countries by working with hospitals and developing trauma systems by working with government and other non-profit organizations.                                    

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  • Jen Hipsley is a Certified Child Life Specialist in the Emergency Department at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She has been a Child Life Specialist since 2001. Jen enjoys working alongside nurses, physicians and first responders to help reduce medical trauma for children and their families.

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  • Kevin Argentieri, MD is an Emergency Medicine and EMS physician whose experience in prehospital care dates back to 2007 with his EMT-Basic training through the Initiative for Rural Emergency Medical Services and service with Essex Rescue, while attending undergrad at UVM. He later worked in mountain rescue and avalanche hazard mitigation in Utah before earning his medical degree from St. George’s Hospital Medical School at the University of London in 2020. He completed his emergency medicine residency at UPMC Harrisburg Hospital and an EMS fellowship at the University of Michigan, focusing on critical care transport and flight medicine. Dr. Argentieri returned to Vermont in 2024 and is now an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UVM’s Robert Larner College of Medicine. He lives in South Burlington with his wife, daughter, and two golden retrievers. 

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  • Adam Hart is a Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Adjunct Professor, and U.S. Coast Guard veteran with over 14 years of experience in emergency services. He has led complex medevac missions, mass casualty responses, and technical rescues, earning a citation for bravery from the Governor of Massachusetts. Adam holds a Master's in Public Administration and is known for his calm, mission-driven leadership and commitment to patient-centered care.

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  • Stefanie Lazow, MD is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Vermont Medical Center. She completed her residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and her fellowship training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 

Workshop Faculty

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  • Courtney serves as the EMS Training Administrator for the state of Vermont. She is also a paramedic and has been serving Vermont communities as a clinician at various EMS licensure levels since 2018.  In addition to these roles, Courtney is licensed as an instructor Coordinator (IC) and has been teaching in Vermont Initial EMS education courses for the last few years.

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  • Dr. Laurel Plante, MD, FACEP, FAEMS graduated from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 2003, and from Tufts-Baystate Emergency Medicine Residency in 2006. Prior to this, she served several years as an EMS provider on Shelburne Rescue and later on UVM Rescue. Upon graduation, she took a job as an Emergency Medicine attending at Rutland Regional Medical Center where she served as the District 10 EMS Medical Director from 2007-2010. Upon leaving there, she came to UVM Medical Center, where she initially served as the Medical Director of the grant-funded UVM Paramedic course, which graduated 18 new paramedics. This course allowed for paramedicine to start in District 3, the largest EMS District in Vermont (and the only one transporting primarily to UVM Medical Center, the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Vermont). After the completion of this class, Dr. Plante oversaw the implementation of paramedicine in the District and has helped to grow this program from an initial 15 paramedics to now almost 100. As the EMS Medical Director, she provides oversight, guidance and training for roughly 1000 EMS providers at any one time. Most recently, with a transition in focus towards education, she has accepted the role of the Medical Director of the UVM Health Network EMS Academy as well as the Associate Medical Director of the Elizabethtown Paramedic Program, overseeing the Vermont/NH portion. Dr. Plante is also an Associate Professor at the Larner College of Medicine and created and is Course Director for the 4th year Medical Student EMS rotation among many other responsibilities.

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  • Kyle enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a team leader on a Surveillance Detachment and Quick Reaction Force. During this time, Kyle obtained certification as Special Teams Medic and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

    Kyle began his career in public safety upon completing his service contract with the United States Army, and in 2012, he obtained his full-time law enforcement certification in the State of Vermont. Since then, Kyle has worked in a variety of different law enforcement capacities, including patrol, criminal investigations, traffic safety, training, and tactical operations. Kyle served 5 years on an Emergency Response Unit (ERU) with Vermont’s largest urban police department and managed the agency’s firearms training program. Kyle currently works as the Public Safety and Emergency Management Director for the 8th largest community in Vermont and periodically serves as an adjunct instructor at the Vermont Police Academy.

    Kyle holds numerous law enforcement instructor certifications, including Active Threat Response Instructor (Sig Sauer Academy / FLETC / ALERRT), Tactical Medical Instructor (FLETC), Firearms Instructor (VPA), and Rescue Task Force Instructor (Sig Sauer Academy). He has also attended several courses aimed at instructor and/or skill development which include Basic SWAT (NTOA), SWAT Operations (CSAT), and Field Training Officer (GSPCC). He is a certified Emergency Management Director within the State of Vermont and a two-time EMS World Expo presenter on active threat response.

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  • Christopher LaMonda is a senior lecturer for the Initiative for Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program within the Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science. His focus is on pre-hospital emergency care (emergency medical technician and advanced emergency medical technician). Chris is a licensed paramedic with over 20 years of EMS experience as a clinical provider, service director, and educator. Chris received his master’s in public health in 2017 at the University of Vermont. In addition, Chris has held a Vermont State teaching license since 1997 and taught health and physical education for 13 years in public schools.

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  • I am an Associate Medical Director for HealthNet, Medical Director for HealthNet of New York, Emergency Medicine Physician for the University of Vermont Health, and Medical Advisor for Colchester Rescue (District 3). Following medical school at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, I completed an EM residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center and EMS Fellowship at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Through my current roles, I hope to expand prehospital care in rural VT and NY. 

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  • Mike Leyden has worked for over twenty-five years in a range of emergency services and healthcare-related roles, including direct patient care, teaching, public health and healthcare administration.  He is currently the EMS Training Center Manager for UVM Health based in Vermont.  Mike has worked with the UVM Health Network for nine years, much of it at Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, VT where he served as the Emergency Management Director and then Associate Vice President for Operations.   Previously, Mike worked in Vermont’s Department of Health overseeing State EMS Office operations and healthcare system preparedness.   He has had various other roles in emergency preparedness, EMS operations, EMS education, wildland fire and mountain search and rescue.  Mike holds a Master’s in Public Health degree from the Boston University School of Public Health and has been a Nationally Registered Paramedic since 2004 and currently serves on the NREMT's board of directors. 

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  • Prescott is a seasoned Fire Chief with 20 years of dedicated service, who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the forefront of emergency response and training. Throughout his career, he has navigated diverse challenges and honed skills in firefighting, emergency medical services, and leadership. As a Public Information Officer, Prescott has exemplified the critical task of communicating vital information to the community during blue sky times as well as times of crisis. Prescott has provided training and served on multiple MCI level emergencies over his two decades of service. Prescott also co-hosts the Code 321 Podcast with Nick Carson. 

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  • Dr. Julie Vieth is an Associate Professor at the Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont for the department of Emergency Medicine. She is also the Division Chief of Clinical Operations and Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), where she leads operational strategy and quality initiatives for one of New England’s busiest tertiary care emergency departments. She also practices clinically at several critical access sites within the network. 

    Nationally, Dr. Vieth is a recognized leader in obstetrical emergencies within emergency medicine. She has chaired multiple committees for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), served as faculty and chair for its Scientific Assembly and leads simulation labs for obstetrical emergencies nationally and regionally. 

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  • Nick is currently a Critical Care Flight Paramedic for the University of Vermont Health Network. Previous to his job in HEMS, he worked as a Senior Firefighter/Paramedic for the City of Burlington, Vermont. Nick began his EMS career in 2011, Nick is a Firefighter I, Firefighter II, NR-EMT, NR-AEMT, Ice Rescue Operations, Swiftwater Operations, HazMat Operations, PADO, and ICS 100-800. He has worked as a career firefighter, municipal EMS, and critical care services. Nick also holds IBSC certifications of Flight Paramedic (FP-C), Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C) and Tactical Paramedic (TP-C). He holds paramedic licenses in Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, and New Hampshire. Nick is faculty for the American Heart Association (AHA) and Affiliate Faculty of the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) in PHTLS and TECC. Nick is the producer and host of the Code 321 Podcast. He was a managing partner/owner of Northeast Emergency Training Solutions, LLC until 2023. Currently, he owns Precision Training, LLC based in Northern New England. In addition to his full-time job, he is a nationally recognized conference speaker and the Vermont State Ambassador for Mind the Frontline, a non-profit with the mission of supporting frontline responders.

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