Medic2Medic Podcast

Steve Cohen sits down with Kevin Whitsell, a 20-year paramedic veteran, firefighter, and Founder and Executive Director of A Silent War Within Media. Kevin introduces us to The Erosion Effect, the cumulative impact of years of calls, experiences, and operational stress that can slowly wear down even the most experienced first responder. We discuss why it isn't always the "bad call" that affects us. Kevin shares his experiences and stories that you don't want to miss. We also discuss A Silent War Within Media, its free Rescuing the Rescuer summits, support for first responders and their families, and Kevin's mission to make sure those who spend their lives rescuing others know when and how to seek help themselves.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts and share Episode 338 with a colleague, friend, or first responder who may need to hear this conversation.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-338-kevin-whitsell--75401882

Ten years after his first appearance on Medic2Medic on August 28, 2016, Jeff Dill returns to the podcast. Jeff is a retired Fire Captain, counselor, and founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. Since 2010, he has dedicated his work to improving behavioral health awareness and suicide prevention for firefighters, EMS professionals, dispatchers, and their families.

In this episode, Steve and Jeff look back at what has and hasn't changed over the past decade. The conversation explores first responder suicide, the importance of tracking and understanding the data, moral injury, peer support, organizational culture, and whether our profession has truly improved behavioral health support or simply become better at talking about it.

Jeff also shares lessons from his work as Behavioral Health Administrator for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, the impact our careers can have on families, and why hope remains such an important part of his message. Ten years later, this remains a conversation our profession needs to have.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts and share Episode 337 with a colleague, friend, or first responder who needs to hear this conversation.


https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-337-jeff-dill--74924630

In this episode of the Medic2Medic Podcast, retired Long Beach Fire Department Captain James Owen shares his story with remarkable openness and brutal honesty.
After nearly three decades in emergency response, James talks about what the job gave him and what it quietly took away. He takes us through cumulative operational stress, PTSD, addiction, organizational betrayal, family impact, treatment, and the difficult work of recovery.

James also discusses his book, The Last Patient: A Memoir of Resilience and Recovery, and the gap between how well we train first responders to handle the call and how poorly we sometimes prepare them to deal with what remains after the call is over.
This is a compelling and deeply personal conversation about identity, accountability, asking for help, and rebuilding a life when the person trained to rescue everyone else realizes he needs help himself. James doesn't tell his story as a responder. He tells it as a firefighter, paramedic, captain, husband, father, and first responder who lived it.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and please share Episode 336. This is a conversation worth hearing, and one our profession needs to continue having.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-336-james-owen--74592215

In Episode 335 of the Medic2Medic Podcast, Steve sits down with sisters Heather and Jenn, two Denver Health Paramedics featured in the documentary Into the Unknown.
The first half of this episode is about getting to know the sisters and the experiences that shaped them. Both were students at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Heather and Jenn provide a personal, raw, and powerful look back at that day and share how Columbine continues to play a role in their lives more than 25 years later.
The conversation turns to EMS, their careers with Denver Health Paramedics, and how they became involved with Into the Unknown. They also share a few behind-the-scenes stories from filming and what it was like to let cameras into a world most people never get to see. We talk about wisdom teeth, mental health, and other fascinating topics.
Into the Unknown does an exceptional job of taking viewers inside EMS, not just the calls, but the people behind the uniform. Heather and Jenn's story is an important part of that journey.
For more about the documentary, check out Episode 331 of Medic2Medic, featuring Into the Unknown director and producer Tom Putnam and producer Dr. Baxter Larmon.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and please share this episode. Every conversation helps preserve the stories and history of our profession.
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-335-heather-edwards-and-jenn-vazquez--74067977

In Episode 334 of the Medic2Medic Podcast, Steve sits down with Sean Russell, President of the Pacific Region for Global Medical Response, to discuss his nearly four decades in EMS and healthcare.
Sean shares his journey from hanging out with his best friend, whose dad was the fire chief, Flight Paramedic, and Respiratory Care Practitioner, to executive leadership, including helping grow REACH from a single base to more than 50 locations. We discuss leadership, the evolution of EMS, building strong teams, and his leadership philosophy.
Sean also reflects on balancing a demanding career and leading organizations, and, after all these years, patient care and the mental well-being of his crews remain at the heart of what he does.
Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts and share Episode 334 with someone who believes great EMS leadership starts with taking care of people.
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-334-sean-russell--73677551

Episode 333: Ritu Sahni: Don't be surprised if this episode starts somewhere you weren't expecting. Steve welcomes Dr. Ritu Sahni for an entertaining conversation that begins far away from ambulances and emergency departments. Before diving into EMS, Dr. Sahni shares stories from his unexpected career as a DJ, sports play-by-play announcer, television and movie extra, including appearances in the TV series Leverage and the baseball comedy Major League II. Also listen for the story of Dr. Sahni running an EMS call with Randolph Mantooth.

Eventually, the conversation finds its way back to EMS as Dr. Sahni reflects on choosing emergency medicine, his journey into EMS medical direction, his years in Pittsburgh, and his current role as EMS Medical Director in Oregon. Along the way, he shares insights and the value of building strong relationships. This episode is less about protocols and more about getting to know the person behind the physician. It's a fun, relaxed conversation filled with stories, laughter, and a reminder that every career has an unexpected path. 

Dr. Sahni will be returning to Medic2Medic for a future episode to dive deeper into EMS leadership, medical direction, and the future of prehospital care.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and if you enjoy the show, please share this episode with a colleague or friend. Every conversation helps preserve the stories and history of our profession.

Episode 333: Ritu Shahni: Don't be surprised if this episode starts somewhere you weren't expecting. Steve welcomes Dr. Ritu Sahni for an entertaining conversation that begins far away from ambulances and emergency departments. Before diving into EMS, Dr. Sahni shares stories from his unexpected career as a DJ, sports play-by-play announcer, television and movie extra, including appearances in the TV series Leverage and the baseball comedy Major League II. Also listen for the story of Dr. Shahani running an EMS call with Randolph Mantooth.

Eventually, the conversation finds its way back to EMS as Dr. Sahni reflects on choosing emergency medicine, his journey into EMS medical direction, his years in Pittsburgh, and his current role as EMS Medical Director in Oregon. Along the way, he shares insights and the value of building strong relationships. This episode is less about protocols and more about getting to know the person behind the physician. It's a fun, relaxed conversation filled with stories, laughter, and a reminder that every career has an unexpected path. 

Dr. Sahni will be returning to Medic2Medic for a future episode to dive deeper into EMS leadership, medical direction, and the future of prehospital care.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and if you enjoy the show, please share this episode with a colleague or friend. Every conversation helps preserve the stories and history of our profession.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-333-ritu-sahani--73349524

Steve Wirth has spent more than 5 decades helping shape the EMS profession as a paramedic, attorney, consultant, educator, author, and mentor. In Episode 332 of the Medic2Medic Podcast, Steve joins me for a wide-ranging conversation that goes well beyond EMS law.

We discuss the early days of his career in rural Pennsylvania, what inspired him to pursue a career in law, and the chance meeting with EMS pioneer Jim Page that helped lay the foundation for what would become Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, one of the most respected EMS law firms in the country. Steve also shares memorable stories about Randolph Mantooth, reflects on the mentors who influenced his career, and talks about the honor of being recognized as one of Pennsylvania's EMS Legends.

The conversation also explores how Page, Wolfberg & Wirth became involved with the documentary Into the Unknown and why telling the authentic story of today's EMS professionals is so important. There are few surprises as well.
And because no Medic2Medic episode is ever completely predictable, our Executive Producer, Bailey Belle, my Golden Retriever, decided it was the perfect time to make her presence known. I left that moment in because sometimes the best conversations are the unscripted ones.

This episode is filled with history, humor, leadership, and stories that remind us how relationships, mentorship, and a passion for serving others have helped shape the EMS profession we know today.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and if you enjoy the show, please share this episode with a colleague or friend. Every conversation helps preserve the stories and history of our profession.
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-332-steve-wirth--73168989

In this special edition of the Medic2Medic Podcast, Steve sits down with filmmaker Tom Putnam and EMS pioneer Baxter Larmon to discuss their powerful new documentary, Into the Unknown.

The film follows five diverse paramedic teams from across the United States, offering an unfiltered look at the realities of EMS from life-saving victories and personal sacrifice to mental health challenges, violence, loss, and resilience. Through the experiences of a Gulf War veteran, Columbine survivors, rural volunteers, night-shift partners, and a helicopter rescue crew, Into the Unknown captures the human side of emergency medical services in a way rarely seen on screen.

Steve, Tom, and Dr. Larmon discuss the inspiration behind the documentary, the challenges of telling authentic EMS stories, and what they learned while embedded with providers facing some of the most difficult situations imaginable. The conversation also explores the emotional toll of the profession, the importance of public understanding, and why paramedics' stories deserve to be told.

This episode is a compelling look at the people behind the uniform and the courage required to step into the unknown every day.

To learn more or to be part of the team to bring this documentary to theaters, go to intotheunknowndoc.com 

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts and share this episode with someone who wants to better understand the realities of EMS and the extraordinary people who serve their communities every day.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-331-into-the-unknown-with-tom-putnam-and-baxter-larmon--72434639

In Episode 330 of the Medic2Medic Podcast, Steve welcomes back Joseph “JZ” Zalkin for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, innovation, and the future of EMS.
With more than 51 years in emergency medical services, JZ reflects on his remarkable career and the philosophy that has guided his work: asking “Why not?” Throughout the episode, Steve and JZ discuss the development of the North Carolina EMS Regional Blood Coalition and the growing role of prehospital blood administration. JZ shares the story behind the coalition, the challenges of building a regional blood program, and why bringing blood to patients sooner is transforming trauma care and saving lives.
As a recipient of North Carolina's Order of the Longleaf Pine and a leader behind numerous statewide EMS initiatives, JZ offers a valuable perspective on how collaboration, vision, and persistence can move the profession forward.
This episode is a thoughtful discussion about service, innovation, and continuing to improve EMS by challenging the status quo.
Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts and share this episode with someone passionate about leadership, prehospital blood programs, and advancing EMS for future generations.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-330-joseph-jz-zalkin--72265631