Paratus Podcast

What if improving cardiac arrest survival means rethinking not only how we defibrillate, but also how quickly we can bring life-saving technology to patients?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Dr. Sheldon Cheskes explores the evolving science of resuscitation, from the groundbreaking DOSE VF trial to innovative approaches that could transform emergency response in rural and remote communities.

At the heart of the conversation is double sequential external defibrillation (DSED), an approach studied in the DOSE VF trial for patients experiencing refractory ventricular fibrillation. 

Dr. Cheskes discusses the evidence behind this technique, its implications for resuscitation practices, and the challenges of translating clinical research into real-world emergency care.

The discussion also examines the role of clinical guidelines, device manufacturers, and established practices in shaping how new resuscitation techniques are adopted. 

When new evidence challenges conventional approaches, how can healthcare systems adapt while maintaining safety, consistency, and clinical confidence?

Beyond defibrillation, Dr. Cheskes explores the potential of drone technology to deliver automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to rural and remote communities, where distance and response times can create significant barriers to early intervention.

Looking ahead, the conversation considers how artificial intelligence, community responders, and emerging medical technologies may contribute to the next generation of cardiac arrest response strategies.

Ultimately, this episode is about more than introducing new tools or techniques. It's about challenging assumptions, following the evidence, and building emergency response systems that can adapt as science and technology evolve.

A thought-provoking conversation about resuscitation, innovation, and what it takes to turn promising research into meaningful improvements in emergency care.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr Sheldon Cheskes is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto, a scientist at St. Michael's Hospital, and Medical Director with the Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine. 

A recognized international authority in CPR quality, defibrillation and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, he is one of the principal investigators of the Canadian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (CanROC), and has published over 200 papers in journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, CMAJ and Resuscitation. 

He is the principal investigator of the DOSE VF trial and is also studying how to improve public access defibrillation in rural and remote areas.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

What can one of the most famous space missions in history teach us about handling medical emergencies?

In this second episode of the Paratus Fireside Chat, our CEO Dr. Frédéric Lemaire and COO Dr. Jean-François Couture and explore the surprising connections between space exploration, emergency medicine, and technological innovation.

Drawing lessons from Apollo 13 and their experiences surrounding space launches, they discuss what happens when complex systems are pushed to their limits—and why preparation, adaptability, and clear decision-making matter most when things don't go according to plan.

The conversation also explores how first principle thinking can help us rethink the way we approach medical challenges, from simplifying complex processes to designing more reliable systems for high-stakes environments.

As technology and artificial intelligence continue to evolve, Jean-François and Frédéric reflect on their potential to support healthcare professionals, reduce medical errors, and improve decision-making without losing sight of the human expertise behind every critical intervention.

From the lessons of past space missions to the possibilities of future healthcare innovations, this Fireside Chat highlights a central idea: the best solutions aren't always the most complex. Sometimes, progress begins by questioning assumptions and focusing on what truly matters.

A thought-provoking conversation about crisis management, simplicity, innovation, and what space exploration can teach us about building safer and more resilient healthcare systems.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. 

Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

What does it take to keep pursuing excellence after years in emergency medicine?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Dr. Eric Bauer reflects on his journey toward mastery and the lessons that have shaped his career in emergency medical services.

From preparation and continuous learning to humility and mentorship, Eric explores why mastery isn’t a destination. It’s an ongoing process—one that requires curiosity, self-awareness, and a willingness to keep learning no matter how much experience you have.

The conversation also explores the people behind that journey. Dr. Bauer shares how mentors, colleagues, and meaningful relationships can challenge us, support our growth, and help sustain the passion that drives us to become better clinicians and leaders.

At the heart of the discussion is a simple idea: excellence requires more than knowledge or experience. It requires preparation, humility, resilience, and the desire to keep improving.

A conversation about maintaining that fire throughout a career—and turning a passion for getting better into a lifelong pursuit of mastery.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr. Eric Bauer is a CEO at Flightbridge Ed and one of the most influential educators in critical care and transport medicine. 

With over 30 years of experience in EMS and more than two decades in HEMS, Eric has authored bestselling books, delivered nearly a hundred international lectures and built a podcast with over 6 million downloads. 

He's earned some of the profession's most prestigious honors, including the EMS World Innovation Award and the John Jordan Award for Excellence.

Also, he's the first paramedic ever recognized as an honorary fellow of the Academy of Air and Surface Transport Nurses. Driven by a mission to elevate clinical practice worldwide, has spent the last decade building FlightBridge Ed into a global leader in critical care education, making complex medicine accessible, practical, and high impact. 

Today he continues that work as a researcher, consultant, and advisor helping shape the future of EMS, transport medicine, and clinical education.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. 

Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

How do you prepare healthcare professionals for situations a classroom can’t fully recreate?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Erin Carn Bennett explores the role of simulation in healthcare education and why effective training goes far beyond simply recreating clinical scenarios.

From defining clear learning objectives and designing meaningful simulations to building trust and creating space for vulnerability, Erin explains what it takes to develop programs where healthcare professionals can learn, practice, and improve before facing similar challenges with real patients.

The conversation also tackles the practical realities of simulation: overcoming organizational resistance, balancing frequency with available resources, starting small, and scaling a program over time.

Beyond individual skills, Erin discusses how simulation can influence team dynamics, continuous learning, staff retention, and organizational culture—and where healthcare simulation could be heading next.

A practical conversation about creating better learning environments and helping healthcare teams prepare for the moments that matter most.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest:
Erin Carn‑Bennett is a simulation consultant and senior paediatric ED nurse based in New Zealand, with 18+ years in emergency and pediatric care. 

She’s the Director of Med Sim Solutions, has a Master of Nursing, and additional training in professional supervision and critical incident debriefing.

Erin is known for building psychologically safe, high‑fidelity, scenario-based training that strengthens leadership, communication, and decision-making in real clinical environments. 

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. 

Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

What allows a medical team to perform when the pressure is at its highest?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Dr. Michael Lauria draws on his unique experience in military rescue and critical care medicine to explore how standardization, preparation, system design, and shared mental models can help teams perform more effectively during high-stakes emergencies.

From standardizing equipment and procedures to stress inoculation, simulation training, and communication under pressure, Dr. Lauria explains why strong performance isn’t simply about knowing what to do. 

It’s about creating systems that make the right actions easier when time is limited, information is incomplete, and stress is high.

The conversation also explores the balance between standardization and flexibility, how to manage ad hoc teams during emergencies, and why the physical organization of equipment can influence performance when every second matters.

A practical conversation about designing better systems, training with intention, and preparing healthcare teams for the moments they cannot afford to get wrong

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr. Michael Lauria is an Emergency Medicine, EMS, and Critical Care physician at the University of Washington, and a flight physician and Associate Medical Director with Airlift Northwest. 

Before medicine, Michael served as a USAF Pararescueman and worked as a critical care and flight paramedic, an experience that deeply shaped how he thinks about performance when the stakes are highest. 

His work sits at the intersection of resuscitation, transport medicine, and human factors: how teams think, communicate, and execute under real-world pressure. 

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Welcome to the first official Paratus Fireside Chat, a new monthly conversation exploring the ideas, challenges, and developments shaping Paratus Medical and the future of emergency care.

In this episode, our CEO Dr. Frédéric Lemaire and our COO Dr. Jean-François Couture explore first principle thinking and what happens when this problem-solving approach is applied to medicine.

Rather than accepting existing processes simply because “that’s how things are done,” they discuss the value of breaking complex problems down to their fundamentals, challenging preconceived assumptions, and rebuilding solutions around what patients and healthcare teams actually need.

From stroke management to medical logistics in remote and austere environments, the conversation explores how first principles can reveal opportunities to rethink systems, optimize healthcare delivery, and approach high-pressure medical scenarios differently.

Frederic and Jean-François also discuss the importance of recognizing knowledge gaps, establishing ownership within medical teams, and looking at emergency care as a system rather than a collection of isolated decisions.

A conversation about questioning assumptions, solving problems from the ground up, and finding better ways to deliver care when resources, time, and information may be limited.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

How do you prepare for an emergency you hope will never happen?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Dr. Fredrik Granholm explores the evolution of tactical medicine and the role healthcare professionals play when responding to complex, high-threat, and mass casualty events.

From its military origins to its application in modern prehospital care, Dr. Granholm explains the differences between tactical medicine, disaster medicine, and traditional EMS. 

He also discusses rescue task forces, scene safety, communication challenges, and the importance of interoperability when multiple emergency services must work together under extreme pressure.

At the heart of the conversation is preparation. Dr. Granholm explores why pre-planning, realistic training, and shared mental models can help teams communicate more effectively, recognize evolving risks, and coordinate their response when faced with uncertainty.

A fascinating discussion on preparing healthcare and emergency response teams for situations where complexity, danger, and limited information collide.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr Fredrik Granholm is a Swedish consultant physician based at Sundsvall Hospital in northern Sweden, specializing in disaster medicine, trauma, and civil defense. 

Driven by a deep passion for critical care in both hospital and prehospital settings, he works clinically in anesthesia and the ICU, alongside years of operational experience as a HEMS physician, air ambulance medical director, and serving for many years as the Medical Director of the County EMS. 

He is also a co-founder of the international, biannual conference Tactical Trauma, which operates under the motto: "All things prehospital trauma, with a tactical twist." 

Internationally, he is an affiliate faculty member at the Fellowship in Disaster Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Harvard Medical School) and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. 

His focus centers on tactical medicine, counter-terrorism response, and strengthening civilian healthcare against hybrid threats.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

What happens when a clinical decision becomes a legal case?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, seasoned paramedic and expert witness Geo Henderson explores the intersection of EMS and law. 

Drawing from real-world EMS experience and legal cases, he examines how decisions made under pressure can have consequences that extend far beyond the call itself.

Geo also shares practical insights to help emergency responders strengthen their clinical practice, improve patient care, and better understand how documentation, decision-making, and preparation can protect both patients and providers.

A fascinating conversation about making sound decisions when the clinical and legal stakes are high.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Geo Henderson is an actively practicing paramedic and paramedic expert witness with more than three decades of experience across urban, suburban, and rural EMS. 

He currently serves as a Battalion Chief and Paramedic with the City of Albany Department of Fire and Emergency Services in New York, and also works as a Shift Commander and Paramedic with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office EMS Division. 

On the expert witness side, he supports both plaintiff and defense teams in analyzing prehospital cases involving questions like standard of care, delay of care, and transport decisions.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

What happens when medical help is hours—or even millions of kilometres—away?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Frédéric Lemaire, CEO and co-founder of Paratus Medical, explores how the challenges of space medicine can help us rethink emergency care here on Earth. 

Drawing from his experience in space medicine and remote healthcare, he discusses how clinicians can make critical decisions when specialists, equipment, and other resources aren't readily available.

The conversation also explores the role of AI, diagnostic technologies, and innovative medical protocols in supporting healthcare professionals working in remote, austere, and high-pressure environments.

From space missions to isolated communities on Earth, this episode offers a fascinating look at how technology and better access to clinical knowledge can help shape the future of emergency medicine.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr. Frédéric Lemaire is an emergency physician with over a decade of experience in a high-volume regional centre spanning adult and pediatric emergency care, with deep expertise in resuscitation and high-stakes decision-making. 

Frédéric is now a full-time entrepreneur as CEO and co-founder of Paratus Medical, where he’s building clinical decision-support tools designed for the moments when every second counts, from remote environments on Earth to the realities of Space.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Can artificial intelligence help solve one of healthcare's biggest challenges?

In this episode of the Paratus Podcast, Dr. Ili Kina shares her unique journey and explains how data-driven solutions can help address emergency department overcrowding. 

She discusses the opportunities and limitations of AI, the importance of combining technology with effective healthcare management, and why human judgment remains essential in clinical decision-making. 

The conversation also explores how patient self-assessment tools and innovative digital solutions can improve access to care while supporting both clinicians and patients.

A thought-provoking discussion on the future of AI in healthcare and how innovation can help build more resilient health systems.

This Week's Paratus Podcast Guest: 

Dr. Ili Kina is an emergency physician at Sunnybrook in Toronto and a clinician-scientist focused on how artificial intelligence can improve care in emergency medicine. 

She has a master’s in applied mathematics from Polytechnique Montréal and is currently a PhD candidate in industrial engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. 

Her work tackles practical problems like forecasting ED overcrowding, optimizing patient flow, and building digital decision support that helps teams triage better under pressure.

About Paratus Medical:
Binders. Word documents. Paper printouts.

Medical protocols contain critical knowledge that can save lives, yet they are often trapped in formats that are difficult to manage, track, and use in high-pressure situations. 

Frontline professionals are frequently expected to remember hundreds of pages of procedures when seconds matter most.

Paratus Medical develops digital tools that help organizations manage protocols more effectively while supporting frontline responders in emergency and critical care situations.

Our solutions are used across EMS, intensive care units, patient transport services, first responder organizations, maritime operations, and even space medicine through our partnership with the Canadian Space Agency.

Learn more 👉https://paratusmedical.com/ 

The Paratus Podcast:
Created in 2025, the Paratus Podcast features short, expert-driven conversations on preparedness, healthcare innovation, and real-world emergency response. Each episode delivers practical insights and stories from professionals working on the front lines. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.