Discover how collaborative learning, well-designed simulation, and fostering a culture of psychological safety are transforming prehospital airway care. National EMS Quality Alliance’s (NEMSQA) Airway Collaborative organized EMS agencies from across the country to analyze their current practices and explore ways to improve the safety and effectiveness of airway management. Join hosts Maia Dorsett and Hilary Gates as we explore why education alone isn’t enough for sustained improvement, highlighting the crucial role of system design and a patient-centered approach. Guests from the collaborative include Shawn Brinkley, Matt Francis, Tom Grawey and Marlow Macht. They share candid insights from their agencies, discussing how data revealed surprising performance gaps and spurred a paradigm shift towards optimizing patient outcomes over simply “getting the tube.” Listen in for invaluable lessons on how to cultivate a system where the expectation is a patient managed carefully by EMS to be truly optimized for the best outcome possible. 

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

Mentioned in the episode:

NEMSQA Airway Collaborative: https://www.nemsqa.org/airway-collaborative

IHI Breakthrough Series: https://www.ihi.org/library/white-papers/breakthrough-series-ihis-collaborative-model-achieving-breakthrough

SALAD: https://www.sscor.com/suction-assisted-laryngoscopy-and-airway-decontamination-salad

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

EMS Corps is a groundbreaking recruitment and training program that prepares young adults to work in their own community as EMS clinicians. The program helps to remove barriers to joining the EMS profession and focuses on leadership development, mentorship, and job training. Hosts Rob Lawrence and Hilary Gates interview Melissa Corney of the Oxnard Fire Department and Captain Janick Lewis of New Orleans EMS, both of whom have instructed in EMS Corps’ innovative model of flipped-classroom learning and wraparound support that sets up students for success.  One of those success stories is EMS Corps recent graduate Savannah Gaskill, also joining the podcast.  From its origins in Alameda County to recent national expansion, EMS Corps is proving that when clinicians reflect the communities they serve, patient outcomes, agency culture, and clinician confidence all improve.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

Mentioned in the episode:

https://oxnardemscorps.org/

https://nolaemscorps.org/

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

How well do EMS teams manage critically ill pediatric patients—and how do we know? In this episode of the EMS Educator Podcast, hosts Rob Lawrence and Maia Dorsett speak with Mark Cicero, lead author of a landmark study published in Prehospital Emergency Care. The study used simulation to assess EMS performance in pediatric emergencies.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

Mentioned in the episode:

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

We’re going back to school in this episode of The EMS Educator podcast! Specifically, you’ll hear audio recordings of what EMS students and educators wish they had known when they were in school.  Hosts Hilary Gates and Rob Lawrence are joined by EMS educator Ginger Locke to offer commentary on this sage wisdom. There are tips about possessing quiet confidence and kindness, practical study strategies, and the importance of active reflection and being open to feedback.

Tune in for this helpful discussion to help you navigate the demanding task of learning how to be an EMS clinician.

Mentioned in the episode:

Unconditional positive regard: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57646/how-unconditional-positive-regard-can-help-students-feel-cared-for

Sahaj Khalsa's EMS Educator episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/addressing-bias-in-patient-care-part-1-of-2/id1573326528?i=1000565780169

For the first time, Maia Dorsett highlights the episode's key points with "Maia's Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com.  Follow @ProdigyEMS on FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

What if we began asking patients “what happened to you?” instead of “what’s wrong with you?” This mindset shift exemplifies the principles behind trauma-informed care. DCFEMS Behavioral Health Coordinator Ronit Reguer once again joins hosts Maia Dorsett, Hilary Gates and Rob Lawrence for a powerful, practical conversation on trauma-informed care.  They discuss how this approach can improve both patient outcomes and provider wellness. Drawing on clinical experiences, EMS education, and real-world applications, you’ll hear a deep dive into how trauma affects patient behavior, the importance of recognizing individual agency during care, and how to build trauma-informed principles into EMS training.  Whether you’re an EMS educator, clinician, or student, this episode will challenge you to rethink your approach to care—and inspire meaningful change.

Mentioned in the episode:

SAMHSA's Trauma-informed Approach: https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey https://a.co/d/72CItzf

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

How should we best acquire medical knowledge and skills so that we can easily retrieve and effectively use them in the field? Now that we are past the stressful March 31st recert deadline, hosts Maia Dorsett, Hilary Gates and Rob Lawrence delve into the issues surrounding EMS recertification and continuing education. Special guest Ethan Setnik, Chief Technology Officer at Prodigy EMS, offers unique insights into the design of learning from his perspective as a system engineer. 

We know that the typical last-minute rush to recertify isn’t the most effective approach to learning, so listen and be inspired by evidence-based strategies for better knowledge retention. We discuss effortful retrieval, spaced repetition, and interleaving to enhance learning and improve clinical practice. Ethan shares insights about the ways technology and system design can support continuous competency and self-directed learning, moving beyond simply “checking the box” to fostering a meaningful educational journey for EMS clinicians.

Mentioned in the episode:

The graph of recert volume at Prodigy EMS: https://postimg.cc/6T7ShPYB

"Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" https://a.co/d/0n5zMCr

Learning by Scientific Design: https://www.deansforimpact.org/tools-and-resources/learning-by-scientific-design

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

Does your classroom have a joyful buzz? Jonathan St. George has it figured out--as the founder of the Protected Airway Collaborative (PAC), Jonathan was inspired by a museum visit to create a learning environment like no other. Join us as we dive into his innovative world of airway management education.  Prodigy EMS team members Maia Dorsett and Shane O'Donnell report from the PAC as they experienced the self-directed learning approach firsthand.  Listen to their interviews with Jace Mullen and Andrew Merelman, and learn how to enhance your instructional delivery through this pioneering educational format.

Mentioned in the episode:

Protected Airway Collaborative: https://theprotectedairway.com/

Flipped Classroom: https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/flipped-classrooms

Self Directed Learning: https://www.self-directed.org/sde/

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

What if the best EMS educators weren’t clinicians, but patients themselves? In this episode, hosts Hilary Gates and Maia Dorsett welcome sudden cardiac arrest survivor Nova McCarthy and medical director Alicia Bond for an insightful discussion on how patient experiences can enhance EMS education. Nova describes her experience as a keynote speaker and explores the power of patient-centered learning. She details powerful moments from her near-death experience, including the compassion and kind words of the EMS clinicians who cared for her.  Listen in to discover how EMS providers can learn directly from those they serve—gaining deeper empathy, refining communication, and improving decision-making in high-stakes moments.  This conversation challenges traditional training methods and offers an innovative take on EMS education. 

Mentioned in the episode:

Heartsight

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

Trauma Survivors Network

Near Death Experiences

Email Alicia Bond: [email protected]

Email Nova McCarthy: [email protected]

State of Jefferson EMS Conference

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

How do EMS clinicians process the trauma they witness daily—and how can they be better supported? In this episode of The EMS Educator podcast, hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates and Maia Dorsett explore the critical topic of trauma stewardship with guest Ronit Reguer, the first behavioral health coordinator for DC Fire and EMS. Together, they unpack the challenges of emotional resilience, the importance of proactive mental health care, and the cultural shifts shaping the future of first responder support. Ronit shares her experiences implementing innovative wellness initiatives, from peer support programs to “Wellness Wednesdays,” and offers powerful insights on addressing trauma before it leads to burnout. Whether you’re an EMS clinician, educator, or leader, this episode delivers vital lessons on fostering a culture of care that ensures long and meaningful careers as well as healthy humans.

Mentioned in the episode:

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

https://traumastewardship.com/inside-the-book/

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.

Want more advice about how to effectively create EMS credentialing programs for your learners? In the latest episode of the EMS Educator Podcast, join hosts Rob Lawrence, Hilary Gates, and Maia Dorsett for a dynamic conversation with guests Dr. Jeremy Cushman and Shane O’Donnell. They dive into the intricacies of their successful educational program that trains EMS clinicians for specialty care transport (SCT). Jeremy and Shane discuss how to conduct needs assessments, perform gap analyses, and build learner-centered education models tailored to your system’s unique demands. From psychomotor skill validation to fostering clinical acumen, this episode offers actionable insights for EMS educators and leaders. Whether you’re refining an existing program or starting from scratch, this episode is packed with lessons and strategies to enhance EMS education and elevate patient care.

Ginger Locke highlights the episode's key points with her "Mindset Minute."

The EMS Educator is published on the first Friday of every month! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you can listen as soon as the episode drops, and like/follow us on your favorite platform.

This podcast is sponsored by EMS Gives Life.  Would you consider becoming a living organ donor? For more info visit www.emsgiveslife.org

Check out the Prodigy EMS Bounty Program! Earn $1000 for your best talks!

Get your CE at www.prodigyems.com  Follow @ProdigyEMS on Twitter, FB, YouTube, TikTok & IG.