Validated: The IBSC Podcast

Mobile integrated healthcare is changing what it means to work in EMS. In this episode of Validated, Mike Verkest and John Clark sit down with Sabrina Ballew, Mobile Integrated Healthcare Manager at Mercy Flights, Inc in Medford, Oregon, and the 2026 NAEMT EMS Advocate of the Year.

Sabrina shares how Mercy Flights grew its MIH program from two providers focused on high utilizers into a 17-person multidisciplinary team offering transitions of care, mobile crisis response, in-home emergency care, post-overdose buprenorphine, and other community-based services.

The conversation also explores the development of the IBSC’s CP-C certification, the challenge of establishing national standards for widely different programs, opportunities for EMTs and community health workers, and the ongoing fight for sustainable reimbursement.

It is a look at how EMS can move beyond “you call, we haul” and deliver the right care where patients actually need it—often in their own homes.

Check out ibsc.org and mercyflights.com

How did a handful of flight paramedics turn an idea—and questions written on the backs of napkins—into the FP-C credential?

Mike Verkest and John Clark welcome Jonathan Gryniuk for a look at the early days of flight paramedic certification. 

From defining what a flight paramedic should know to building the first exam, they share the challenges, personalities, and determination that helped shape the profession.

The conversation also explores how the exam evolves, why critical thinking matters more than memorizing local protocols, and what certification means beyond the patch. Along the way: low certification numbers, friendly rivalries, and a little controversy over who really got number one.

In Episode 3 of Validated, Mike Verkest and John Clark are joined by IBSC CEO Graham Pierce and Hanna Thompson, a paramedic and educator with Life Link III, to explore the growing role of microcredentials in critical care transport.

The conversation focuses on the IBSC Maternal-Fetal Transport Microcredential, why it was developed, and how focused credentials can help clinicians strengthen their knowledge in high-risk, highly specialized areas of patient care. The group discusses the rigorous process behind creating a psychometrically sound exam, the growing need for maternal transport expertise, and how third-party validation can improve clinician confidence, team readiness, professional recognition, and potentially patient outcomes.

Hanna also shares how earning the credential has directly influenced her clinical practice, helped her support transport partners, and strengthened her ability to care for critically ill maternal patients.

We also looks ahead at other potential microcredentials, including blood administration, ultrasound, 12-lead ECG interpretation, and other emerging areas of paramedic practice.

To learn more about the Maternal-Fetal Transport Microcredential, visit:
https://www.ibscertifications.org/roles/maternal-fetal-transport

In Episode 2 of Validated: The Official Podcast of the IBSC, Mike Verkest and John Clark continue the conversation around the developing hospital-based paramedic certification. This episode breaks down the next major step in the process: the national survey built from the job task analysis.

John explains why community input matters, how the survey helps shape the future exam blueprint, and why both supporters and skeptics should take part. The discussion also tackles common concerns around “money grab” criticism, the role of board certification in defining paramedic practice inside hospital systems, and how this credential may create new career pathways for experienced clinicians.

Listeners will also hear what happens after the survey closes, including psychometric review, development of the detailed content outline, item writing, beta testing, and the anticipated path toward launch.

Survey Link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019ddc129c78779aa195152209566c4c 

Welcome to the debut episode of Validated: The International Board of Specialty Certification Podcast. Host Mike Verkest is joined by John Clark to discuss the launch of the podcast and the exciting work underway to develop a new certification pathway for hospital paramedics. Together, they break down how paramedics are already thriving in emergency departments, ICUs, cath labs, rapid response teams, and other in-hospital roles—and why national standards and credentialing matter now more than ever.

You’ll also hear insights from subject matter experts who recently gathered in Dallas to help define the future of the profession through a formal job task analysis. From career growth and team-based care to expanding opportunities across healthcare, this episode explores how paramedics continue to evolve far beyond the ambulance.

For more information, check out https://www.ibsc.org
http://www.bluepulsemedia.com