2027 Annual Meeting Program

Pre-Conference Workshops

Full-Day

NAEMSP National EMS Medical Directors Course and Practicum® — DAY 1
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Directors: Nichole Bosson, MD, MPH, NR; Andra M. Farcas, MD; Andrew McCoy, MD, FAEMS

NAEMSP is the preeminent organization for EMS medical directors, and it has offered the NAEMSP National EMS Medical Directors Course & Practicum for many years. The distinguished faculty are recognized experts in various aspects of prehospital and disaster management fields. This interactive course focuses on EMS in the ‘real world’ and serves to enhance the students’ expertise in EMS issues. In addition to the curriculum elements that span a range of issues vital to EMS medical direction, students will have opportunity throughout the course to network with faculty and fellow participants to critically evaluate their own system.

*****

8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Bryan R. Wilson, MD, FAEMS, NRP

Join us for an engaging, full-day pre-conference workshop offering everything you need to know about mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) and community paramedicine (CP). The morning session will feature a mix of engaging lectures and panel discussions covering high-yield topics, including foundational MIH-CP concepts for individuals and agencies starting or expanding programs, medical direction, multidisciplinary team-building, training and staffing models, evaluation, and key reimbursement strategies.

The afternoon session will provide additional content for established MIH programs, along with opportunities to network with MIH colleagues and experts. Highlights include lessons from MIH medical directors, a rapid-fire showcase of successful program models to consider in your community, and expert-led breakout sessions (rural health, data & research, reimbursement), with opportunities for real-time Q&A.

The day will conclude with legislative updates and expert guidance on how medical directors can best advocate for MIH. These high-impact sessions are a must-attend for anyone passionate about advancing MIH-CP!

*****

8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Lekshmi Kumar, MD, MPH

Join us for an immersive pre-conference designed to equip EMS professionals with the knowledge and tools to successfully implement and advance a prehospital blood transfusion program. This session will provide an overview of program development including needs assessment, stakeholder collaboration, regulatory compliance, equipment selection and operational logistics.

We will discuss current national practices and evolving clinical strategies, including the use of whole blood, plasma, and PRBC-based resuscitation, as well as emerging evidence. Special attention will be given to unique patient populations such as pediatric, obstetric, geriatric, and tactical patients, and the role of transfusion in mass gatherings and special operations medicine.

This interactive workshop will include real-world implementation strategies, case-based discussion, and hands-on exposure to transfusion equipment. Whether launching a new program or refining an existing one, attendees will gain practical knowledge and connections needed to enhance patient outcomes.

*****

8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Directors: Alexander J. Ulintz, MD

Join us for an engaging, full-day pre-conference workshop offering everything you need to know about mobile integrated healthcare (MIH) and community paramedicine (CP). The morning session will feature a mix of engaging lectures and panel discussions covering high-yield topics, including foundational MIH-CP concepts for individuals and agencies starting or expanding programs, medical direction, multidisciplinary team-building, training and staffing models, evaluation, and key reimbursement strategies.

The afternoon session will provide additional content for established MIH programs, along with opportunities to network with MIH colleagues and experts. Highlights include lessons from MIH medical directors, a rapid-fire showcase of successful program models to consider in your community, and expert-led breakout sessions (rural health, data & research, reimbursement), with opportunities for real-time Q&A. The day will conclude with legislative updates and expert guidance on how medical directors can best advocate for MIH.

These high-impact sessions are a must-attend for anyone passionate about advancing MIH-CP!

Pre-Conference Workshops

Half-Day

Revamping Behavioral Emergencies: De-escalation, Physical Restraint and Pharmacology
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Course Directors: Eric Jaeger, JD, NRP

Behavioral emergencies involving agitated patients are among the most challenging calls EMS providers face. In the past few years, there have been multiple incidents involving tragic outcomes for patients and liability for EMS providers and law enforcement. We need to revamp our approach. De-escalation can often be successful, but EMS providers rarely receive formal education in de-escalation. Physical restraint and pharmacological management/sedation are sometimes necessary but carry significant risks. Utilizing footage of actual incidents to inform our discussion, we’ll explore our emerging understanding of the pathophysiology of death in custody, the controversies around the term “excited delirium,” and the dangers of prone restraint. This program will include both lecture and hands-on simulations based on real-world scenarios.

*****

EMS medical directors play a critical role in shaping protocols, credentialing providers, and overseeing clinical performance across their systems. But these responsibilities also carry legal implications. This interactive half-day session will explore real-world EMS cases to examine medical director liability, standards of care, crew negligence, and the interface between clinical oversight and HR processes. Participants will also review key elements of medical director contracts, malpractice coverage, and practical strategies to protect themselves while building strong, defensible EMS systems.

*****

Full-Day

NAEMSP National EMS Medical Directors Course and Practicum® — DAY 2
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Directors: Nichole Bosson, MD, MPH, NR; Andra M. Farcas, MD; Andrew McCoy, MD, FAEMS

NAEMSP Quality Improvement Workshop — DAY 2
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Bryan R. Wilson, MD, FAEMS, NRP

How to Build a Physician Field Response Program
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Joshua B. Gaither, MD
Physician response vehicles and physician-led EMS field response programs have emerged as a strategy to deliver advanced clinical decision-making and high-acuity care earlier in the prehospital phase. This workshop will review provide an in-depth review of evidence supporting and opposing physician field response programs and steps system leaders need to consider prior to starting such a program.  We will focus on the practical aspects of building the physical program, including vehicle selection, equipment needs, and logistical considerations required to support safe and effective field response. Attendees will leave with a structured framework to evaluate, design, and implement a physician response vehicle program tailored to their local EMS system. 

Pre-Conference Workshops

Half-Day

EMS Research Essentials
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Course Director: Rebecca E. Cash, PhD, NRP, FAEMS

There is a growing interest in EMS research, but how do you get started? In this half-day session, experienced leaders in EMS research will present an overview of essential topics to become more familiar with conducting research, from picking a question to publishing your work. We will cover research questions, study designs, working with your statistician, research ethics, the publication process, and mentorship. Geared for the novice or non-researcher, this workshop will demystify the research process and provide an in-depth understanding of the research process. 

Bringing an Advanced Practice Provider Into Your EMS Agency
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Course Director: Stephen H. Gerber

In recent years there has been growing interest in the utilization of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners, hereafter Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) in EMS. This pre-conference session will review the NAEMSP position statement on APPs as part of the physician-led team, discuss how APPs can be used in EMS systems to drive quality improvement and system efficiency, review funding mechanisms, billing, and cost, and present key learnings from systems currently employing APPs. 

Fundamentals of Research Grant Writing
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Rebecca E. Cash, PhD, NRP, FAEMS

Many researchers are interested in submitting grants to fund their work but have never been taught how grants are written, reviewed, or funded. This workshop provides a practical introduction to research grant writing, specifically tailored to EMS clinicians and early-career investigators. Participants will learn where EMS‑relevant funding comes from, how reviewers evaluate applications, and how to structure a competitive proposal. The workshop focuses on the core components of a grant, with particular emphasis on writing a clear and compelling Specific Aims page. By the end of the workshop, participants will understand how to turn a research idea into a coherent grant proposal and will leave with practical tools they can apply immediately to fellowship, foundation, and early‑career grant applications. 

Back to Camp: CEMSFD Faculty Development and ACGME Program Requirement Changes Deep Dive
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Craig Cooley, MD, MPH, EMT-P

What is old is new again! This year’s half day course will both deep dive into the new ACGME EMS Fellowship program requirements and continue to build on previous years for high-yield faculty development. Significant time will be spent reviewing program requirement changes and updates to maintain accreditation and continue to provide excellent education for your fellows. The course will also provide faculty development to educate fellows, including topics on AI utilization in education, optimizing board preparation and fellow evaluations, integrating non-EM applicants into your fellowship and how the upcoming disaster medicine ACGME fellowships will affect EMS fellowships moving forward. In addition, we will bring back new ideas and best practices from around the country along with breakout brainstorming sessions on topics affecting programs. So, whether a seasoned PD or just getting started on your EMS fellowship academic career, this will be a valuable faculty development session.

Full-Day

NAEMSP National EMS Medical Directors Course and Practicum® — DAY 3
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Nichole Bosson, MD, MPH, NRP, FAEMS; Andra M. Farcas, MD; Andrew McCoy, MD, FAEMS

Advanced Topics in Medical Direction
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Course Director: Jeff Beeson, DO, FAEMS

We cover topics from operational considerations of EMS medical directors in addition to emerging technologies and science of prehospital clinical care. Last years topics include EMS funding and reimbursement, care navigation and alternative destinations, clinical “epidemics” in EMS, current advances in cardiac resuscitation and trauma care, and advances in data and quality improvements. The annual agenda is developed with guidance from the President and from NAEMSP committees on emerging topics or urgent needs.

A Day in the Laboratory: NAEMSP Human Cadaver Laboratory
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Course Director: Marvin A. Wayne, MD

A high-quality human cadaver lab is the most realistic environment to learn critical procedural skills. These include VL of a variety of airways, cricothyroidotomy, thoracostomy (finger and tube), thoracotomy (including clam-shell), and post mortem C-section. Other procedures that will be taught include lateral canthotomy, digital and extremity amputations (using a variety of devices), and ventilation of an open chest model. The faculty for the course will include six or more experienced EMS physicians with extensive teaching experience in this training format.

TBD —  Continental Breakfast 

TBD — Committee Meetings

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM — Welcome and President’s Address – Douglas F. Kupas, MD, MPH, NRP, FAEMS 

8:15 AM – 9:00 AM 
Keynote Address – TBD

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
EMS Grand Rounds – TBD

9:45 am – 10:10 am — Sirens and Statutes: Making Noise on Capitol Hill – David K. Tan, MD, FAEMS

BREAK in Exhibit Hall

10:50 am – 11:00 am — Prehospital Emergency Care Update 

11:00 am – 12:00 pm — Menegazzi Scientific Session: Research Oral Abstract Session 1 

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm — Lunch

12:15 pm – 1:00 pm  — Committee Meetings

———————————————————————

1:15 PM – 3:00 PM – Concurrent Session 1

Track: New Speakers Series

1:15 PM – 2:55 PM
New Speaker Series Forum
Enzo G. Plaitano, BA, NRP; Nicholas Genthe, MD; Nicholas Valentini, MD; Chelsea B. Kadish, MD; Lianne Kniest, BS
Nishil T. Patel, DO, M.Sc., NRP; Taylor Diederich, MD; Corey Schlesinger, B.S., NRP, FP-C, CCP-C, C-NPT; Jesse Cook, NRP

Track: Optimizing the Chain of Survival

1:15 PM – 1:35 PM
CPR Starts With the Call: Engineering Excellence in Telecommunicator CPR
Amber D. Rice, MD

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM
The Pacing Mirage: False Capture, Failed Confirmation, and Opportunities to Improve Care
Joshua M. Kimbrell, NRP, CCP-C, C-NPT; Brian Miller, MD, FACEP, FAEMS

2:05 PM – 2:25 PM
Moving the Needle in Pediatric Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: simple simulation tools to improve field performance – perspectives from a Quality Improvement Initiative in a large EMS system.
Anne Adema, MD; Shira A. Schlesinger, MD, MPH, FACEP, FAEMS

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
Reframing termination of cardiac arrest resuscitation as withdrawal of life support
Darren Alan Braude, MD, EMT-P

Track: Optimizing EMS Performance

1:15 PM – 1:35 PM
Ways to Show UCARE about EMS Documentation
Kathryn A. Fivelstad, MD, NRP

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM
The Man Behind the Mask: When disciplinary issues are more than they appear
Diane L. Miller, MD, MS, FAEMS, FACEP

2:05 PM – 2:25 PM
Beyond Transport: Reimbursement Pathways for EMS Physician Field Response
Nicholas P. Cozzi, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS; Jamie Shoemaker, MD, FACEP

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
The First 30 Seconds: How Trust Begins in EMS Encounters
Wylie Chang, NREMT

———————————————————————

BREAK in Exhibit Hall

3:20 PM – 4:55 PM – Concurrent Session 2

Track: The New Front Door of Healthcare

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
“We Would do Anything for Care… But We Shouldn’t Do That!”: Mitigating Emergency Department Calls to 911 for Inter-Hospital Transports
Roger M. Stone, MD MS FAAEM FAEMS; Clayton Kazan, MD, MS, FACEP, FAEMS

3:45 PM – 4:05 PM
Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Your Local Hospital System: How to Craft a Program the C-Suite will Love (and pay for)
Nicholas Asselin, DO MS FACEP FAEMS

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM
The Missing Link: Utilizing social workers to case manage your most challenging patients.
Kevin Mackey, MD, FAEMS; Stephanie Spaniak, LMFT

4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
The Doctor Will See You… At Home! What’s Old Is New Again: The Recent Surge in Hospital-at-Home Programs and the EMS Opportunities Ahead
Hashim Q. Zaidi, MD, MBA, FAEMS, FAAEM

Track: The EMS Physician Playbook

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
Beyond The Radio: Leveraging Today’s Technology for Advanced Online Medical Control
Brandon Morshedi, MD, DPT, FACEP, FAEMS, NRP; Jeff Jarvis, MD, MS, EMT-P

3:45 PM – 4:05 PM
Leadership Under Fire: Medical Direction in the Era of Constant Crisis
Meg Marino, MD, FAAP, FACEP

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM
Beyond the First Decade: Reframing Mentorship for Mid- and Late-Career EMS Physicians
Chetan Kharod, MD, MPH; Matthew J. Levy, DO, MSc

4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
From Appointment Letter to Active Oversight: A Practical Guide to Onboarding an EMS Agency
Joshua Stilley, MD FAEMS

Committee Meetings (Time: TBD)

8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
The Three Biggest Liability Landmines for EMS Medical Directors: Case Studies
Douglas Wolfberg, JD

8:30 AM – 8:55 AM
Do EMS Clinicians Really Practice “Under the Medical Director’s License?” Separating Myth From Fact
Douglas Wolfberg, JD

9:00 AM – 9:25 AM
What Happens in QA Stays in QA: Practical and Legal Considerations for EMS Medical Directors
Samantha R. Johnson, JD, MBA, MHA; Lekshmi Kumar, MD, MPH

9:30 AM – 9:55 AM
The Shifting Legal Landscape of Behavioral Emergencies
Eric Jaeger, JD, NRP

BREAK in Exhibit Hall (placeholder—confirm time)

———————————————————————

10:30 am – 12:00 pm — Concurrent Session 3 

Track: Beyond Resilience

10:30 AM – 10:55 AM
Beyond Oversight: The Medical Director’s Role in EMS Wellness
Jeremiah T. Escajeda, MD FAEMS FACEP

11:00 AM – 11:25 AM
Is the EMS experience the cause of our health and workforce challenges?
Ashish R. Panchal, MD, Ph.D, FAEMS; Sara Jahnke, Ph.D.

11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
When the EMS Medical Director Becomes the Patient: Lessons in Physician Wellness and Division Resilience
Bridgette Svancarek, MD FAEMS

Track: Clinical and Operational Innovation

10:30 AM – 10:55 AM
Raining Nickels: EV battery fires, the toxic gases they produce, and what we now know can save a life, and a career.
Kevin Mackey, MD, FAEMS

11:00 AM – 11:25 AM
“Rising from the Flames: Should EMS Systems Carry Cyanokit?”
Paul Kirby, MD

11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
Fighting Fire with Ice: A Multisite Collaboration to Evaluate the Impact of Prehospital Cold Water Immersion on Heat Stroke Patients
Charles Finch, DO, FACOEP; Maki Lloyd, Deputy Chief, BA from UCSB, NREMT-Paramedic, FEMA Task Force Leader; Geoffrey B. Comp, DO FACEP MFAWM

———————————————————————

Lunch (placeholder—confirm time)

Committee Meetings (placeholder—confirm time and committees)

———————————————————————

1:15 pm – 3:15 pm — Concurrent Session 4 

Track: EMS Beyond Traditional Boundaries

1:15 PM – 1:35 PM
Operation Metro Surge: Dealing with a Significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Presence in your Primary Service Area
Timothy Kummer, MD; Aaron E. Robinson, MD, MPH; Gregg Jones, MD; Alexander Schin, MD

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM
From Bullet Points to Battlefields: Using AI-Generated Imagery to Transform EMS Mass Casualty Training
Nicholas P. Cozzi, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS

2:05 PM – 2:25 PM
From Continuing Education to Clinician Development – Re-thinking the role of Education in Career EMS
Tom Grawey, D.O.,; Shane Hughes, Critical Care Paramedic

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
From Education to Engagement: Forging an EMS/Street Medicine Partnership
Arrianna Thompson, MD

Track: Trauma Resuscitation and Special Operations 

1:15 PM – 1:35 PM
Prehospital Resuscitative Hysterotomy: A Live Simulation-Based Procedural Demonstration
Aaron Klassen, MD, MA, NRP; Faith Ibu, MBBS; Katie Meyer, Paramedic; Schultz L. Jeffery, Paramedic

1:40 PM – 2:00 PM
Just Because We Can Doesn’t Mean We Should: Defining Who Receives Blood in EMS
Kathryn Kothari, MD; Browne R. Lorin, DO

2:05 PM – 2:25 PM
Search and Rescue Medicine: A Multi-Discipline Panel on Austere, Disaster, and Technical Rescue Medical Operations
Michael DeFilippo, DO FAAEM; Jeffrey Siegler, MD FAEMS; Benjamin Abo, DO, Paramedic; Stephen Liang, MD, MPHS

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM
Seeing Red: Changing the Trajectory of Traumatic Arrest with Prehospital Blood
Holly O’Byrne, NRP, MPA; Sean G. Morgan, MD

———————————————————————

BREAK in Exhibit Hall (placeholder—confirm time)

3:20 PM – 4:55 PM – Concurrent Session 5

Track: Shaping the Future of EMS

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
Creating an EMS Substance Use Treatment System of Care
Alex Schmalz, MD, MPH; Dre Cantwell-Frank, NRP

3:45 PM – 4:05 PM
EMS as the 9-Minute Hospital: Where Modern Healthcare Really Begins
Gerad Troutman, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM
Professionalism in EMS: Who Sets the Standard?
Bijan J. Arab, DO, NRP; Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD

4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
From Reactive to Proactive: Re-thinking Patient Safety in EMS
Tom Grawey, D.O.,

Track: Research

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
The Pediatric Dose Optimization for Seizures in EMS (PediDOSE) Study: Results and Lessons Learned
Manish I. Shah, MD MS

3:45 PM – 4:05 PM
Revenge of The Nerds: Science In a Non-Boring Fashion
Jeff Jarvis, MD, MS, EMT-P; Remle P. Crowe, PhD, NREMT; David Wampler, PhD, EMT-P

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM
High Stakes, Small Patients: 25 Years of Pediatric Emergency Science and the Future of EMS
Manish I. Shah, MD MS; Henry E. Wang, MD MS MPH; Kathryn Kothari, MD; Joelle Donofrio-Odmann, DO, FAAP, FACEP, FAEMS

4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
Innovation or Investigation? Deciding When New Ideas in EMS Are Ready for Practice
John Lyng, MD, FAEMS, FACEP, NRP; Mike Levy, MD

Track: EMS at the Intersection of Care and Social Need

3:20 PM – 3:40 PM
Writing the Record – How EMS Documentation May Derail Discovery
Jonathan R. Powell, PhD, NRP; Andra M. Farcas, MD, FAEMS

3:45 PM – 4:05 PM
15 Seconds That Matter: The SCREEN Framework for Implementing Social Determinants of Health Screening in 911 EMS
Angela Cornelius, MD, MA, FACEP, FAEMS

4:10 PM – 4:30 PM
Redefining Crisis Response: Pivoting Post-Overdose Response Teams Beyond Opioids
Janine Curcio, DO; Alexander J. Ulintz, MD

4:35 PM – 4:55 PM
A Different Kind of First Responder: The Innovative Role of a Social Worker in EMS to Transform EMS Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Ian Medoro, MD/ EMT- B/ FAEMS; Laura Nguyen, LMSW

———————————————————————

Research and Quality Improvement Poster Session (TBD)

Committee Meetings (Time: TBD)

8:00 AM – 8:25 AM
Probe to Practice: Practical Implementation of Point of Care Ultrasound in EMS
Angela Cornelius, MD, MA, FACEP, FAEMS; Brian Miller, MD, FACEP, FAEMS

8:30 AM – 8:55 AM
EMS Practice and Insurance Claims 2026: Trends and Potential Practice Pitfalls
Michael Levy, MD; Tom James

9:30 AM – 9:55 AM
Is there a rocket scientist in the house? A systems based approach to incident review and quality improvement.
Clayton Kazan, MD, MS, FACEP, FAEMS; Robert Lowe, MD; Shawn Pruchnicki, PhD

10:30 AM – 10:55 AM
Did We Do It – and Did It Matter? Building EMS Quality Metrics That Actually Change Outcomes Across 30,000 Clinicians
Gerad Troutman, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAEMS; Geneva Whitmore, MPH

11:00 AM – 11:25 AM
The Latest and Greatest: The Best EMS Trauma Literature of 2026
Christopher B. Colwell, MD

11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
From Dogma to Data: Removing Cervical Collars from EMS Medicine
Michael G. Millin, MD, MPH; Benjamin Abo, DO, Paramedic

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM — Awards Luncheon

2:30 PM – 2:55 PM
Healthcare’s Zillow Moment: How Data Transparency Is Saving Lives in Florida
Peter M. Antevy, MD, FAEMS

3:00 PM – 3:25 PM
The Trauma & Triumph of Emergency Medicine: PTSD(I), EMDR and Post-traumatic Growth
Richard Kamin, MD, FACEP, FAEMS; Bonnie C. Rumilly, LCSW, EMT-B

3:30 PM – 3:55 PM
Advancing Out-of-Hospital Care Globally: NAEMSP’s Membership in the World Health Organization’s Acute Care Action Network (ACAN)
Erin Noste, MD, FAEMS, FACEP; Douglas F. Kupas, MD, NRP, FAEMS

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM– President’s Council (invitation only)

NAEMSP 2027 ANNUAL MEETING DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:

Faculty Disclosure

Faculty for this activity have been required to disclose all relationships with any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of non‐profit or government organizations and non‐health care related companies. All disclosure information provided to NAEMSP will be reviewed to ensure that no conflicts of interest ‎exist prior to the confirmation of the individual for the educational assignment. Disclosure of relevant ‎financial relationship(s) ‎does not disqualify ‎the individual from participating in the CME/CE activity, ‎however, requires resolution/mitigation prior to their continued participation in the CME/CE activity. ‎