This week, Scott Kier is joined by David Konig, Sean Eddy, and later in the show Russell Stine.  The group tackle the resignation of Chief Kenneth Ellerbe of the Washington, DC Fire and EMS Department (DCFEMS) and share their viewpoints about what should be next for the department.  Is this a leadership issue?  A cultural one?  Find out what the group thinks this week on EMS in the New Decade! Read more from David Konig at his blog The Social Medic. Check out Sean Eddy’s blog, Medic Madness. Finally, to see more from RJ Stine, check out his website, Hybrid Medic. To download this week’s podcast, click this link!  Or just use the player below....

Jun 2, 2014

On this week’s show, Scott Kier is joined by Sean Eddy from Medic Madness, and first time podcaster the Chicago Medic Jeff Sorenson. After the recent incident where two Michigan paramedics were caught on camera allegedly smiling and “posing” while taking care of a patient, the trio discuss humor and its place in the field. What place does it have in patient care? How do we use it to deal with those more frustrating or stressful calls? How can we prepare new providers for the type of humor they are going to encounter? Do you want to find out the answer to these questions and more? Take a listen below! Read more from Sean Eddy on his blog Medic Madness. Follow Jeff Sorenson on Twitter. To download this week’s podcast, click this link!  Otherwise, use the player...

May 26, 2014

On this week’s episode of EMS in the New Decade, Scott Kier and Ben Neal talk about an inspirational conversation they were part of while sharing a few Happy Hour drinks at a bar called Huck Finn’s in New Orleans at the tail end of EMS Expo 2012.  What started out as a group of medics swapping war stories turned quickly into a conversation about pit crew CPR led by Tom Bouthillet from EMS 12 Lead and Code STEMI that was the jumping off point for some major changes in Ben’s EMS system. So crack open a beer, sit back, and enjoy a night at Huck Finn’s with Scott and Ben. To download this week’s podcast, click this link!  Otherwise, use the player...

This week, Scott Kier is joined by RJ Stine, Ben Neal, and Amy Eisenhauer to talk about EMS Week.  The discussion quickly turns to the panel’s attempt to answer the question of “how do we make sure that people working in EMS see as many EMS weeks as possible?” Enjoy this week’s show, and Happy EMS Week! To read more from Amy Eisenhauer, check out her blog, The EMS Siren To read more from RJ Stine, check out his blog, Hybrid Medic To download this week’s podcast, click this link!  Otherwise, use the player...

I have met a lot of people over the last four years.  Few have had a bigger impact on my life than Natalie Quebodeaux Cavander.  She has been one of my closest friends since I started writing and podcasting, and has been incredibly supportive every step of the way.  Life’s changes take us all in different directions, which is exactly what it did for Natalie.  This week, Natalie and I talk about the twists and turns that her life has taken over the last couple of years, and discuss a few new angles she is taking a look at EMS from. To read some of Natalie’s posts check out her old blog, MsParamedic.com.  Even though she does not write there anymore her posts are still incredibly relevant. It goes without saying that Natalie was also an excellent podcaster.  Check out the podcast she used to be part of known as The Gen Med Show. Also, I feel it bears mentioning that the picture below is from Las Vegas in 2011.  Don’t worry though, we found out after this picture was taken that Jeff Sorenson better known as @Chicagomedic who is standing between us, was not an ordained minister, so like many Vegas weddings this one was over before it started! To download the podcast, click this link!  Otherwise listen on the player below....

May 7, 2014

While the initial plan was to post my podcasts on Mondays, this one was too good to pass up on posting a little early.  In this episode, I talk with Kevin Bigley and Kevin Daniels who play Brian and Hank respectively on USA’s new comedy series Sirens.  I have been a supporter of this project from the start.  Personally, I think it is hilarious.  If you have not watched it yet, you really need to. I had a great time talking to both Kevin Bigley and Kevin Daniels.  Hopefully you enjoy listening to the podcast as much as I enjoyed recording it! To download the podcast, click this link!  Otherwise, use the player...

In the first episode of my new podcast, EMS in the New Decade, we talk about the direction the show is set to take, and learn a bit more about who I am, and where I got my start. To download the podcast, click this link!  Otherwise, use the player...

Apr 30, 2014

Yes, you read that title right: The Podcast.  The time has come for me to finally do what I have wanted to do for a couple years now.  On Monday May 5, I will release the first episode of my podcast carrying the same title as this blog.  This is something that I have wanted to do for a long, long time, and have been asked to do by a few people but I never really felt that I had the time. A lot of the roadblocks that I had keeping me from doing this are not there anymore, and it is time for me to take the plunge.  Monday’s show will be an overview of what to expect from the episodes to come.  Shows will be posted weekly on Monday mornings at 10:30am EST, and will be listed along with my other blog posts on the homepage of my blog.  In addition to that, there will be a link in the menu to take you to the index of all of my podcast episodes.  Also, I am currently creating an index of past episodes of other shows that I have been part of.  They will be part of this menu page as well. It feels really good to be back writing at 100%.  The major life change, and employer change took its toll on me for a while.  It is not easy to start over in a new system with new people, new protocols, and new everything.  I was ripped from my comfort zone, and it took me a while to get back close to it.  I’m not there yet, and there’s challenges that I am dealing with every day, but to be back writing is an important part of that for me.  It just seems like the next logical step for me is to get back into podcasting, and even more logical to finally host my own show. I really cannot tell you how excited I am about this.  Thanks to the support of people like Ben Neal, RJ Stine, Random Ward, Natalie Quebodeaux, and of course Kyle David Bates, Chris Montera and Jamie Davis, I am finally going to make it...