EMS Week 2025

This year’s EMS week was once again a hugely successful week of community outreach with our EMS colleges and providers in Western Massachusetts.

The Prehospital & Disaster Medicine Division hosted events throughout the week at our 4 hospitals and area EMS agencies, concluding with a world-class educational collaboration with critical care transport providers from the Baystate Health / American Medical Response team, and LifeStar providers from Hartford Hospital, MERT, our EMS Physicians, our EMS Fellowship, and Baystate’s Emergency Department and Trauma Services.

Affiliate Medical Director Clinical Excellence Awards

Throughout the week, agencies and providers were recognized by their Affiliate Hospital Medical Director with Clinical Excellence Awards. This award recognizes dedication and skill in emergency medical services, highlighting individuals and teams who have delivered exceptional patient care in the prehospital environment. We celebrate innovative practices, effective teamwork and a commitment to improving patient outcomes in the field.  

Western Region

 Baystate Noble Hospital kicked off EMS week with a presentation recognizing providers from Hilltown Ambulance and Westfield Fire Department as well as providers within the BNH ED for excellence in care and transfer to definitive care of a patient experiencing a stroke.

 Associate Regional EMS Medical Director, Meghann Zapcic-Desrochers, MD and EMS Coordinator Elizabeth Martinek visited Southwick Fire Department and Granville Fire Department to present Affiliate Medical Director Clinical Excellence awards to providers Ian Hurley and Joshua Girard (SFD), Robert Boulanger and Nathaniel Sindland (GFD).

Central Region

 Chief, Regional EMS Medical Director, Seth M. Kelly, MD and EMS Coordinators Katie Donovan and Elizabeth Martinek presented American Medical Response, Longmeadow Fire Department and West Springfield Fire Department providers James Cook, Robert Grant, and Paul Slinsky (AMR), Adam Parker and Cam Griffin (LFD), and John Dunphy and Justin Burchell (WSFD) with Affiliate Medical Director Clinical Excellence Awards.

Eastern Region

Associate Regional EMS Medical Director, Kenneth Knowles, MD and EMS Coordinator Melissa Consolini visited Palmer Fire Department, Ware Fire Department and Belchertown Fire Department to present Affiliate Medical Director Clinical Excellence Awards to providers Payton Baer, John Fitzgerald, Ryan Gauthier, and Kristin Schuelke (PFD), David Gambino and Joseph Gagnon (WFD), Ryan Bateman, Daniel Driscoll, Josh Lapoint, Stephen Sengebush, and Lucas Slowinski (BFD).

Northern Region

Associate Regional EMS Medical Director, Matthew Shapiro, DO and EMS Coordinator Nicholas Chirekos presented Affiliate Medical Director Clinical Excellence Awards to Colrain Volunteer Ambulance Association, Inc and South County EMS providers Gary Ponce, Melinda Herzig, and Kevin Worden II (Colrain), Adam Martin and Timothy Drumgool (SCEMS).

EMS Conference

When Your EMS Shift is a Disaster:

Practices and Advances in Prehospital Trauma Care 

 EMS Coordinator, Melissa Consolini organized a world-class educational conference for the finale of EMS week. The conference brought together providers from Trauma Services, Emergency 

Medicine, Critical Care Transport, Disaster Management, EMS, Fire and MERT.

  Intended for our EMS community, topics included Hostile Environments, Hemorrhagic Shock Management, Prehospital Blood, Burn Care, TBI & Spinal Injuries and Field Amputations. Participants had the opportunity to expand their knowledge base with practical trauma scenarios and demonstrations of field amputations, chest tubes and finger thoracostomy, difficult airway management situations. 

We want to thank our EMS Community for what you do every day. It was a great week!

We’d also like to thank all our partners for the week, AT&T FirstNet, BH/AMR Critical Care Transport, LifeStar, Baystate Health Catering, our host Emergency Department administrators from Baystate Noble Hospital, Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Wing Hospital and Baystate Franklin Medical Center.