SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) congratulates its 2018 award winners. The following awards were presented at NAEMSP’s Annual Meeting, Specialty Workshops, Scientific Assembly and Trade Show held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, Ca. The awards were presented at a luncheon on Saturday afternoon, January 13, 2018.
Ronald D. Stewart Award – Baxter Larmon, PhD
This award is given annually to a person who has made a lasting, major contribution to the national EMS community.
Originally inspired by Dr. Ronald D. Stewart, Baxter Larmon’s work as an EMS educator and promoter of EMS research has made a lasting, major contribution to the advancement of EMS systems and EMS care. Early on, Dr. Larmon realized the importance of EMS providers embracing and engaging in EMS research. As a result, he began working with other physicians to design and execute EMS studies and to lay the foundation for what would become the Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF). Dr. Larmon also co-founded the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care which has an international reputation as a leader in emergency medical services education, training and research. Because of his work, countless leaders in EMS research, education and clinical paramedicine can trace their professional heritage, either directly or indirectly, back to Dr. Larmon.
Keith Neely Outstanding Contribution to EMS Award – Susan McHenry
This award is presented to an active or past member of NAEMSP® who has provided significant leadership to the association. The award is named after the late Keith Neely, the first non-physician member at large to serve on the NAEMSP® Board of Directors.
For more than 20 years, Susan McHenry has made numerous contributions to EMS through her position at NHTSA. She has been instrumental in setting the agenda on projects that have moved EMS forward in great leaps. As she enters retirement, this award is a tribute to her career.
Friends of EMS Award – Robert Wagoner
The Friends of EMS award is presented to an individual or organization that has been an advocate in furthering NAEMSP’s mission through influencing or implementing national public policy. This year’s recipient is recognized for his dedication and efforts to NAEMSP and the EMS community.
For more than 30 years Rob Wagoner has been serving behind the scenes for the National Registry of EMTs. His job was to ensure the validity and the security of the certification exam for EMS professionals. Rob has been the point person in most of the major projects the National Registry has undertaken including an instrumental role in REPLICA and welcoming state EMS officers and national EMS officials to the registry offices to help them learn how the National Registry serves a vital role in certification and maintenance of certification for thousands of EMS professionals in the United States. His life accomplishments have literally touched every single EMS provider in our country, in some way or another, for 3 decades.
President’s Awards – The President’s Award is an honor bestowed on a member or members of NAEMSP® who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to our organization in creating new initiatives or furthering the work of the organization.
The recipients of this year’s awards are being presented posthumously to Michael Guttenburg, DO, FAEMS and Salvatore Silvestri, MD
Michael Guttenburg spent more than 30 years delivering emergency medical services in the City of New York as an EMT, paramedic field provider and physician. As an FDNY EMS fellow in 2001, Dr. Guttenberg “worked the pile” at Ground Zero in the weeks after 9/11. This year he succumbed to pancreatic cancer attributed to “World Trade Center-related illness.” Dr. Guttenberg served as medical director of Northwell Health’s clinical preparedness and Center for Emergency Medical Services (CEMS) to the end. Dr. Guttenberg was a dedicated physician, a leader in the emergency medicine field and a mentor to many. He committed his life to the service of others, setting a high bar for performance, even in the most difficult of situations.
Salvatore Silvestri devoted his life’s work to EMS, education, mentorship, research and the advancement of prehospital care. Dr. Silvestri was a devoted educator in the EMS and Emergency Medicine Communities. He held multiple academic appointments during his career and he was instrumental in seeing the need for dedicated, structured training in EMS for physicians. He was instrumental in the development of the EMS Fellowship at Orlando Regional Medical Center/Orange County EMS and served as the academic program director. Sal was passionate about the advancement of the EMS sub-specialty and believed that prehospital research was an essential component of that advancement. One of his greatest legacies was the work he did to mentor and develop Emergency Medicine and EMS Physicians through his work with the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Orlando Health and the joint Orlando Health/Orange County EMS System EMS Fellowship. He has been instrumental in the success of both programs.
About the National Association of Emergency Services Physicians (NAEMSP)
The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) is an organization of physicians and other professionals partnering to provide leadership and foster excellence in the subspecialty of EMS medicine.