PHT Committee

• Joanne Piccininni, MBA, NRP, MICP, Chair

  Joanne Piccininni EdD(c), MBA, NRP, MICP is the Paramedic Science Program Director and Assistant Professor at Bergen Community College in Lyndhurst, NJ. She began her EMS career in 1992 as a volunteer EMT, obtained her paramedic certification in 1997 and is a practicing paramedic with Hackensack University Medical Center and The Valley Hospital in New Jersey. Joanne served as the clinical coordinator and educator since 2006 for Chilton Memorial Hospital EMS and  The Valley Hospital Emergency Services. She is a member of the New Jersey Office of EMS Mobile ICU Advisory Committee (MAC), the New Jersey Association of Paramedic Programs (NJAPP), and the National Association of EMS Physicians, New Jersey Chapter (NAEMSP). 

  Beginning in 1998 as a PHTLS instructor, Joanne has served as affiliate faculty for many NAEMT education programs. Since 2016 she has been the NAEMT Education Coordinator for New Jersey. Joanne has contributed to developing education materials for NAEMT courses including PHTLS, AMLS, RECERT, GEMS, and the new NAEMT-IAFC First on the Scene (FOTS) course. She represented NAEMT as an AMLS instructor at the Paramedics Across Canada Expo (PACE) in 2017, served as GEMS course coordinator at the New Jersey Statewide Conference on EMS, and has presented at The National Conference on EMS in New Jersey, EMS World EXPO, and Human Patient Simulation Network by CAE Healthcare.

  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Montclair State University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Southern University, and is currently a doctoral candidate of Education at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences with an expected completion date of 2023.

  
  

• Col. (Ret) Warren Dorlac, MD, FACS, USAF, PHTLS Medical Director

  Col. (Ret) Warren C. Dorlac, MD, FACS, USAF, is a trauma and acute care surgeon and Medical Director of the Trauma/Acute Care Surgery Service at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, part of the University of Colorado Health. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and serves on the EMS committee and the Trauma Systems committee. He has worked with the Tactical Combat Casualty Care Committee on military prehospital care since 2008.

  Warren has an interest in prehospital care, aeromedical transport and trauma care research. He served on active duty with the USAF for 26 years, retiring in Oct 2011. Military assignments and duties included: Trauma Medical Director at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany 2004-2007, Director of the advanced Critical Care Air Transport Team program, 2007-2011, Trauma Consultant to the USAF Surgeon General 2008-2011, and Central Command (CENTCOM) Joint Theater Trauma System Director in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009.

  
  

• Andrew Pollak, MD, PHTLS Medical Editor

  Dr. Andrew Pollak is Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for the University of Maryland Medical System.  He is also The James Lawrence Kernan Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Andrew previously served as Chief of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he has worked clinically since 1994.

  Andrew received BS and MD degrees from Northwestern University and completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland program and a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at the University of California Davis Medical Center.

  Andrew has been involved in prehospital emergency care since 1981 in multiple capacities including volunteer firefighter/EMT, EMS flight physician and fire surgeon. He currently serves as Medical Director of the Baltimore County Fire Department, Special Deputy US Marshal and formerly as Editor of the AAOS EMS Orange Book Series.

  He has served previously as Chair of the Maryland Healthcare Commission and on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is a Past President of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association and the Maryland Orthopaedic Association. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation.

   

• Captain Meg Morgan, MD, FACS, PHTLS Associate Medical Director

  Dr. Margaret Morgan is a Trauma, Acute Care and Critical Care Surgeon and the Associate Chief Medical Officer at UC Health Colorado Springs, Colorado. Following medical school, Dr. Morgan entered the active Naval service, completing a transitional year internship at the Naval Medical Center San Diego and then spending the next several years on active duty as a Flight Surgeon.

  While in the Navy, Dr. Morgan participated in humanitarian missions in the Western Pacific and deployed multiple times in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. She then completed her residency in General Surgery at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania prior to moving to New Orleans where she did her fellowship training in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care at LSU. Dr. Morgan remains in the military as a reservist and is currently serving as the Wing Surgeon for the Maritime Support Wing in North Island, California.

  
  

• Alexander L. Eastman, MD, MPH, FACS, FAEMS, Tactical Medical Editor

  Medical Officer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  Lieutenant and Chief Medical Officer, Dallas Police Department

  Dr. Alexander Eastman serves as the Senior Medical Officer at the United States Department of Homeland Security.  Responsible for protecting the United States from all threats foreign and domestic, his responsibilities are headquartered in the new Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.  There he works in the coordination/provision of operational medicine across DHS components as well as countering threats to the U.S. worldwide and is a Title 19 Cross Designated LEO with Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

  A graduate with distinction of the George Washington University School of Medicine, he completed his general surgery and two fellowships at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School/Parkland Memorial Hospital.  He is board-certified in General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Medical Services and has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center--Houston.  Dr. Eastman is the former Chief of the Rees-Jones Trauma Center at Parkland Memorial Hospital and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and is still a practicing trauma surgeon. His research interests include the prehospital care of the injured, application of stress inoculation/mitigation techniques to surgical training, novel methods of hemostasis, cost effective wound care and the interface between medicine, law enforcement and public health and he continues to be a practicing trauma / acute care surgeon.

  In addition to the above, Dr. Eastman remains an active Dallas Police Department lieutenant and is currently assigned to their SWAT unit and as the Department’s lead medical officer.  He is actively involved in national planning for law enforcement medical support through The USDOJ’s Officer Safety and Wellness Group, the Committee on Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, and The Hartford Consensus Working Group.  He serves as the Medical Director for the Major Cities Chiefs Association and is a Special Deputy United States Marshal, assigned as a Task Force Officer to the Fugitive Task Force in the Northern District of Texas.

  Dr. Eastman was recently awarded the Dallas Police Department Medal of Valor for actions taken during the July 7, 2016 police ambush and has been previously honored as an Outstanding Young Alumni (2014) from The University of Texas at Austin, the Joe C. Jones Reserve Officer of the Year (2013) and Officer of the Year (2014) from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Police Association.

   

• Faroukh Mehkri, MD, Assoc. Tactical Medical Editor

  Dr. Mehkri began his career in public service at his alma mater Rice University as a collegiate EMT. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and EMS In-Charge Supervisor, contributing over 2,000 hours in his roles while completing his undergraduate education. After completing his undergraduate degree, Dr. Mehkri pursued a career in law enforcement as a sworn officer with the Dallas Police Department, assigned to the highest crime area, witnessing firsthand the importance of tactical emergency casualty care. He went on to pursue a residency in emergency medicine and traumatology at the University of Connecticut, Hartford Hospital, during which he supported a regional SWAT team as a medical operator and worked toward becoming an emergency physician. 

  Also during his residency, Dr. Mehkri served as a trainer and educator for the New England Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) – working with training officers, civilians, military personnel, EMTs, medical students, and co-residents in high-fidelity simulation medicine. Upon returning to Texas after his residency, Dr. Mehkri completed an EMS fellowship at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Division of EMS and Prehospital Medicine and pursued a subspecialty in prehospital, disaster, and tactical medicine. He continued on at UT as an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of EMS and Disaster Medicine.

  Today Dr. Mehkri focuses on caring for critically ill patients as an attending emergency physician at Parkland Hospital and William J. Clements University Hospital. He also serves as the Deputy Medical Director for the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department and the City of Dallas. He works with first responders to improve prehospital care through quality management, research, protocol development, direct education, and mentorship. He is double-board certified in emergency medicine and EMS and prehospital medicine. 

  Dr. Mehkri has authored several peer-reviewed scientific articles in society journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the Journal of EMS (JEMS). He has authored several book chapters on EMS education, bioinformatics, disaster response, tactical medicine, and risk assessment. He is a member of multiple local, state, and national professional organizations, including the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA), the Texas Chapter of NAEMSP, Texas College of Emergency Physicians, Texas Medical Association, and the Dallas County Medical Society.

   

• Frank Butler, MD, Military Medical Advisor

  

  Dr. Butler is a retired Navy Undersea Medical Officer and an ophthalmologist who served as a Navy SEAL platoon commander prior to attending medical school. He spent most of his career in Navy Medicine supporting the Special Operations community, and was the first Navy physician selected to serve as the Command Surgeon for the U.S. Special Operations Command. He chairs the Department of Defense’s Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) and helps to ensure optimal battlefield trauma care for our country’s wounded service men and women.

  Dr. Butler has worked with PHTLS and NAEMT since 1999, helping to maintain an ongoing dialogue between military and civilian sectors on prehospital trauma care issues. He also spent five years at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit and helped pioneer numerous advances in SEAL diving capabilities. As director of the SEAL Biomedical Research Program for 15 years, Frank's landmark projects included refractive surgery in the military, the Naval Special Warfare decompression computer, and TCCC. He serves as co-chair of the Decompression Sickness and Arterial Gas Embolism Treatment Committee for the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Frank was awarded the U.S. Special Operations Command Medal in 2012 and the New Orleans Grand Isle (NOGI) Award for Distinguished Service to the diving community in 2011.

  In 2020, Dr. Butler was honored by the American College of Surgeons with the Distinguished Lifetime Military Achievement Award for his work as the Founder of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, which has now been established as the US Military and NATO standard for battlefield trauma care.

  
  
  

• Kevin Collopy, MHL, FP-C, NRP, CMTE

  Kevin Collopy is the clinical outcomes and compliance manager for Novant Health AirLink/VitaLink, overseeing program research, education, risk and quality management, and reimbursements. He began his prehospital care career on a New York volunteer ambulance in 2000. After obtaining his paramedic credential while completing his Bachelor's degree, Kevin began working full time as a paramedic in Milwaukee. He soon transitioned into air medical transport and has been in North Carolina for over a decade.

  Kevin took his first PHTLS course in 2002 and began teaching PHTLS in 2008. Today he serves as affiliate faculty and a training center coordinator. Regularly lecturing across the United States, Kevin has taught emergency and wilderness medicine on three continents. He has authored over 200 articles and book chapters, including 30 peer-reviewed research abstracts and papers. Kevin has a passion for prehospital trauma research. In 2022, his research on prehospital pelvic binding techniques won best clinical research at the International Scientific EMS Symposium. In addition, Kevin serves on several national and international advisory boards, teaches the paramedic program at Cape Fear Community College, and oversees multiple clinical trials. He also maintains his LEAN Healthcare Blackbelt certification, has a Master's degree in Healthcare Leadership, and is known for developing and innovating quality management solutions in prehospital care systems.

  
  

• Dennis Rowe, Paramedic

  

  Dennis Rowe, Paramedic, is director of Government and Industry Relations for Priority Ambulance Corporation based in Knoxville, Tenn. In 2018, Priority was named Inc. Magazine’s 521st fastest growing company. Prior to this role, he had been the company's director of new business Integration and director of operations. 
  
  

  Dennis has extensive experience in emergency services in Tennessee. He spent 17 years at Rural-Metro Corporation, providing oversight of basic life support (BLS), advanced life support (ALS) and critical care ambulance transports for Knox County. Previously, he was the trauma coordinator for the Level One Trauma Center at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. He was actively involved in research publications, Trauma Center financial analysis, injury prevention and day-to-day operations. Before moving to the surgery department, Dennis was part of the UT LIFESTAR helicopter program startup team.

  Dennis is an instructor and has participated in medical research projects in the Knox County/East Tennessee area. He has served as president of the Tennessee Ambulance Service Association and on the Tennessee EMS Divisions Clinical Issues Committee. Also, he serves as a board member on the National Trauma Institute’s board of directors. Dennis currently serves on the Tennessee Board of Emergency Medical Services. He is a longtime member of NAEMT and has served on the Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Committee, NAEMT Bylaws Committee and on numerous other committees and appointed liaison positions.

  
  

• Brian Simonson, MBA, NRP, CHEC

  Brian Simonson has 30 years of experience in the pre-hospital emergency medicine setting, starting as a volunteer, then working for a paid 911 system. Brian’s career has taken him through 15 years of critical care transport. He has been with Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center for 25 years. He assisted in building, and has served on, the trauma center’s flight team, and has served as a clinical staff paramedic in the emergency department. Currently, Brian is now the center’s Southeastern North Carolina Regional Advisory Committee trauma coordinator. As part of his duties, Brian serves as the State Regional Advisory Committee chair, a sub-committee of the North Carolina State Trauma Advisory Committee (STAC). Brian is also an active member of the STAC education, research, and systems sub-committees.

  Brian is affiliate faculty with the American College of Surgeons and the NAEMT and serves as faculty for the American Heart Association. He is an active instructor/ coordinator for ATLS, DMEP, PHTLS, AHDR, RTTDC, HERT, ASSET, ALICE, and Stop the Bleed. Brian holds several certifications, including disaster medical specialist, hospital emergency coordinator, and confined space rescue technician. Brian has served in the United States Army and the United States Navy Reserve and recently completed his MBA with a focus in Healthcare Administration at Columbia Southern University.

  
  
  

• Tomas Wetterling, MD

  Tomas Wetterling is a vascular and general surgeon at the Central Hospital of Kristianstad in the south of Sweden where he does elective vascular surgery, emergency- and trauma surgery.

  Following medical school at the University of Lund in Sweden he did his surgical training in Kristianstad and Malmö. During the surgical training he developed an interest for trauma care and trauma surgery and got involved with both ATLS and PHTLS. He has been an instructor of both since the beginning of the 2000s. He is currently regional and local director for ATLS as well as local and newly appointed national director for PHTLS in Sweden as well as a member of the trauma committee both in the region and at the hospital where he works. He has been one of the driving forces behind the creation of a common standard for trauma care in the south of Sweden and is also a member of the Regional European Education Committee (REEC) representing Sweden.

  Tomas has prehospital experience from both working on the ambulance and in a regional prehospital physician manned EMS car.

  
  

• Jeff White, MS, CHSP, MTSP-C, FP-C

  Jeff has served twenty-seven years in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Fire Service. He currently holds the position of Director of Safety for HealthNet Aeromedical Services, Inc. His experience has spanned volunteer, career, rural, and urban. He now works to increase safety awareness in EMS by assisting agencies in building their own safety management systems. He has a Master of Science in Safety from Marshall University and is a Certified Healthcare Safety Professional.

  Jeff currently supports NAEMT as the West Virginia Education Coordinator. Aside from his full-time position at HealthNet, he still provides clinical care in the aeromedical and ground environment and serves as a volunteer firefighter. He is an instructor for WV Public Service Training, WVU Fire Service Extension, National Fire Academy, and Spec Rescue International.