Welcome to Day 1 Of The EMS Leadership Summit

Leading in high stress environments is difficult at best, we do not always get it right. In this session we will discuss how easy it is for those in leadership positions to turn a first responder workforce into a group of people that feel unappreciated and invisible. Together, we will explore alternative solutions and discuss positive approaches to Leadership.

Chief Lillian Bonsignore, Paramedic, CIC- is a retired, 31-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York who served as the FDNY Chief of EMS Operations from 2019-2022 during the COVID Pandemic. She was the highest-ranking Officer in the EMS command, the highest-ranking uniformed female in FDNY and the first female to achieve a 4-star rank in the history of FDNY. Chief Bonsignore was responsible for the operational oversight and leadership of more than 4,500 EMS Providers in New York City where EMS responds to 1.5 million calls per year. She also has an extensive history in EMS training. She previously served as the FDNY Chief of the EMS Academy where she was responsible for the EMS Probationary School, EMS Officer training and managed the EMS certification of more than 13,000 members of the FDNY. Chief Bonsignore retired in December 2022.

EMS systems fail for a variety of reasons. Often, failures can be predicted and, therefore, avoided if one has the appropriate acumen. This thought-provoking deep dive multi-part session will teach you what to look for and, more importantly, provide proven and practical countermeasure strategies and takeaways that one can begin to use immediately.

Jonathan Washko is a 35-year, highly accomplished executive focused on the pre-hospital and healthcare operations improvement space with expertise in various domains and topics. Mr. Washko is considered a leading industry expert, consulting and advising internationally with agencies, systems, facilities, and governments on pre-hospital, mobile healthcare, and systems design and improvement efforts. Mr. Washko sits on various elected and appointed industry and government boards and councils, is an author, researcher, educator, and speaker, and is regarded as a balanced disruptive innovator, ideator, and strategic visionary leader capable of business and cultural transformations. 

In this session, we will explore the importance of cultivating leadership qualities such as grace under pressure, the courage to correct, and how to be a leader worth following.

Asbel Mobtes began his career in the ambulance industry in 1999. His EMS career includes directing and leading teams that provided revenue cycle consultation to air and ground ambulance agencies, culminating into the position of Managing Partner of Solutions Group Consulting. Asbel is a respected thought leader on reimbursement initiatives within the industry and is a requested speaker at many healthcare conferences. Asbel is a contributing author in several EMS magazines and co-authoring the book, Management of Ambulance Services, as published by Prentice Hall in 2014.

This presentation is focused on psychological health and safety from an occupational health and safety perspective and is intended to help increase attendees’ awareness of hazards that can affect how EMS providers feel at work.

Dr. I. David Daniels is an occupational health and safety professional, thought leader, and President/CEO of ID2 Solutions, LLC. He is also the host of the Psych Health and Safety USA podcast. Dr. Daniels holds a Ph.D. in Occupational Health and Safety, is certified as a Safety Director, holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University, and completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University. Dr. Daniels is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and has served over 30 years in fire/rescue, EMS, and emergency management.

Understanding Any System Sufficiently Prevents Hurting Oneself by its Use. Delve into our innate human resources for overcoming adversity. Discover how our perception shapes our reality through the power of thought and learn to interpret emotions as our 'psychological virus detectors.' This talk illuminates the strength found in compassion, offering insights into harnessing internal energies for resilience and understanding

Dr. Bill Pettit Jr is a physician of 55 years and a life long student of medicine, psychiatry and neuroscience. He is a potent, persistent global influencer at the shared boundary of psychiatry and spirituality. His work facilitates realization and clarity concerning the connection between our spiritual nature and our psychological and physical natures as well as anyone presently walking the earth. Dr Pettit routinely witness remarkable healing and the realization of wholeness in people who have been labeled as, and led to believe that they were permanently broken. He is a lifelong student and sharer of the metaphor of the three Divine/Universal Principles of Mind, Consciousness,Thought.