EMS and Disaster Medicine Fellowship (ACGME-Accredited)

The Upstate EMS Medicine Fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University was one of the very first programs to obtain accreditation from the ACGME. The program offers a full-spectrum curriculum with many unique international and operational components and has been awarded ACGME continued accreditation after hosting one of the first site visits in the country. Our program offers a wide range of clinical, research, and administrative opportunities and includes both ground and air medical transport training with a variety of different agencies. Five of our faculty members have completed EMS Fellowship training (at four different programs) and are committed to providing a robust didactic experience. The faculty have varied areas of focus allowing the fellows to explore different facets of out-of-hospital care. The Upstate fellowship also offers significant experiences in air/ground EMS, tactical EMS, fire/rescue operations, wilderness and expedition medicine, event medicine, critical care interfacility transport and international EMS. The Program Director, Dr. Derek Cooney, is the Editor of the McGraw-Hill EMS Medicine textbook for EMS physicians. Past fellow international experiences have included China, India, Australia, St. Lucia, Brazil, the Sahara desert, and the Amazon jungle. Our fellow participates in the EMS Medicine Live national webinar series and is typically featured as a presenter. [Photo Gallery]

As a member of the Physician Response Team, the fellows will have the opportunity to interact with multiple Fire and EMS agencies during MCIs and other challenging calls. The fellows will work directly with SUNY Upstate faculty to prepare for all types of prehospital scenarios, including training to provide important field surgical techniques. As an associate medical director of the largest agency in Central New York they will gain excellent clinical and medical oversight experience.

Our tactical experience includes ongoing training with the Syracuse Police Department SWAT Team and operational missions 2-3 times per month.  Our Physician Response Team is run in conjunction with the New York State University Police.  Fire and Rescue operational training is another strong component and the fellows work and train directly with the Syracuse Fire Department.  We have two different air medical programs and numerous EMS and Fire/Rescue agencies that are provided medical direction services by our program Faculty. Some of our special event / mass gathering sites include the Great New York State Fair, Ironman Syracuse, Syracuse University Carrier Dome, Empire State Marathon and many other athletic events and concerts.

Our EMSTAT Center houses our own simulation center and our own paramedic training program.  The fellows are provided support staff to enable them to reach their administrative, clinical and research goals. The fellows work with a full time research support staff and the Department has an EMS Medicine research group.  Salary is competitive and some additional benefits include a response car, office space, tuition to educational courses, national and local meetings, books and equipment, an academic appointment, and paid shifts in emergency medicine (for EM graduates).

Fellowship Experiences

The SUNY Upstate EMS fellowship provides fellows the following experiences to achieve core curriculum goals:

1. Didactic curriculum and EMS core lecture series:
   • EMS Medicine Core Topics
   • Clinical Foundations (Emergency Medicine Board Review)
   • Research Design Fellows’ Research Series
   • EMS Journal Club
   • Tactical Medicine didactics and training
   • Fire and Rescue Operations didactics and training
   • Field Surgery didactic and labs
2. Participation in EMS Medical Direction (CQI, education, field response, administrative and medical oversight) of AMR Central New York.
3. Mentorship and teaching of Residents and Medical Students on EMS rotation (1 or 2 residents per month).

4. Completion of an EMS research project within the one year fellowship term.
5. Completion of an EMS system/agency Patient Safety / Quality Improvement project.
6. Presentation of an academic project at a national emergency medicine or EMS conference (NAEMSP, ACEP, SAEM, AMTC, etc.).

7. Participation in National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) Medical Directors Course and Practicum and Annual Meeting.
8. Optional international travel to experience/examine different emergency care systems and to aid in the development of EMS and disaster response systems.
9. Participation and observerships with local, regional and state committees and organizations:
   • CNY EMS Regional EMS Council (REMSCo)
   • CNY EMS Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (REMAC)
   • New York State EMS Council
   • New York State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee
10. Participation with Communication Center operations, training and quality oversight activities.
    
    • AMR Communications Center.
11. Participation with the Life Net Central Helicopter Transport Service as a Flight Physician.  Opportunity for air medical education and CQI case reviews.
12. Participation with the administrative functions of the SUNY Upstate University Police Physician Response Team.
13. Participation in primary prehospital provider education with the Upstate Paramedic Program.
14. Participation in annual prehospital education.
15. Coordination and participation in the Quarterly EMS Run Review.

We invite you to contact us with any questions you may have regarding our program and to discuss SUNY Upstate Emergency Medicine and life in Central New York. In order to initiate the application process, please send a copy of your letter of interest and your current CV to:

EMS & Disaster Medicine Fellowship
c/o Jodi Butterfield - Program Coordinator
EMSTAT Center
550 East Genesee Street
Syracuse, NY 13202

ButterJo@upstate.edu
315-464-6194

Program Director:

Derek R. Cooney, MD, EMT-P, LEO, FACEP, FAAEM
Department of Emergency Medicine
EMSTAT Center, 550 East Genesee
Syracuse, New York 13202
315 464-4851
cooneyd@upstate.edu

Program Coordinator:

Jodi Butterfield
EMS & Disaster Medicine Fellowship Coordinator
EMSTAT Center, 550 East Genesee Street
Syracuse, NY 13202

ButterJo@upstate.edu
315-464-6194

EMS & Disaster Medicine Fellowship Faculty:

• Derek R. Cooney, MD, EMT-P, LEO, FACEP, FAAEM
• Christopher J. Fullagar, MD, EMT-P, FACEP
• Jordan Holliday, MD
• Christian Knutsen, MD, MPH, FACEP (Associate Program Director)
• David Landsberg, MD, FF/EMT-P, FCCP
• James Mangano, DO
• Matthew Sarsfield, MD
• Christopher Tanski, MD, MSEd

Research & Education:

• Susan M Wojcik, PhD, ATC
• Douglas Sandbrook, MA, EMT-P

Adjunct Faculty:

• Dr. Maja Lundborg-Grey (Life Net)
• Lt. Dan Belgrader (Syracuse Police Department)
• Lt. Brian Falise (Syracuse Fire Department)
• Christopher Dunham, MBA (SUNY Upstate University Hospital Emergency Management)
• Troy Hogue (AMR Central New York)
• Sgt. Brian Novitski (Syracuse Police Department)
• Chief Paul Waltz (New York State University Police)

EMS Medicine Fellowship Faculty Agency Affiliations:

EMS Agencies

• Brewerton Ambulance
• Central New York Emergency Medical Services Region*
• East Area Volunteer Emergency Services
• LifeNet of New York (Air Methods)*
• Mercy Flight Western
• Minoa Ambulance
• American Medical Response (AMR) Central New York
• Skaneateles Area Volunteer Emergency Services
• Student Association Volunteer Ambulance Corps - SUNY Oswego
• Western Area Volunteer Emergency Services

Fire Departments/Districts

• Brewerton Fire Department
• Camillus Fire Department
• Cazenovia Fire Department
• Cicero Fire Department
• Cleveland Fire Department
• DeWitt Fire District
• East Syracuse Fire Department
• Fairmount Fire Department
• Fayetteville Fire Department
• Lafayette Fire Department
• Lakeside Fire Department
• Liverpool Fire Department
• Manlius Fire Department
• Mattydale Fire Department
• Mottville Fire Department
• Northbay Fire Department
• Onondaga Hill Fire Department
• Pompey Hill Fire Department
• Sylvan Beach Fire Department
• Warners Fire Department

Law Enforcement Agencies

• Albany Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Skaneateles Police Department
• SUNY Upstate University Police Department
• Syracuse Police Department
• Town of Manlius Police Department
• Village of Chittenango Police Department

Event / Mass Gathering Medical Coverage

• Dysfunctional Family BBQ Music Festival
• Empire State Marathon
• Ironman Syracuse
• K-Rockathon Music Festival
• MOE.DOWN Music Festival
• New York State Fair Infirmary
• Syracuse Festival of Races
• Syracuse Half Marathon
• Syracuse University Carrier Dome

Corporate Medical Support

• Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station

Welcome to the SUNY Upstate EMS Medicine Fellowship web pages. Here at SUNY Upstate we take our educational, research, and patient care missions very seriously.  Our fellows receive excellent training in a comprehensive program with the full support of our department, institution, and local community.  We're pleased to share information about our fellowship with you and look forward to any questions you may have about our program, fellows and fellowship graduates.

-Derek R. Cooney, MD, LEO, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Cooney is an internationally recognized figure in EMS Medicine.  He has served on the Board of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Emergency Physicians EMS Committee.  He is the Editor and creator of the McGraw-Hill EMS physician textbook, EMS Medicine. He is an active field response physician and has also been an interior firefighter, a National Registry paramedic, and a flight physician.  Dr. Cooney is currently a certified police officer and also works as a tactical physician for the FBI, Syracuse PD SWAT and Chittenango PD.  He co-directs EMS Medicine Live and has recently launched the EMS-Medicine.com web site.  He has taught and lectured internationally and maintains his clinical and academic productivity as a tenured Associate Professor.  He has previously served as the ACEP representative to the New York State EMS Council and as the President of the Central New York EMS Council.

Dr. Cooney was on the original Certification Committee and successfully gained ACGME-accreditation as one of the first programs in the country.  He has personally trained fellows at SUNY Upstate since 2008 with graduates receiving excellent job placement in private and academic practice settings in a number of different locations.  Our fellowship graduate enter the workforce fully trained and experienced with the knowledge and skills required to work in the prehospital and medical direction roles as a leaders and innovators.
 
The program has successfully recruited some of the best EMS physicians to serve as physician faculty and the fellowship also boasts a complete adjunct faculty representing research experts and field content experts in EMS administration, fire/rescue, air medical, emergency management and tactical medicine.  Our program director and core faculty enjoy dedicated protected time for fellow education and have created a unique comprehensive educational environment for our fellows.  The fellows receive core EMS Medicine content, unique subspecialty training, EMS administrative training, advanced research training and an incorporated comprehensive review of Emergency Medicine aimed at preparing EM trained fellows for the primary board certification exam.

Dr. Cooney actively practices in both adult and pediatric emergency departments and is board certified in EMS Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. CV is available on request.

The EMS Medicine Fellowship is designed to provide the fellow(s) the opportunity to be
educated and trained in the clinical, operational, administrative, and oversight aspects of EMS
Medicine. In order to ensure a variety of important experiences the program incorporates outside
organizations into the clinical and didactic components of the curriculum.

SUNY Upstate Medical University

• Participate in coordination of delivery of regular formal didactics (resident, medical student, paramedic student)
• Participate in active field supervision with the University Police Physician Response Team
• Participate in mass gathering medical care
• Participate in disaster planning and drills
• Participate in wilderness and expedition medicine events
• Participate in protocol review and education for EMS providers
• Develop proficiency in delivery of contemporaneous EMS education
• Develop proficiency in continuing quality improvement processes; including retrospective (casebased and system-based) and prospective methodology
• Develop understanding of EMS system design
• Develop understanding of EMS agency finance including coding, billing, municipal contracts, hospital contracts, and grant funding
• Develop proficiency in EMS radio communication
• Develop understanding of issues related to EMS provider health and wellness
• Develop understanding of EMS agency human resources concerns

American Medical Response (AMR) Central New York

• Participate in coordination of delivery of regular formal didactics
• Participate in active field supervision with EMS shift supervisors
• Participate as an advanced care provider during critical interfacility transports
• Participate in protocol review and education for EMS providers
• Develop proficiency in delivery of contemporaneous EMS education
• Develop proficiency in continuing quality improvement processes; including retrospective (casebased and system-based) and prospective methodology
• Develop understanding of EMS system design
• Develop understanding of modifications/enhancements to agency operations based on benchmarking
• Develop an understanding of EMS dispatching, dynamic deployment, and system status management
• Develop understanding of EMS agency finance including coding, billing, municipal contracts, hospital contracts, and grant funding
• Develop proficiency in EMS radio communication
• Develop proficiency in Syracuse geography
• Develop understanding of bariatric care in the field, specialized equipment, techniques, and transport concerns
• Develop understanding of issues related to EMS provider health and wellness
• Develop understanding of EMS agency human resources concerns

Life Net Central

• Become familiar with indications for scene air medical transport
• Become familiar with indications for interfacility air medical transport
• Become familiar with fixed and rotor wing aircraft
• Identify the safety considerations when operating in and around an air ambulance
• Review the patient management considerations involved in air medical transport
• Participate in air medical field response
• Participate in air medical interfacility transport

City of Syracuse Fire Department

1. Familiarity with fire science and rescue terminology and definitions and a basic understanding of fire operations and the stages of fire attack and overhaul
2. Familiarity with SCBA, PPE, rehab and physical hazards of firefighting, as well as the related physiological and psychiatric stresses
3. Understanding of the impact of EMS operations on readiness for response to fire calls
4. Understanding of rescue principles and tactics and fire-ground safety issues
5. Basic understanding of the approach to HAZMAT and CBRNE
6. Basic understanding of the unique challenges of, and approach to, airport rescue and fire operations
7. Familiarity with command, control and accountability at the fire scene
8. Basic understanding of public safety, fire prevention, fire investigation and community education roles

City of Syracuse Police Department

1. Develop familiarity with basic law enforcement terminology and tactics relative to response to violent crime and terrorism
2. Develop basic operational proficiency in TCCC and TECC
3. Learn SWAT movement and tactics relative to officer safety, self and buddy rescue, and victim extrication
4. Establish an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a SWAT team physician
5. Understand basic ballistics and the pathological implications of trauma from different ordinances
6. Familiarity with crime scene preservation practices
7. Develop safe handling skills and show proficiency in “making safe” common firearm types

Didactic / Quality Improvement Sites

Onondaga County Emergency Management

• Develop proficiency in continuing quality improvement processes; including retrospective (case-based and system-based) and prospective methodology at a county level
• Develop understanding of EMS system design
• Develop understanding of modifications/enhancements based on benchmarking
• Develop proficiency in communication center CQI
• Develop an understanding of disaster planning and response (with special focus on radiological disasters)

East Area Volunteer Emergency Services

• Participate in protocol review and education for EMS providers
• Develop proficiency in delivery of contemporaneous EMS education
• Develop proficiency in continuing quality improvement processes; including retrospective (case-based and system-based) and prospective methodology
• Develop understanding of modifications/enhancements to agency operations based on benchmarking

 

We are proud to offer one of the most developed, comprehensive, and advanced EMS & Disaster Medicine Fellowships in the country. Please email complete applications to Jodi Butterfield at ButterJo@upstate.edu for consideration for the 2023-2024 Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine Fellowship.

The NRMP offers The Match for EMS Fellowships.

Please have completed applications sent in by September 1, 2022 so we can arrange for interviews. Send in application material as soon as it’s available and let us know of any extenuating circumstances (such as pending letter of recommendations) so we can take that into consideration. Completed applications are considered at the time of receipt, and we will arrange interviews accordingly.

Interviews will be scheduled online on September 9th,  October 14th, and October 21st.  A link will be sent to candidates prior to the scheduled interview.

The NRMP Match ranking closes on November 2, 2022 at 9:00pm.

Application requirements:

1. Up-to-date CV
2. All steps of USMLE
3. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation (one (1) from your current EM Program Director)

Please contact Jodi Butterfield at ButterJo@upstate.edu with any further inquiries.

 

Benjamin Litman, DO - 2020 (Hartford, CT)
Jordan Holliday, MD - 2019 (Syracuse, NY)
W. Seth Dukes, MD - 2016 (Loma Linda, CA)
Erin Wirths, DO - 2015 (Fayetteville, NC)
Susan Schreffler, MD - 2014 (Raleigh, NC)
Charles Beaudette, MD - 2013 (Fredericksburg, VA)
Harry J. Wallus, DO, MPH - 2012 (Portsmouth, NH)
Jeremy Joslin, MD - 2011 (Syracuse, NY)
Naveen Seth, MD, MBA, EMT-B - 2010 (Syracuse, NY)
John Lyng, MD NREMT-P - 2009 (Minneapolis, MN)
Lalainia Secreti, MD - 2005 (Albuquerque, NM)
Peter Cuenca, MD - 2005 (San Antonio, TX)
Christopher J. Fullagar, MD - 2004 (Syracuse, NY)