Four from region win state EMS awards

Four Tidewater nominees won state EMS awards during the 27th Annual Virginia EMS Symposium Awards Banquet held November 11, 2006 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.

Kathleen Colantuono, RN, of Chesapeake received the 2006 Nurse with Outstanding Contributions to EMS award. Colantuono is the Disaster Manager for Sentara Healthcare, RHCC Coordinator for the Southside, Co-chair of the Emergency Management Committee at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Deputy Commander for VA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team. She is former Manager for Sentara Nightingale Air Ambulance and former Team Coordinator for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital Emergency Department.

Barry J. Knapp, II, MD of Virginia Beach received the Outstanding EMS Physician award. Dr. Knapp is an OMD for Norfolk Fire Rescue, an Associate Professor and Assistant Residency Director for the Eastern Virginia Medical School Department of Emergency Medicine, an attending physician for Emergency Physicians of Tidewater and Operations Section Chief (lead physician) for the VA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Laura L. Walker, DM (candidate) of Portsmouth received the Outstanding EMS Administrator award. Walker is the Regional EMS Education Coordinator for the Tidewater EMS Council, a volunteer paramedic with the Nansemond Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad, a Plans Chief for VA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team and director of the council's new Kent J. Weber Emergency Response Training and Simulation Center.

Michael Griffin, EMT-E of Capron won the Outstanding Pre-Hospital Provider award. Griffin is a provider for Sentara Medical Transport, EMS captain for Capron Volunteer Rescue Squad and a member of the regional CISM team. He was cited for saving the lives, while he was off duty, of two individuals who were severely injured and in a burning crashed vehicle.

Guest speaker during the awards banquet was Randy Mantooth, former star "Johnny Gage" of the 70's TV hit EMERGENCY!

The annual Virginia EMS Symposium spanned five days from November 8 - 12 and attracted over 1800 EMS providers, nurses, physicians and others plus some 200 additional instructors and support staff. The program featured EMS educational topics, offering over 250 individual topics and courses. Courses were held in the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Waterside Sheraton, EVMS and the Tidewater EMS Council. The symposium also included a vendor trade show and nightly entertainment including this year, for the first time, a casino night.

Plans have already begun for the next statewide symposium which will also be held in Norfolk, November 7-11, 2007. The Tidewater region's representatives on the program committee are Mike Staats of Norfolk Fire Rescue and Laura Walker.

Congratulations to our region's winners and nominees, and to all the state EMS award recipients!