Voices of EMS #4

·25 min·2 clips

Steve reveals Medic2Medic is ending after 300 episodes, but a new series with over 20 stories is born.

The episode begins with host Steve Cohen announcing that Medic2Medic will end after seven and a half years, leading to the creation of Voices of EMS, a spin-off series featuring over 20 stories from past guests. He introduces the first guest, Marv Wayne, EMS Medical Director for Whatcom County, Washington, and a former ED physician. Marv tells the story of how he arrived in Bellingham, Washington, after a surgical residency and military service in Vietnam. He describes the poor state of ambulance services with Crown Ambulance, which led to a citizen committee effort to improve standards. When Crown Ambulance walked off on July 8, 1974, Marv and 10 EMTs trained and launched a new EMS system. He sought help from Ron Stewart in Los Angeles, bringing back teaching materials to start paramedic courses in his living room. Marv reflects on 49 years in EMS, emphasizing the importance of providing both care and caring, even during conflicts like the War of the Roses over dispatch systems. The second guest is Peter Antevi, a pediatric ER physician and EMS medical director. Peter shares his underdog story, starting with rejection from medical school and attending a Caribbean school instead. He transferred to the University of Miami after persuading the dean and later secured a pediatric residency through persistence. Early in his career, he made a tenfold epinephrine error during an anaphylaxis case, which motivated him to develop a dosing system using the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 for ages and weights. Initially keeping it secret due to embarrassment, he eventually shared it in a talk, leading to high demand. This evolved into the HandTabby app and badge buddies, despite initial skepticism from colleagues. Peter explains his strategy of offering free education through YouTube and talks, which helped HandTabby grow to over 2,000 cities. He discusses broader healthcare innovations in Florida, such as improvements in stroke and cardiac arrest care, and encourages listeners to pursue passionate ideas despite rejection. The episode concludes with mutual appreciation between Steve and Peter, highlighting the impact of the podcast on the EMS community.

As heard by us

Peter Antevy traces an underdog career into practical pediatric EMS work.

Peter Antevy presents his career as an underdog story: medical school turned him down, but he went on to become a pediatric ER physician and an EMS medical director in 2010. He says he now works with more than 2,500 medics across more than four counties.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Hear how a medical-school rejection became part of an underdog story now involving more than 2,500 medics.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Medic2Medic Podcast