Speakers

Azeemuddin Ahmed
Azeemuddin Ahmed, MD, MBA is a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Iowa. He practices and teaches Emergency Medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Serving as Executive Vice Chair, he is engaged in all aspects of departmental administration with added focus on faculty recruitment, faculty development, faculty practice plan, faculty compensation, clinical innovation as well as strategic planning. Dr. Ahmed is board certified in Emergency Medicine and sub-specialty board certified in Emergency Medical Services by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

His area of clinical expertise is prehospital care, and Dr. Ahmed serves as the Division and Fellowship Program Director for Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Emergency Medicine. In the realm of medical direction, he is Medical Director of Kinnick Stadium and Carver Hawkeye Arena as well as the Medical Director for the Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Ahmed is an active researcher with projects involving health services, prehospital care, and continues to publish case reports, book chapters, research abstracts and manuscripts in a variety of academic media. He presents didactic lectures both locally and nationally and is a member of several professional organizations devoted to the advancement of Emergency Medicine care, education, and research. He has received numerous teaching awards from his trainees in recognition of his education efforts.

Dr. Ahmed brings his education, enthusiasm, and real-world experience in conducting negotiations to the Tippie Leadership Collaborative at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. He has proficiency in negotiating in a variety of situations within the health care system, between organizational units, human resources, and business development. He provides seminars on negotiation strategies and tactics to a variety of business and health care organizations regionally and nationally. He was recognized by the Tippie Executive MBA – Iowa City Classes of 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020 as a GREAT Instructor of the Year. In 2017, Dr. Ahmed was selected by the Tippie Executive MBA – Des Moines cohort as a GREAT Instructor of the Year and they also nominated him for the President and Provost Teaching Award.

In his free time, Dr. Ahmed is an endurance athlete having completed 25 half marathons and 7 marathons (including the New York City Marathon)

Robert Bertollotti
Information coming soon

Stephen Carveth
Dr. Stephen Carveth (Dr. Bubba) is a Pediatric Orthopedic surgeon at Iowa Ortho. He was born in Michigan, raised in California, completed his medical/orthopedic training in Michigan and then completed specialty training in Pediatric Orthopedics at Rady Children’s in San Diego, CA. He is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medial honor society. He has a general practice involving everything Pediatric Orthopedics with a special interest in Trauma, Sports Medicine and Hip Dysplasia. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family (wife, 2 kids and dog), hunting, fishing and all outdoor activities.

Melvin Donaldson
Melvin Donaldson, MD, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Iowa. He completed his EMS Fellowship and Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Iowa and holds a PhD in Epidemiology. Dr. Donaldson’s research focuses on out-of-hospital pain management and mitigating stress reactions to traumatic injuries through effective pain management.

Sarah Eason
Sarah’s career with the State of Iowa Health and Human Services, Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services, as the Trauma System Coordinator began in March of 2023. She comes to Bureau with 20 years of experience from a Level II Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center. Her experience began on the floor and quickly led to Emergency Nursing. For the last 14 years she has been, and continues as a flight nurse for AIRMED Air Ambulance. Prior to joining the State of Iowa, she served as the Trauma Program Manager for six years for MercyOne Des Moines. Before obtaining her nursing degree, her previous professional life included a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture and Agronomy from Iowa State University, and worked for Monsanto for several years. Her personal time centers around her 8-year-old daughter. She plays horrible golf when she is able, enjoys spending time at the family farm, and dreams of a day when laundry and landscaping do themselves.

Nicolas Foss
Dr. Nicolas Foss is the epidemiologist for the Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services and the Bureau of Health Statistics in the Division of Public Health at Iowa Health and Human Services. He has served the state of Iowa in this role since August of 2023. His background is in data science and behavioral health, and he holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Master of Science in Human Behavior, and a Doctorate in Behavioral Health. Dr. Foss is an R programmer, and his current research interests include measuring and understanding the efficiency and efficacy of the Iowa trauma system, along with developing high quality methods for understanding under triage and over triage.

Billy Fox
Billy Fox serves as a senior manager within the Environmental, Health, and Safety department of Vermeer Manufacturing. He joined Vermeer in 2016 and leads all facets of security and emergency preparedness for Vermeer’s domestic and international locations. Billy graduated from Central College in 2007 with a B.A. in Business Administration. In 2008, he enlisted in the Army. He earned the Army Special Forces Green Beret in 2010 and became a member of 5^th Special Forces Group. He served honorably through multiple deployments, leadership roles, and instructor roles until leaving the military in 2016.Billy resides in Pella with his wife, Shannon, and their four kids.

Lauri Freking
Lauri combines her wealth of training experience with her journalism background to provide fresh perspectives and customized training that gets results. Since 2004, Wixted clients have trusted her candid and professional communication coaching.

Lauri has a dozen years of experience in television news and video production in the public and private sectors. She worked as a television news reporter, photographer and video editor for the NBC affiliate in Sioux City, Iowa, and the CBS affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin, where she ran the station’s news bureau. As a general assignment reporter, Lauri covered a broad range of news events ranging from human interest stories to crime and business news. As a producer and writer for Iowa Public Television, Lauri created award-winning educational content for K-12 schools and produced content for local programs. A familiar face to Iowans, Lauri is a past host for Festival, IPTV’s fundraising broadcast.

Lauri is a graduate of Iowa State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Peter Georgakos
Peter Georgakos is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Iowa. Current positions include clinical associate professor of emergency medicine, medical director, EMS Learning Resource Center and Medical Director, Johnson County Ambulance Service. Dr. Georgakos has a BS in Biology from Tufts University, DO, Docotor of Osteopathy, AT Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Resident, Emergency Medicine, University of Iowa, and fellowship, EMS, University of Iowa. His certifications include Board Certification – Emergency Medicine, American Board of Emergency Medicine Board Subspecialty Certification – EMS – American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Gus Henrici
Gus grew up in South Africa where he worked in community development and training. After moving to the US in 2010 he got involved in Chaplaincy and supporting first responders after critical incidents. He is currently a chaplain in the corporate world and supports responses to critical incidents in industry. Gus has been involved part time with Johnston Grimes Metro FD as a firefighter, EMT and chaplain since 2012. Gus is passionate about helping others grow their resilience and caring for first responders.

Jay Johannigman
Jay A. Johannigman, M.D.,F.A.C.S., FCCM currently serves as a Executive Director of Trauma Services at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Denver Colorado. Dr. Johannigman moved to Denver in November of 2022 after serving for four years at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio Texas. Prior to this, Dr. Johannigman served as the Director of the Institute of Military Medicine at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He also served as the director of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care & Acute Care Surgery at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio from 2001 to 2017. During his tenure as Division director the group grew for four surgeons to a multidisciplinary group of over forty medical professionals spanning services across two verified trauma centers to include trauma, acute and elective general surgery, and surgical critical care.

Dr. Johannigman is a native Cincinnatian and graduate of St. Xavier High School. He completed his undergraduate studies at Kenyon College and graduated Medical School from Case Western Reserve University. He subsequently completed a general surgery residency at University Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1988 to 1990, Dr. Johannigman completed a Surgical Critical Care and Trauma Fellowship, also at University Hospital.

Dr. Johannigman entered active-duty military service at the United States Air Force Wilford Hall Medical Center in 1990. During the ensuing years, he served as Director of the Surgical Critical Care Service as well as Associate Director of the hospital’s Trauma Service. In 1994, Dr. Johannigman returned to Cincinnati, Ohio where he has been a member of the Division of Trauma and Critical Care since that time. Most recently in Cincinnati, Dr. Johannigman oversaw the development and American College of Surgeons verification of West Chester Hospital to a Level III trauma center, thus giving the Cincinnati Tristate area a Level I & Level III trauma system.

Dr. Johannigman is a member of numerous professional organizations, including a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, a member of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Western Trauma Society. He served as the Chief of Region 5 Committee on Trauma for the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma and now serves as the Liaison to the ACS for the TCCC (The Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care). Dr. Johannigman is an original member of the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and participates as a member of the Committees on EnRoute Care and Surgical Combat Casualty Care.

Dr. Johannigman is a Colonel in the Medical Corps of the United States Army Reserves. His most recent deployment was as Senior Medical Advisor to the Commander of Operation Resolute support as well as DCCS at Craig Joint Theater Hospital (October 2020 to June 2021). Prior to this most recent deployment Dr. Johannigman completed seven previous combat tours to southern Iraq and Afghanistan. Dr. Johannigman has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation medal, and the Air Force Meritorious Service Award amongst other decorations. With the Air Force he served as a Flight Surgeon. His current assignment is serving in an advisory role to The Uniformed Services Health Sciences University in Washington DC.

Dr. Johannigman maintains an active clinical practice across the surgical disciplines of trauma, surgical critical care, emergency general surgery as well as an elective practice in general surgery. Dr. Johannigman has active research interests in pulmonary failure, critical care monitoring and controlled loop ventilation. He is the funded principal investigator on several active protocols and leads a robust research effort. He has participated in the publication of over one-hundred peer reviewed publications, eighteen book chapters and one hundred abstracts.

Dr. Johannigman resides in Golden Colorado and is the proud father of two young adults, Taylor and Evan.

Amy Kimball
Amy Kimball, DO FAAP, is a General Pediatrician at Health Trust Physicians Clinic and Madison County Health Care System in Winterset, Iowa. After undergraduate studies at Cottey College and the University of Denver, and medical school at Des Moines University, she completed her pediatric residency at Blank Children’s Hospital where she served as Chief Resident. Following residency, Dr. Kimball joined the Health Trust Physicians Clinic with her family practitioner husband, Dr. Joseph Kimball, DO FAAFP. She has lived and practiced in Winterset for twenty years as the sole pediatrician treating patients in the clinic, emergency room and hospital.

Dr. Kimball is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the AAP Section on Osteopathic Pediatricians (SOOPe), having served multiple years on the board and as the President and Past President of the Iowa Chapter of the AAP from 2018-2020 and 2020-2022 respectively. She is active at the State and National level in advocacy and child health initiatives including tobacco and e-cigarette education, pediatric obesity, pediatric mental health, safety and injury prevention, and immunizations. Dr. Kimball currently serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Committee and as the E-Cigarette Chapter Champion for the Iowa Chapter of the AAP and is a member of the American Heart Association’s Tobacco- Free Taskforce Committee. Dr. Kimball is also an active member of the Iowa Medical Society and currently serves as the Chairperson for the County and Specialty Society Council and as a member of the Leadership Development Committee.

Dan McCabe
Dr. Dan McCabe is a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC), as well as a Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Iowa, Director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at UIHC, and Medical Director for Iowa Poison Control Center. Dr. McCabe received his medical degree from the University of Iowa. He completed a residency in emergency medicine at Cook County Hospital and a fellowship in medical toxicology at the Regions Hospital/Minnesota Poison Control System. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Medical Toxicology. Dr. McCabe has a broad range of interests including improvement of care for the poisoned patient, toxicology, addiction medicine, resource utilization, and public health.

Patrick McGonagill
Dr McGonagill is originally from the south suburbs of Chicago (Go White Sox). He went to the University of Iowa for undergrad and medical school. He trained in general surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and surgical critical care at the University of Minnesota. He then returned to the University of Iowa in 2016 where he has remained as an acute care surgeon. He is a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery, directs the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, and serves as Associate Trauma Medical Director at the University of Iowa. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Iowa Committee on Trauma.

Neil Morenz
Neil Morenz is a member of the Iowa State Patrol for 29 years. He was promoted to sergeant in 2019 and was assistant director commander post 7. He has a B.A. from Morningside University and graduate of Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command 571. In 2024 he was recipient of the Kremel Award. He has served as instructor for ILEA, Iowa DPS Academy, critical incident management team, crisis negotiation, collision reconstructionist.

Brooke Murtaugh
Dr. Brooke Murtaugh received her Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University in 2004. She began working as an occupational therapist at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in 2006. She has practiced brain injury rehabilitation for 17 years. Brooke serves as Madonna’s brain injury program manager and continues to practice as a clinician, primarily consulting on and treating the DOC population. She received her national certification as a Brain Injury Specialist in 2009 and Brain Injury National Specialist Trainer from the Brain Injury Association of America in 2016. Brooke is responsible for coordinating the care and rehabilitation programs serving Madonna’s brain injury population across the continuum of care at both the Madonna Lincoln and Omaha Nebraska campuses. Dr. Murtaugh is a member of the Disorders of Consciousness Task Force through the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the International Brain Injury Association DoC Special Interest Group and participates in the Family Education and Motor Disorders Task Force. She is also the co-chair of the International Curing Coma Campaign Care of the Coma Patient Work Group in partnership with the Neurocritical Care Societyand sits on the Coma Campaign’s Technical Work Group Committee. Dr. Murtaugh is an invited member of the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program’s TBI Best Practice Recommendations committee leading the development of the rehabilitation best practice recommendations. Dr. Murtaugh has presented in numerous regional and national presentations on brain injury. Most recently presenting internationally at World Coma Day 2022 and March 2023 in Dublin, Ireland at the IBIA World Congress on Brain Injury. She has a number of peer-reviewed journal publications focusing on DoC clinical care.

Chinedu Nwosa
Dr. Chinedu Nwosa is a board-certified orthopedic trauma surgeon and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He is a Nassau, Bahamas, native and has been practicing since 2009. Dr. Nwosa is the president of Iowa Ortho.

Dr. Nwosa pursued a career in orthopedic trauma because it allows him to be involved in providing a full spectrum of care to injured patients. It brings Dr. Nwosa great joy to see his patients make positive strides throughout recovery. He credits his trauma team in providing top-notch care and consideration to each person that walks through the doors of his practice. In addition to his practice, Dr. Nwosa has conducted multiple research studies and has been featured in several medical publications.

In his free time, Dr. Nwosa enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He also enjoys cooking, sports and reggae music.

Judy Placek
Judy has a Master’s Degree in Nursing and a post master’s certificate as a family nurse practitioner which she received from Clarkson College in 1999. She has been employed at Nebraska Medicine since 1996 and worked in Burn and Plastic Surgery for over 20 years. Her responsibilities included the intraoperative care as well as inpatient and outpatient clinical care of the acute and reconstructive burn and plastic surgery patient. In addition, she has an interest in burn disaster preparedness and served as the Midwest Region Burn Disaster Coordinator for 7 years. She has been a consultant with the American Burn Association and has presented locally, nationally and internationally on burn care and disaster preparedness.

She also has had the opportunity to participate in burn and reconstructive plastic surgery medical missions in China, Haiti, India, Bangladesh, and Kenya.

She joined the Nebraska Medicine Regional Disaster Health Response Ecosystem Grant Team in October 2019 and currently serves as the Burn Specialty Team Lead.

Brian Rechkemmer
Brian Rechkemmer, B.S., NREMT-P is a native of North Liberty, Iowa, he is the Program Director for Simulation in Motion – Iowa. Brian has been involved in the Emergency Medical Services for over three decades. Brian began teaching twenty-two years ago and has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach EMS for a variety of students across the state of Iowa. Over the course of a 30-year career Brian has worked in EMS and taught EMS whether full-time, part-time, or volunteer. Brian states “There is no greater feeling than once a learner has had the moment when everything clicks and all of the hard work, they have put into the course makes sense.”

Rick Sidwell
Dr. Rick Sidwell is a native of Davenport, IA, and a graduate of medical school from the University of Iowa. He is a trauma surgeon at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, a Level I trauma center in Des Moines. He has the unique perspective of having worked at Level I, Level II, Level III, and Level IV trauma centers. He has been active in the Iowa Trauma System since 2002. He is a longtime member of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, formerly serving as the chair Rural Trauma Committee and as the COT Chief for Region VII (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri). He led the development of the 4th edition of the Rural Trauma Team Development Course. Locally he serves as the Medical Director for his town’s (Bondurant, IA) EMS. He has been active in trauma education since 1994.

Dustin Smoot
Dr. Smoot completed his General Surgery Residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, IA followed by a Trauma and Surgical Critical Care fellowship at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He has been a Trauma attending at both facilities as well as spending 6 years at a small rural community hospital in the Black Hills of South Dakota doing the full breadth of General Surgery. Currently he is a Trauma and Acute Care Surgery attending at an ACS Level 2 facility in Sioux Falls, SD.

Joshua Stilley
Dr Joshua Stilley is an EM and EMS physician. He started in EMS in 2001 on Waukee Fire as a volunteer EMT/Firefighter. He attended undergrad at Iowa State University, medical school at the University of Missouri, and EM residency at the University of Iowa. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine and subspecialty board certified in EMS. He is the medical director for multiple Mid-Missouri agencies including University Ambulance and the Children’s Transport Team. He is active at the local, state and national level; and has a strong interest in EM and EMS education.

Jill Wheeler
Jill Wheeler obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in psychology, with minors in biology and neuroscience from Drake University in 2006. From there, she attended Mercy College of Health Sciences to obtain a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Jill’s nursing career began in critical care, where she held bedside and leadership positions during her 15 year tenure in the Neuro/Trauma/Medical ICU at MercyOne Des Moines. She has spent the last 3 years working in the Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services at Iowa HHS and is currently serving as the Trauma Program Director. In Jill’s free time, she volunteers for her local community EMS service, operates an in-home bakery, and spends time with her husband and three children.

Richelle Williams
Dr. Richelle Williams is an assistant professor at Drake University in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She holds an Iowa athletic training license and has a PhD from the University of Michigan related to pediatric sport-related concussions. Her research focuses on improving sports safety policies for secondary school athletes, including sport-related concussion research. She is a founding member of the Iowa Sports Medicine Advisory Committee aimed to create safe sport and activities for Iowa interscholastic participants. She has numerous peer reviewed publications and international, national and local presentations related to concussion and sport safety. She is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the National Academy of Practice and is actively involved in the athletic training profession and concussion research.

Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services (BEMTS) Panel
The Bureau of Emergency Medical and Trauma Services (BEMTS) serves as a regulatory arm of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, focusing efforts on regulating EMS services, providers, and training programs; overseeing the state trauma system; and verifying Iowa’s trauma care facilities. In addition to regulatory efforts, the Bureau provides consultation and technical assistance to EMS services and providers, data collection and analysis, and education. The Bureau administers various grant programs, including the current Helmsley Charitable Foundation Law Enforcement AED Grant and the First Responder Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) programs.

BEMTS works with the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (EMSAC), the Trauma System Advisory Council (TSAC), and the EMS Training Program Association to ensure that regulations align with the ever-changing EMS and trauma landscape and serve the public’s interest.