NEW FRONTIER
EMERGENCY MEDICINE SYMPOSIUM

Dr. Ed Racht has been involved in Emergency Medical Services and healthcare systems for more than 30 years. He currently serves as Chair of the Texas EMS, Trauma and Acute Care Foundation, an organization that provides advocacy, strategic planning and healthcare system credentialing in the State of Texas. Dr. Racht has been Chief Medical Officer for American Medical Response (AMR) since 2010. Prior to this role, he served as the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs for Piedmont Newnan Hospital in metro Atlanta. Dr. Racht was the first full-time Medical Director for the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services System, where he spent 13 years. The System was nationally recognized in the Institute of Medicine’s Report on the state of emergency care for its collaborative approach to challenging healthcare integration issues. Dr. Racht received his undergraduate and medical degree from Emory University in Atlanta and completed his residency at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Racht is the recipient of numerous awards including being named EMS Medical Director of the Year for the State of Texas, the American Heart Association’s Paul Ledbetter MD Physician Volunteer of the Year Award and was named a “Hero of Emergency Medicine” in 2008 by the American College of Emergency Physicians. In 2015, he was the first recipient of the Joseph P. Ornato Excellence in Clinical Leadership Award, and in 2011 received the Slovis Award for Educational Excellence by the U.S. Metropolitan Municipalities Medical Director Consortium. He is also the third Inductee in the Texas EMS, Trauma and Acute Care Foundation Hall of Fame.

Rod Landrum has spent over forty years in leadership positions and has trained thousands of individuals in productivity and self-improvement. He is a recognized speaker for delivering motivational, inspirational and positive messages to all types of audiences. Having been in leadership roles for the Franklin Covey Company and Labette Health Hospital as well as other executive positions, he laces his message with practical on- the- job examples and real life experiences. Rod and his wife Karen live in a small southeast Kansas town where they raised five boys.

Dr. Ritu Sahni is EMS Medical Director for two large counties in the Portland suburbs – Clackamas County and Washington County, OR.  He is co-host, with Mike Verkest, of the immensely popular podcast The EMS Show.  In 30 years of practice, Ritu has a wide range of experience in EMS and emergency medicine. He has served as Medical Director for air, critical care ground and 9-1-1 ground EMS systems.   These systems include hospital-based, municipal, private and fire-based agencies.  Ritu values national service and spent significant energy working to improve EMS as a profession and as a medical service.   He was President of the National Association of EMS Physicians and served many years as Chair of the NAEMSP Advocacy Committee.  He was a member of the first National EMS Advisory Council and has been on the Board of the National Registry of EMTs and Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for the EMS Professions.   Ritu has appeared in the Major League movie series as well as the TNT television show Leverage.   He was also backup point guard for the 1989 National Championship Michigan Basketball team.  One of the above statements is false.   

I grew up in Coeur d’Alene and got my undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. I will receive my MD from University of Colorado in May 2021 and begin my training in General Surgery in June at the University of Colorado. I am involved in research with Emergency Medicine and Toxicology regarding snake bite epidemiology and treatment protocols and am consulting with NASA’s Exploration Medical Capabilities project to determine medical risks in long-term space missions. I am honored to be returning to New Frontier to teach in the Anatomy Lab, but am happy to talk about anatomy, pediatric surgery, transplants, and trauma at any time!

Will Krost, MD, MBA, NRP, is an Emergency Physician, ED and EMS Medical Director, former flight physician, Paramedic, and former Hospital Administrator. Dr. Krost currently resides in Louisville, KY with his wife and 3 children.  He is the System Medical Director of Emergency Medicine, an Emergency Physician, and Residency Program Faculty member with the University of Louisville. Will has taught at Healthcare Conferences across the country and abroad for nearly 20 years. In addition to his conference work, Will has been a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Healthcare Leadership, Process Improvement, EMS, Physician Assistant Studies, and Pharmacology for over a decade.

More information coming soon.

Dan Livengood has been a Firefighter/Paramedic for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue for 25 years, a Flight Paramedic with Life Flight Network for 15 years and an EMT Basic instructor for 3 years.

Christopher Way Paramedic, BA Christopher Way has been an emergency service professional for 28 years. Chief Way transitioned to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue as the Fire Chief in May of 2020 after serving as the Chief Officer for the Kootenai County EMS System for the previous seven years. Chief Way came to Idaho from Kansas where he served in Fire and EMS roles in urban, sub-urban and rural settings. He was an EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and now has been a licensed paramedic since 1994 as well as a certified Firefighter. Throughout his career he has held different ranks culminating most recently in his promotion to Fire Chief.  He also has significant experience in disaster management at the local, state and national level. In addition to his full-time role as Fire Chief he is involved at the local, regional, state and national level in advocacy and leadership for emergency services.  He is a regular speaker at national conferences and in his spare time Chief Way and two partners own an Emergency Medicine education and consulting company. Passionate about emergency medical care, Governor Brad Little selected Chief Way to be the Chairman of the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council in May of 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Relations and maintains all of his Fire and EMS licenses/certifications.  He regularly donates time to his community, serves local non-profit organizations and is involved in his children’s many activities. Chris and his wife Jennifer live in Hayden, Idaho with their two daughters and four Labradors.