What truly separates average EMS agencies from elite, high-performance systems?

In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, host Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Casey Patrick, Medical Director for MCHD EMS, to explore how top-tier EMS organizations think, lead, and deliver patient care at a higher level.

Dr. Patrick shares his unique path into EMS medical direction and explains why great systems focus on developing clinicians, not protocol memorizers. The conversation dives into the often-misunderstood role of medical direction, the importance of culture and shared decision-making, and how thoughtful oversight improves outcomes for both patients and providers.

This episode is a must-listen for EMTs, paramedics, EMS leaders, educators, and medical directors who want to understand what excellence in EMS really looks like.

· What defines a high-performance EMS system

· Why medical direction is about culture, not control

· How elite agencies develop critical thinking and accountability

· The risks of protocol-only thinking in patient care

· How strong medical oversight improves outcomes and provider confidence

🎧 Listen to the full episode:
👉 https://pod.link/1810050200

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ut2uUHTNsb4

This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not replace local medical direction, protocols, or professional medical advice.

When Ignoring Your Health Finally Catches Up With You

Most people don't wake up one day unhealthy.
They arrive there slowly — one compromise at a time.

In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Matt Nealand talks with Charles Fielder, who openly shares how years of putting everything and everyone else first led him to a breaking point at 375 pounds.

Charles walks through the moment he realized his health was no longer something he could postpone, the difficult honesty required to face it, and the steps he took to finally turn things around — including the role a GLP-1 medication played in resetting his trajectory.

While Charles is not from the EMS world, his story mirrors a pattern many first responders know well: ignoring personal health in the name of service, responsibility, and endurance.

This is not a medical episode.
It is a human one.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How health decline happens quietly, not suddenly
• Why people who serve others often neglect themselves
• The moment "later" turns into "now"
• Using modern tools responsibly as part of long-term change
• Taking ownership before your health forces the issue

🎧 Listen now: https://pod.link/1810050200

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yCz_148yIcw

In this episode, Matt Nealand sits down with Steve Tafoya, a critical-care paramedic, U.S. Coast Guard veteran, EMS educator, and former State EMS Program Manager for Nevada.
With more than 25 years of experience across frontline care, regulation, leadership, and system design, Steve brings a unique perspective on how to improve EMS, build better leaders, and prepare the next generation for the realities of public safety.

This episode covers:
• High-risk decision-making
• What EMS must fix to grow
• Leadership development in public safety
• Clinical access challenges
• Building systems that serve providers and patients

🎧 Listen now on Podlink: https://pod.link/1810050200

Watch here: https://youtu.be/zoQeokPLPEM

In this powerful episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Don Wood, founder of the Inspired Performance Institute and creator of the TIPP Method, to unpack how unresolved trauma, chronic stress, and environmental triggers quietly sabotage human performance—especially for EMS professionals.

Dr. Wood explains why the brain isn't "broken" but simply interrupted, and how healing old patterns can unlock clarity, emotional regulation, and higher-level decision-making. Matt and Dr. Wood explore how this applies to EMTs, paramedics, and anyone working in high-stakes environments.

In this episode you'll learn:

· Why trauma is not what people think it is

· How the brain stores "glitches" that interrupt performance

· Why EMS providers often carry invisible burdens from calls

· How to reset the nervous system and reduce triggers

· The science behind the TIPP Method

· Practical steps to improve focus, emotional stability, and sleep

🎧 Listen now: https://pod.link/1810050200

Rebekah Gregory's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM4CCauqEhs

Evan Carmichael goes through the process: https://youtu.be/pIU1TsnrDeQ?si=e4ogadhtnTVZuGjy

Dr. Don Wood: https://www.inspiredperformanceinstitute.com/

Ready to get your EMT or paramedic certification? Or want EMS training at your department? Or ready to get your Bachelor's Degree in Health Sciences EMS from Texas State University? Reach out here: www.EMTSAcademy.com

When lives are on the line, you don't just need skills — you need a framework for making clear decisions under pressure.

In this special EMTS Academy session, Program Director and paramedic of nearly 30 years Matt Neland sits down with Justin "Hasard" Lee, F-16/F-35 fighter pilot and author of The Art of Clear Thinking, to translate combat-tested decision frameworks directly into EMS.

Hazard shares a gripping story from Afghanistan, where a fuel emergency, a destroyed runway, and a team of strangers in the sky turned into a masterclass in calm, coordinated decision making. Together, Matt and Hasard walk through the five laws of ownership and the ACE decision framework — adapted specifically for EMTs and paramedics.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why good teams focus on tasks but great teams own the outcome

• The Five Laws of Ownership and how they map directly to EMS

• The ACE framework (Assess–Choose–Execute) for high-stakes decisions

• How to "wind the clock" and avoid freezing when everything goes sideways

• The power of micro-debriefs and the "3×3" method to get better after every shift

• How to build a culture where people take ownership instead of waiting for orders

Whether you're a new EMT or a seasoned paramedic, this conversation will change how you think about leadership, decision making, and teamwork on every call.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to think more clearly when seconds count.

In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Matt Nealand sits down with Mike Knipstien for a powerful conversation about money, budgeting, and financial freedom for EMTs and Paramedics. Mike shares the real-world strategies he and his wife have used for more than 20 years to create stability—strategies that allowed her to stay home and raise their children without financial stress.

From tackling debt to using the envelope system, from syncing calendars to using EveryDollar to plan their future, Mike breaks down the habits that help first responders get ahead, not fall behind. If you've ever struggled with irregular income, unexpected expenses, overtime dependence, or the feeling that "the money disappears," this episode will show you where to start.

Whether you're early in your EMS career or you've been on the truck for decades, this straight-talk money guide will help you build a life with margin, peace, and long-term security.

Topics include:

• Why most medics feel "behind" financially
• The #1 budgeting habit that changed Mike's family
• How he and his wife successfully budgeted for 20 years
• Why budgeting creates freedom, not restriction
• The money mindset every EMT and Paramedic should develop
• Real strategies to reduce stress and build long-term stability

Listen now and start building the life you want—one dollar at a time.

Mike's Website: https://www.onpoint-financial.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mike-knipstein-7215a7ba

Watch: https://youtu.be/r7t5LndQOxY

EMTS Academy: https://emtsacademy.com/

Connect with Matt: linkedin.com/in/mattnealand

In this episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, host Matt Nealand talks with entrepreneur and author Rich Christiansen about what it truly means to build resilience that lasts a lifetime.

From climbing Kilimanjaro with his sons to helping families rediscover their values, Rich shares stories and frameworks that teach us how to stay grounded, connected, and "anti-fragile" in a world that often feels chaotic.

You'll learn:

• Why defining your values changes everything

• How to build family and team cultures that endure

• The "kidney test" that reveals what real wealth is

• How breathwork, stillness, and small habits build mental toughness

This episode is a masterclass in leadership, legacy, and the mindset behind doing hard things.

🎧 Listen now — and discover how to lead, live, and serve with purpose.

In this inaugural episode of the EMTS Academy Podcast, Program Director Matt Nealand sits down with Dr. Jeff Jarvis—emergency physician, medical director, and host of the EMS Lighthouse Project Podcast. From his early days as a volunteer firefighter in East Texas to becoming one of the most respected voices in prehospital medicine, Dr. Jarvis shares lessons on leadership, lifelong learning, and how to think clearly under pressure.

He discusses what makes a great clinician (hint: it's not your IV skills), how research shapes better patient care, and why embracing tools like AI and ChatGPT can make smarter, more reflective medics. With humor, humility, and hard-won wisdom, this conversation dives deep into what it means to serve, learn, and lead in EMS today.