Introducing the 2024 EMSC Fellows

On behalf of the EMSC Program, the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) has announced the 2024 cohort of fellows. The 13 total fellows span numerous disciplines and were selected from across the country.

“We are fortunate to have a multidisciplinary group of physicians, nurses, EMSC stakeholders, and EMS clinicians ready to carry the mantel of EMSC into the future with individual projects and advocacy,” says Kathleen Adelgais, MD, MPH/MSPH, Prehospital Domain Co-Lead, who co-leads the Fellows Program with Corrie E. Chumpitazi MD, MS, FAAP, FACEP, Knowledge Management and Research Domain Co-Lead. “We can’t wait to see their impact in support of the EMSC Program over the next 12 months and beyond.”

Each fellow is assigned to an EIIC domain and will receive mentorship from that domain as they engage on key EMSC activities and projects, including national steering committees.

Advocacy Domain: 

Luis Restrepo, BSN, RN

Registered Nurse

Luis is currently a registered nurse in the emergency department at Children's Hospital Colorado. He earned his BSN at the University of South Florida. Luis has had a lifelong passion for the pediatric population. He previously worked as an educator helping kids who speak English as a second language hone their language skills through the arts. This passion for education carries over into his nursing career. As a proud Colombian American, Luis wishes to become a better advocate for minority populations as they navigate the intricacies of the health care system.

Isabel Sofia Sanchez-Cano MD, FAAP

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow

Isabel Sofia Sanchez-Cano is a second-year PEM fellow at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Puerto Rico. During her residency, she developed a passion for pediatric emergency medicine, advocacy, and EMS. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and playing pickleball.

Duane Spencer, BS, NRP

Paramedic and EMSC State Partnership Program Manager

Duane Spencer, BS, NRP, is the Pennsylvania EMSC State Partnership program manager. He is an active paramedic, EMS administrator, and consultant who partners with EMS agencies, hospitals, and support agencies to improve clinical care, medical knowledge, operations, and access regarding emergency pediatric care. As a seasoned field provider giving over four decades of services in EMS, Duane has a solid understanding of the EMS system, while also serving as a hospital administrator and gaining a strong appreciation for health care from the eyes of the facility.

Quality Improvement Collaboratives Domain: 

Chelsea Dubie, MEd, AEMT

EMSC State Partnership Program Coordinator

Chelsea Dubie is the Vermont EMSC Program Coordinator. She works at the Vermont Department of Health and as an Advanced EMT. Celsea has spent the last 10 years working at the health department as an injury and infectious disease epidemiologist, evaluator, and in other emergency preparedness and response roles. Chelsea has been an active member in the Vermont EMS community since 2012 and is the chief of EMS at her local fire department. As the mother of a non-verbal toddler with autism spectrum disorder, Chelsea has a particular interest in preparedness and health outcomes for children with special health care needs.

Bradley Starkey

Clinical Compliance Officer, Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator

Bradley Starkey has been in EMS for over 25 years, both in the military and civilian sector working in prehospital and hospital positions. He is currently the deputy chief of administration, clinical compliance officer and pediatric emergency care coordinator at Galveston County Health District with the Galveston Area Ambulance Authority. Prior to this, he was a flight paramedic for 16 years.

Communications Domain: 

Katelyn Perl, MS, CHES®

EMSC State Partnership Program Manager

Katelyn Perl is the Florida EMSC State Partnership program manager. Prior to joining the EMSC Program, she served as the project manager and an educator for the federally funded Pain Assessment and Management Initiative (PAMI®). Her inspiration comes from her future nephew and children.

Jake Toy, DO, MS

EMS Physician

Jake Toy is an EMS fellow physician working at the Los Angeles County EMS Agency. He cultivated his interest in improving prehospital care within his county through data-driven, system-level initiatives. His work at the EMS agency encompasses policy and protocol development, research, quality improvement projects, and EMS education. He also is currently a fellow physician in a two-year EMS/Disaster Medicine Fellowship with the Los Angeles County EMS Agency and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Disaster Domain: 

Natasha Bennett DO

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow

Natasha Bennett is a second-year PEM fellow at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. She completed her pediatric residency training, followed by a chief residency year, at the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit, MI. She has grown passionate about the field of disaster medicine. Additional medical interests include medical education and caring for marginalized communities. When not working, Natasha can be found chasing around her 2-year-old son or trying local coffee shops with her spouse. 

Kersten Bond, DO

Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow

Kersten Bond is a second-year pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Children's Hospital of Michigan. She attended medical school at Michigan State University, followed by a pediatric residency at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Throughout her medical training, she has developed a strong interest in pediatric disaster medicine and preparedness. Outside of medicine, Kersten enjoys concerts, exploring new cities, and trying out new restaurants.

Hospital Domain: 

Kate Smith, ASN, RN-CEN

Nurse, Clinical Coordinator, Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator

Kate is an ED nurse, Clinical Coordinator, and PECC at Terre Haute Regional Hospital in Indiana. She graduated with her ASN in the spring of 2018 and has been at Terre Haute Regional ever since. She now works in the role of clinical coordinator with a special interest in pediatric care and has assumed the role of PECC for the pediatric ready campaign.

Knowledge Management Domain: 

Jessica "Jess" Davis, BA, NRP, EMS CE-I

EMSC State Partnership Program Manager

Jess Davis is the Ohio EMSC State Partnership program manager, working through Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and has been a paramedic for over 20 years. Her passions include emergency care, disaster preparedness, first responder peer support, and trauma/post-disaster resiliency and mental health. She has worked in EMS throughout Ohio, Colorado, and Minnesota in a wide variety of settings spanning from urban regions to remote site work in the oil and gas industry. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, exploring, and frequenting amusement parks with her son, Kelley. Together, Jess and Kelley are also spending time with their new Siamese kitten, Talia.

John Erbayri, MS, NRP, CHSE

Manager, Program Director

John Erbayri is the manager for the Center for Life Support Education & Outreach at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Program Director for Prehospital Outreach for CHOP's Academy for Resuscitation of Children and ExPERT Center focusing on improving EMS clinicians’ competence and confidence in pediatric resuscitation. He is a nationally registered paramedic, certified health care simulation educator and is an active 911 paramedic for Marple Township Ambulance Corps in Delaware County, PA.

Trauma Domain: 

Jennifer York, APRN, MNSc, CPNP-AC

Nurse Practitioner

Jennifer York is a pediatric trauma and general surgery nurse practitioner at Arkansas Children's Hospital, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Her professional interests in pediatric trauma include education, multidisciplinary collaboration, mental health, and pediatric readiness. She enjoys being involved in pediatric trauma on a local and national level because it allows her to collaborate with her peers and bring new ideas back to Arkansas.