About us
Our Staff
Maia S. Rutman, MD
Program Director
Dr. Rutman has served as Program Director/Principal Investigator for the New Hampshire EMS for Children Program at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) since 2007. She is the Regional Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine for Dartmouth Health and the Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Services at DHMC, where she cares for pediatric patients in the Emergency Department. Dr. Rutman trained in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston and Boston Medical Center and in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Hasbro Children’s Hospital prior to moving to New Hampshire. Dr. Rutman served as the Associate Program Director of the DHMC Emergency Medicine residency program from 2017-2023, and is a core faculty member for the DHMC Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics residency programs. She has lectured regionally and internationally on varied Pediatric Emergency Medicine topics.
Maria Varanka, MS, NRAEMT
Program Manager
Maria Varanka, began working as the New Hampshire EMS for Children program manager in November 2025. Prior to that she spent four years working for the New Hampshire Bureau of EMS managing statewide education and training. She was particularly invested in maternal health initiatives, coauthoring simulation-based education for New Hampshire EMS to address the growing maternal health deserts across the state. Her clinical background is primarily in the prehospital setting having worked on several local 911 and interfacility transfer services as well as in emergency departments and a walk-in care center. Maria holds a master’s degree in emergency management and a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. She is particularly interested in working with interdisciplinary teams to address the emergency healthcare system. Maria lives on the seacoast with her husband and dog, Begonia.
Alexis Cordone, MD
Dr. Alexis Cordone is an emergency physician at Dartmouth Health, where she works in the emergency department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center as well as at several affiliated critical access hospitals in New Hampshire and Vermont. She also serves as the physician Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC) for some of the critical access hospitals affiliated with Dartmouth Health and sits on the New Hampshire EMSC Advisory Committee. Dr. Cordone graduated from medical school at the University of Connecticut and completed her residency in emergency medicine followed by a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Yale.
Dr. Cordone is a nationally recognized advocate for children’s health. Through her published writing, she draws attention to issues such as children's health and safety, violence prevention, and the challenges of delivering emergency care in rural communities. She is deeply committed to education and systems improvement. She regularly teaches emergency medical service providers, nursing and medical students, and residents while working to strengthen pediatric care across New Hampshire, Vermont, and the broader region.
Advisory Committee
- Alexis Cordone, Dartmouth Health, EMSC
- Tracey Croteau, Elliot Hospital
- Bethany Drew, NH 911
- James Esdon, Injury Prevention Center
- Eric Jaeger, True North Group, FAN
- Anne Meginniss, University of New Hampshire
- Matthew Robblee, Division of Fire Standards and Training & EMS, Peterborough Fire Department
- Dalton Rose, Dartmouth Health
- Maia Rutman, Dartmouth Health, EMSC
- Stacey Savage, NH Emergency Nurses Association
- Maria Varanka, Dartmouth Health, EMSC
- Laurie Warnock, Northern New England Poison Center, FAN
- Vacant, NH Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Partnerships
The NH EMSC Program works in partnership with many state and national organizations to improve emergency care of children in New Hampshire and across the country.
