​WV WildMed
FACULTY
​James Augustine, MD, FACEP
Dr. Augustine is chair of the National Clinical Governance Board of US Acute Care Solutions, based in Canton, OH. He is an emergency physician with many years of service in Emergency Medicine and EMS. Jim serves as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, OH. He serves as the Medical Director for the Fire Rescue agencies in Atlanta, GA; Naples, FL; and in Dayton, OH. His roles include the Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport Fire Rescue division. He served as Assistant Fire Chief and Medical Director District of Columbia Fire EMS Department, and was the first Chair of the Ohio EMS Board. He currently serves on the ACEP Board of Directors.
Michael Carney, D.O., FACOEP
Dr. Carney is a 1994 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is residency trained and board certified in emergency medicine with over 20 years of clinical experience. He is a practicing emergency physician with WVU/Reynolds Memorial Hospital in Glendale, WV. He is a former paramedic/EMT with 8 years of experience in the field. He has served as medical director for many EMS agencies. Dr. Carney is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine for the West Virginia and Lake Erie Schools of Osteopathic Medicine.
​Jeff Hinshaw, PA-C
Mr. Hinshaw is a Senior Physicians Assistant employed by the Department of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. He has many years of experience as a Critical Care Paramedic and is very active in EMS education and medical direction. Mr. Hinshaw is a well recognized national speaker and has multiple publications dealing with various prehospital and wilderness medicine topics.
​Air Evac Lifeteam
Mr. Kevin Bess, EMT-P, Flight Paramedic for Air Evac Lifeteam and Mr. Chris Eades RN, AEL Senior Program Director for WV. These highly skilled prehospital healthcare professionals bring to our program many years of experience in flight medicine, rope rescue and swiftwater rescue in the state of WV. All three are Critical Care Transport certified providers in the state of WV.
​Joseph Dougherty, DO, FACOEP
Dr. Dougherty is residency trained and board certified in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. He is a partner in US Acute Care Solutions and serves as the Program Director of the EM residency program at Ohio Valley Medical Center and has 20 years of experience in medical education. He serves as the medical director for Bethlehem Fire and Rescue, Barton Fire and Rescue and Limestone Fire and Rescue. Dr. Dougherty is also a member of ACOEP Research Committee and is a Clinical Associate Professor for LECOM, WVSOM, and MSUCOM.
Rex Lasure, MD, FACEP
Dr. Lasure is a board certified Emergency Physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. He serves as the Regional EMS Medical Director for Region X and XI in WV. He has an avid interest in outdoor and wilderness activities and years of close interaction with the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a past president of WV ACEP.
Lisa Hrutkay, DO, FACEP
Dr. Hrutkay is a board certified Emergency Physician with 20 years of experience and has over 20 years in EMS as paramedic and EMS medical director. She serves as medical director for three EMS agencies in WV and is the Medical Director for Air Evac Lifeteam bases in WV and OH. Lisa has served in the past on the Board of Directors and is a past president of WV ACEP. She is the founder of the first osteopathic wilderness medicine rotation in the U.S. and had also served as Core Faculty for the EM Residency Program at OVMC. She is currently employed by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine as the Statewide Campus Northern Regional Dean.
Mark Waddell, D.O.
Dr. Waddell is a 1990 alumnus of the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine and currently serves as the Alumni Board president. Since 2002, he has been employed by Team Health as the Facility Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Braxton Memorial Hospital. He is a long time member of the International Wilderness Medicine Society and a frequent lecturer on Wilderness Survival to healthcare providers and lay persons. He also serves on the Physician Advisory Council for HealthNet Aeromedical Services and provides survival training for the medical crews. He is an avid scuba diver, kayaker and backpacker.
Michael J. Tranovich, D.O.
Dr. Tranovich is an emergency physician currently employed through Allegheny Health Network Emergency Medicine Management/USACS. He enjoys more than 40 days per winter skiing in the Rockies with more than half in the Colorado backcountry. He also enjoys fly fishing and hiking in the warmer months. He has completed the AIARE 1 recreational avalanche safety course, continuously self-studies various texts on backcountry safety, and regularly follows the backcountry avalanche forecasts.
Tom Fledderus, NREMT-P
Tom serves as a Captain for the City of Wheeling Fire Department and has been a professional firefighter/paramedic for 24 years. He holds National Registry and Critical Care Paramedic certification. He currently participates on the WFD dive team, swift water rescue team and is a member of the West Virginia Northern Regional Response Team as a Hazardous Materials Technician.Tom is also an instructor for the West Virginia Public Service Training (RESA 6) and holds a committee position on the Boy Scouts of America, Ohio Valley Council, Properties Committee. He is still active with his local BSA, Order of the Arrow Lodge.
Mike Gray & Tracey Gray
Mike Gray is Chief of the Ansted Fire Department. He holds certification as "Specialist" in High Angle Rescue. He is the co-founder of the Fayette County Vertical Rescue Team, formed in 1995, and currently serves as its leader. The team has responded to well over 100 climbing accidents in the New River Gorge in the last few years.
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Tracey Gray is a Critical Care Transport Paramedic and serves as one of the Vertical Rescue Team's main rescuers. She is the head of WV largest privately owned ambulance service's training center and is also 1st Sergeant in the WV Army Reserve with 25 years of service. Mike and Tracey founded the Battle in the Gorge EMS Rescue Competition in 2015.
Nate has served as a U.S. Park Ranger for the National Park Service for the last ten years. Prior to that, he worked in the whitewater industry for 13 years. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and holds a Masters Degree from Ohio University. He is currently the Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator for the New River Gorge National River. He is a high angle and swiftwater rescuer and has been involved in numerous land, water and high angle search and rescue operations during his career. He also serves as the site coordinator and on command staff for the Basic Technical Rescue Training Class for the NPS east coast parks.
Nate Freier
Paul Seamann, RN, MCCP, MSM-HCA
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Paul has worked in the EMS field for over 38 years. He is Director of Operations of Jan-Care Ambulance Service, Inc which operates 100 ambulances in twelve WV counties that respond to over 125,000 EMS calls per year.
Jan-Care ambulances provide EMS mass gathering coverage for the annual WV Bridge Day (90,000 visitors and 450 parachutists) and the Scout BSA national and international jamborees with 50,000 participants from across the country and around the world.
Paul Seamann has 30 years of basic and advanced life support, rescue and critical care training experience.
PA Strike Team 1 USAR
CHRIS CHIPRICH -
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Chris is a Rescue Specialist and Medical Technician with PA Strike Team 1 asset based in Pittsburgh. He has served on the team for 5 years and has extensive EMS, fire and rescue background.
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BRAIN KOKKILA -
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Brian is the Deputy Chief of Planning and Training for PA Strike Team 1 US&R asset based in Pittsburgh and has been with the team since its inception. He has extensive technical rescue experience including Operations Section leadership in multiple technical rescue challenges.
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DON SCELZA -
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Don is a Medical Specialist, Rescue Specialist and Safety Officer for PA Strike Team 1 and has been with the team since its formation. He has extensive background in EMS, Urban Search and Rescue, as well as Lost Person Search Management and Wilderness Medicine.
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J.Randy Howell, DHSc, PA-C
Randy is an emergency medicine PA at Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, VA. He is also the Advanced Practice Clinician Emergency Medicine Fellowship Director at Carilion Clinic and an assistant director of the the Carilion Clinic Wilderness Medicine Fellowship. He is an assistant professor at the Radford University-Carilion PA program. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine. He is a core instructor for Blue Ridge Adventure Medicine. He is a member of the National Ski Patrol and a professional river guide. His instructor certifications include, AWLS, OEC and level 4 Swiftwater Rescue.