The education and training of EMTs and Paramedics does not end when they complete their initial education course and take their state and national examinations. Rather than a single training event, the education of an EMT and a paramedic is an ongoing and transformative process that lasts throughout the career of the provider. To that end, Zachary Menter, president and CEO of Menter Ambulance appointed Michael Kapas, NRP, FP-C, as director of training and quality to ensure providers receive ongoing continuing medical education and continuous quality feedback to ensure the highest standard of quality patient care.
“It is very exciting to be able to appoint Mike Kapas as director of training and quality,” Menter said. “Menter Ambulance is so fortunate to be able to put someone of this caliber and with his level of expertise and experience into this position. I foresee great opportunities for Menter Ambulance and our prehospital care providers with Mike in this position.”
Kapas has extensive experience in prehospital medicine, having obtained his paramedic credential following completion of the Stark County Paramedic Program of Aultman Hospital in 2004. Mike initially served as a field paramedic in North Carolina and continued his education and training into critical care medicine. Mike assisted in the development of a SWAT paramedic program, attained his flight paramedic (FP-C) and critical care paramedic (CCP-C) credentials as recognized by the International Board of Specialty Certification, and had provided advanced critical care services on the ground and in the air to the adult, pediatric and burn patient populations.
In addition to providing exceptional patient care to the critically sick and injured, Kapas has also served with distinction as the critical care team quality coordinator at Akron Children’s Hospital and the clinical supervisor and quality assurance coordinator with Mercy Flight Central, integrating objectified QA metrics into the clinical quality program. Since coming to Menter Ambulance, Kapas has been instrumental in training paramedics in the foundations of critical care medicine who ultimately obtained the coveted critical care paramedic (CCP-C) and flight paramedic (FP-C) designations, developed the critical care transport program, and was instrumental in Menter Ambulance being awarded the Upstate Medical University Critical Care Transport grant in August of 2022.
“My goals are to utilize national practice objectified quality metrics to increase clinical proficiency,” Kapas said. “In 2023, I plan to offer training sessions uncommon to the EMS industry such as quarterly crew simulation. These cases are being created to develop critical thinking, increase team dynamics, and force medical control considerations. The time to face a patient that possesses all these elements is first in simulation where a patient outcome is not truly at stake. My lifelong goal has been to play a role in expanding the clinical practice, and increasing the respect of EMS within healthcare.”
