Kansas Cyclist Podcast Episode 21 - KansasCyclist.com and EPNetwork

Episode 21 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast for June 15, 2010 includes an interview of Andy Clarke who is the president of the of the League of American Bicyclists.  We also, catch up with a few cyclists that are Biking Across Kansas during their tour, and finally we talk with the folks at RoadID about their personal identification products for cyclists.

Andy Clarke has more than 25 years of experience in cycling advocacy. He is currently the president of the League of American Bicyclists, whose mission is to promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. His past experience includes stints at the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, the Bicycle Federation of America (now the National Center for Bicycling and Walking), and as a consultant to the Federal Highway Administration.

Andy’s passion for cycling started when he was growing up in England, and has stayed with him through hundreds of thousands of miles of cycling on four continents. He is recognized as a policy expert on almost every aspect of bicycling, and still enjoys a tough climb on his Trek touring bike better than anything else.

After the Bike League released their recent Bicycle Friendly State rankings, in which Kansas made a huge leap, from the 33rd most bike-friendly state, to the 13th. Although this was great news for bicycling in Kansas, we were frankly a bit puzzled by the big jump.
Andy fills us in on how the Bicycle Friendly State program works, as well as the related programs such as Bicycle Friendly Communities and Bicycle Friendly Businesses. We also discuss the League Cycling Instructor (LCI) program, which offers instructors and classes to help people ride their bikes safely and confidently on our roadways.

This is a fascinating discussion, and not just the details about how the programs work, but the larger picture, of how America as a whole is moving toward becoming a much better place to ride our bikes. This is an exciting time!

We’d like to welcome RoadID aboard as the latest sponsor of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast. In this episode we talk with RoadID co-founder Edward Wimmer (shown on the right) and Director of Marketing P.J. Rabice (left) about the RoadID a product line, how the company was started, and how their products benefit cyclists, runners, and other athletes.

RoadID is an innovative personal identification product that you wear around your wrist, around your neck, or attached to a shoe. In the event of an accident, if you can’t speak for yourself, your RoadID will. It contains all the information first responders, such as police and EMS, need to get you the medical attention you need, and to contact your loved ones.

RoadID has kindly provided gift certificates, which we’ll be passing along to podcast listeners in the coming months. We’re still working out the details, so stay tuned to upcoming episodes.  In the meantime, check out the RoadID product line, which includes not just the wearable identification, but safety accessories such as lighting and reflective products, as well as RoadID apparel.

Both Randy and Ed, co-hosts of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast, have been RoadID customers for a long time, and neither of us will go for a ride without this critical piece of safety equipment. We think it’s that important.

The Biking Across Kansas tour wrapped up their week-long ride across the Sunflower state last weekend, and the podcast team got the chance to ride along for part of one day. In our “On The Scene” segment, we check in with BAK riders Mark and David Rainey, Robert Garcia, and Tim Oberle and let them share a bit about their experiences on the tour.

Pictured left to right are Robert Garcia, Tim Oberle, Randy Rasa, Mark Rainey, David Rainey, and Ed Eroe

This post is copied and adopted from Randy Rasa's Show Notes for Episode 21 of the Kansas Cyclist Podcast. 

Air Medical Today Episode 21 - EPNetwork

Episode 21 of the Air Medical Today Podcast has been published.  In this episode I interview Tammy Chatman, who is the Professional Relations/Marketing Manager and Public Information Officer for the Flight For Life Transport System's McHenry, Illinois base who will be talking about  Public Relations and Marketing.  There is also an update on the CareFlite crash on June 2, 2010.

Tammy has 20 years experience in the air medical industry as a Professional Relations/Marketing Manager and Public Information Officer for the Flight For Life Transport System's McHenry, Illinois base.  She is the vice chair of the AAMS Communications and Public Relations Committee and the Region 5 Director of the National Information Officers Association.

Tammy has presented on local, regional and national level on topics ranging from helicopter safety, post accident/incident planning, to patient/family advocacy.  In 2006 she authored the chapter on "Post Accident/Incident Planning" for Principles and Direction of Air Medical Transport.

Tammy graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a bachelor of science degree in 1981 and obtained her CMTE from the Medical Transport Leadership Institute in 2008.  She lives in Eagle, WI with her horse Dante and dog Cyrus.  Tammy travels to the Western United States to hike and snowshoe any time the opportunity arises.

Air Medical Today Episode 20 - EPNetwork

Episode 20 of the Air Medical Today Podcast has been published.  In this episode I interview of Steve Johnson, Director of Government Affairs and Industry Relations for PHI Air Medical who talks about EMS and Air Medical Education.  There is also an update on the CareFlite crash on June 2, 2010.

Prior to joining PHI Steve was the Director of Business Development at Clarian Health and was employed previous to that as the Director of Clarian Critical Care Transport and LifeLine.  LifeLine is the transport service for the third largest health system in the United States and they provide rotor wing, fixed wing, and ground transportation services.

Steve first became involved in healthcare through the Skyland Volunteer Fire Service in 1988. His first entry into critical care transport came as a Paramedic and Communications Specialist with Mission Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina in the early 1990s, eventually serving on several steering committees for the North Carolina Office of EMS, authoring a portion of the EMS Instructor curriculum, and helping write the guidelines for Critical Care Transport for the state.

He served as Chief Flight Paramedic at the University of North Carolina Hospitals and helped to further develop the critical care ground transport program for the hospital, and then worked as a transport nurse and EMS Coordinator for Duke Life Flight. In each of these roles Steve served on several state and national committees involved in shaping EMS education.

Education has always been a passion for Steve. He was a full time EMS Faculty Member at A-B Tech Community College teaching in the Associate Degree and Continuing Education programs. He also served as the Director of the Center for Pre-hospital Medicine helping with the first academy program for EMT to Paramedic education for the Mecklenburg, North Carolina EMS which had a 100% pass rate on the North Carolina Paramedic exam.

Steve also created the AAMS Medical Transport Educator Special Interest Group and served on the AAMS Education Committee for nearly 9 years.  He obtained his undergraduate degree from Winston Salem State University in 2000 and his Masters in Health Sciences and Clinical Leadership, with Minor in Instructional Technology, from Duke University School of Medicine in 2002.

Steve lives in Jonesborough, Tennessee with his fiance Katie Lloyd