About the Keynote Speakers

David Gurchiek, MS, NREMT-P is the Paramedic Program Director for Montana State University-Billings. Dave has been a paramedic since 1977 and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Public Safety and Healthcare. He serves as a nationally recognized lecturer, author, expert witness and consultant for pre-hospital emergency medicine. Dave’s teaching philosophy revolves around student needs and bridging classroom instruction to real street application.

Art Hsieh, MA, NREMT-P is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Education Director of the San Francisco Paramedic Association. He has directed both primary and continuing education programs for academic and fire-based EMS. Art recently published the Paramedic Companion (McGraw-Hill Publishing), a problem-based paramedic work text. He has been in the EMS profession for 26 years.

John C. Truba, BS, IC, CCEMT-P is the EMS Director at Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital in Charlotte, Michigan. He began his career in emergency medical care in 1975 as an orderly in a busy Emergency Room. Realizing there was more to life he became an ambulance attendant, working in a state of the art “classic” Cadillac ambulance. He received his first EMS license as a paramedic in 1979. In 1981 he participated in the pilot class for EMS Instructor Coordinators in Michigan and has been teaching ever since. John instructed all levels of EMS education as a faculty member and administrator at Lansing Community College’s EMS Program. He currently serves on the EMS Program’s Advisory Board, is the Chairperson of the District 1 Regional Medical Response Coalition, and is a past Chairman of the Tri-County Emergency Medical Control Authority. John serves as the Chief Judge for the Michigan ALS/BLS state competition. As a paramedic and director for a hospital owned EMS system he has crafted an intricate relationship for EMS personnel within the hospital and the community. Recently he joined the Eaton County Medical Examiner’s office as a medical examiner investigator. As a “troll” from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, John will provide you the lessons learned from being a hospital based EMS provider and thoughts about EMS personnel’s role in death and dying in the pre-hospital setting.