Moderator

Jaime Duke, MSN, RN | Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Montana State University - Northern

Jaime Duke is currently serving as the Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences at MSU-Northern, where she was previously an Assistant Professor of Nursing MSU-Northern. She has over 10 years of experience which ranges in both urban and rural nursing with administration experience in emergency room nursing. She also served as a critical care transport nurse during her emergency nursing days in Memphis, TN. Jaime is currently working on her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at Walden University.

Panelist

Ben King, NRP, FP-C | CEO & Co-founder of Best Practice Medicine

Ben King is the founder and CEO of Montana based Best Practice Medicine (BPM). A leader in pre-hospital and critical care medicine for over a decade, he champions clinical excellence and best practice care as a clinician, educator and mentor. Ben is a sought after speaker on the science and practice of resuscitative medicine, team dynamics, cognitive performance, and human factors. He believes that by better understanding how humans make decisions under stress, more patients will survive and clinicians will enjoy longer, more meaningful careers. As the project director of the nation’s largest mobile simulation program, Simulation in Motion Montana, Ben leads the BPM simulation team in the delivery of world-class simulation training and cognitive preparedness in rural medicine. Simulation connects Ben’s lifelong interest in improving rural healthcare patient outcomes to his commitment to preparing teams of people for high consequence patient encounters. Ben lives and plays in Bozeman, MT with his wife, daughter, and dog, Gus, where they enjoy all that the mountains and rivers have to offer.

Panelist

Hope Evans, BSN, RN | Clinical Educator and ICU Nurse at Community Medical Center in Missoula

Hope Evans received her BSN from Montana State University.  She has worked at multiple hospitals across Montana in many various practice settings. She is passionate about the role nurses play in harm reduction, and is a fierce advocate for patient safety.  In her recent role as Clinical Educator, Hope spent three years educating all hospital employees on how to implement safety practices into their daily work. Over her career, Hope has served on the Council for Continuing Nursing Education with the Montana Nurses Association, and as a Montana Simulation in Motion Board Member. Currently, Hope works as a bedside nurse in the ICU at Community Medical Center in Missoula, MT. She also serves as Parish Council President for Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Missoula. She enjoys spending her free time outside with the loves of her life: her husband and two-year old daughter.

Panelist

Kris Kaull, NRP, FP-C |Chief Marketing Officer of Pulsara & Co-founder of EMS1.com and Paramedic.com

Kris Kaull is a serial entrepreneur with nearly 25 years of experience in public safety – both as a clinician and business professional; lending a unique perspective and vision to the industry. Kris is regarded as one of the leading national experts in online media and public safety as well as funky socks. He’s worked as a firefighter captain, paramedic, ambulance service director, and continues his practice as a critical care helicopter flight paramedic covering rural Montana and Yellowstone National Park. In 1999, just around the time that Al Gore invented the internet, Kaull created paramedic.com and, in 1997, co-founded EMS1.com (now the largest online paramedic resource) before transitioning to his current role to help launch Pulsara as the Chief Marketing Officer. Kris regularly presents on topics ranging from technology for first responders, current clinical issues, and leadership; all with a focus on the importance of human connection.

Panelist

Shari Graham, NRP | EMSTS Systems Manager for Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services

Shari Graham is the EMS System Manager for Montana DPHHS EMS & Trauma Systems Section. She is responsible for oversight of EMS Agency Licensing, Cardiac Ready Community Program, Community Integrated Health – Community Paramedic Program, EMS Data collection/ePCR system, EMS Trauma Education for Rural Providers Grant oversight, and all things EMS

Shari started her EMS career as a volunteer EMT for Aero Methow Rescue Service in Twisp, WA in 1984. She worked for Aero Methow Rescue Service as a responder and training coordinator for 10 years before moving to Montana in 1994. She also worked on early development of the State of Washington Trauma System through her Governor appointed position on the North Central Region EMS and Trauma Care Council. Shari has worked as a paramedic in Montana since 1998 and has been in her current position with the State of Montana since 2012. Shari enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. She enjoys camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, travel, cooking.

Panelist

Zach Sturges, MD |Board Certified Emergency Department Physician at Bozeman Health and Simulation Medical Director for Best Practice Medicine

Dr. Zach Sturges is a native of Montana and an emergency physician practicing in Bozeman, Montana. He attended medical school at the University of Washington and then completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of Utah. Following his residency, he completed a fellowship in medical education with a focus on simulation technology. Dr. Sturges remained on the faculty at the University of Utah after his fellowship and created simulation curriculum for emergency medicine residents and multidisciplinary disaster medicine courses. He is board certified in emergency medicine, has been a medical director for air ambulance services, and a volunteer medical professional for local ski patrols. He is committed to ongoing excellent medical education and brings experience from practice environments both urban and rural.