Doctor was nominated by flight paramedic recently killed while off-duty
PIKESVILLE, Md. (Nov. 20, 2008) – Maryland’s State Air Medical Director, who also serves as medical director for the State Police Aviation Command, was recently named the nation’s Air Medical Director of the Year, after being nominated by a dedicated trooper flight paramedic who lost his life just days after the award was presented.
Douglas J. Floccare, MD, MPH, FACEP, a 19-year-veteran as the Maryland State Police Aviation Command Medical Director with 32 years of pre-hospital and emergency care experience, was presented the 2008 Air Medical Physician Association’s Medical Director of the Year award last month in ceremonies at the organization’s national conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His nomination was selected from among physicians across the country who work with medical evacuation programs.
Dr. Floccare was nominated for the award by First Sergeant Tobin T. Triebel, who served as the Training Section Supervisor for the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. First Sergeant Triebel was struck and killed while jogging on November 7, 2008, during a vacation in North Carolina. Triebel was a 1987 graduate of Great Mills High School.
In his nomination, First Sergeant Triebel described the invaluable impact Dr. Floccare has had on the professionalism and expertise of the trooper/flight paramedics in the Aviation Command.
“During the last 19 years, Dr. Floccare has promoted EMS direction and oversight to one of the oldest and most highly acclaimed public medevac programs in the country,” First Sergeant Triebel said. “Through Dr. Floccare’s vision and management, he has ensured that over 150 trooper/flight paramedics…are delivering pre-hospital emergency medical care and treatment with the highest level of quality, service and innovation. Dr. Floccare has shown a relentless commitment to outfitting the program with the best trained personnel and the most advanced tools necessary to manage the worst trauma patients imaginable.”
First Sergeant Triebel listed the strict regime of training Dr. Floccare has implemented for trooper/flight paramedics.
“Dr. Floccare is dedicated to continually improving the quality of pre-hospital emergency medical care,” First Sergeant Triebel said. “He has instituted recurring training and quality assurance programs that include cadaver lab training every 12-24 months, annual adult and pediatric operating room airway training, scenario-based live patient and manikin simulation training, a yearly eight hour skills performance evaluation for all practicing flight paramedics, and has he has recently acquired state-of-the-art adult and pediatric human patient simulators.”
The members of the Aviation Command joined First Sergeant Triebel in his high praise for Dr. Floccare.
“Dr. Floccare has been an outstanding asset to the Maryland State Police over the past two decades and this award only validates our beliefs that his efforts are the best in the nation,” Major Andrew J. McAndrew, Commander of the Aviation Command said. “Dr. Floccare is completely committed to saving lives and it is because of his professional and personal dedication that we are confident the State Police flight paramedics who staff our helicopters possess the highest level of pre-hospital training and experience available anywhere in the country. As First Sergeant Triebel said, the Maryland State Police is very fortunate to have a consummate professional like Dr. Floccare as our Air Medical Director.”
Since 1989, Dr. Floccare has served as the Maryland State Air Medical Director for the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services Systems, the nation’s only coordinated statewide EMS program. He concurrently serves as the Air Medical Director for the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. Dr Floccare is a board-certified emergency physician and holds a master’s degree in public health. He is actively involved in the development of new patient care protocols and the oversight of ongoing care, and provides around-the-clock consultation for medical direction.
The Air Medical Physician Association is the largest professional organization of physicians dedicated to rotor wing (helicopter), fixed wing (airplane) and critical care ground transport. With over 400 members nationally and internationally, the Association represents extensive expertise in the field of medical transport. Its members represent many medical specialties including emergency medicine, critical care medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and various surgical sub-specialties. AMPA serves all physicians with an interest in critical care air or ground transport and offers opportunities for education, research and networking so that patients may receive the best care possible in the safest transport environment.
Source: MSP HQ, Pikesville