By Leila Merrill
Platte City, Mo. — The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch and created in collaboration with the Fitch EMS Foundation, announced its inaugural recipient Tuesday.
The fellowship goes to Matt Parrish, a captain with the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Fire.
The fellowship is “designed to allow selected individuals to learn the principles espoused by Stout, including people-centered leadership, data-driven decision-making, effective quality improvement and system-wide thinking,” according to a news release.
“I’m super excited for this honor and so appreciative of this opportunity,” said Parrish.
He will attend the Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum next week as a first step in the fellowship.
Parrish said he feels that EMS in the fire service is at a crossroads and that the fellowship will help him figure out how he can help and lead others through change.
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Parrish and other fellows will be mentored by FirstWatch senior leaders Todd Stout, founder and president; Randy Skomsvold, vice president and COO; Silvia Verdugo, MD, MPH, medical director; Mike Taigman, improvement guide; among others, including Jay Fitch and other members of the Fitch leadership team. Other leaders will offer their perspectives, too.
The fellowship is named for the late Jack Stout, who is considered by many the father of high-performance EMS systems.
Todd Stout said his father is remembered by many people as an important mentor to them.
“The fellowship is a way to continue his legacy and give back to the EMS profession,” he said. “There were nearly 20 highly qualified applicants from the US and Canada, making this an incredibly tough decision for the committee — I’m happy for Matt and wish everyone else the best.”