Gov. Perry Appoints Five to Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed five members to the Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services for terms to expire Jan. 1, 2018. The council helps federal, state and local agencies develop and implement an integrated, statewide program for emergency medical services (EMS).

Jodie Harbert III of College Station is a licensed EMT/paramedic and peace officer instructor, and director of the EMS program at Blinn College. He is education committee chairman of the Advisory Council on Emergency Medical Services, a member of the Dallas Area Crisis Response Team, past EMS committee chairman of the North Central Texas Regional Advisory Council, and a past member of Blue Print for Leadership and Reading Radio Resource. Harbert received a vocational degree in paramedicine from North Central Texas College. He is being reappointed.

Don Phillips of Graham is medical director of Brazos Emergency Physicians, and EMS medical director of LifeCare EMS. He is a board member of the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine, and a member of the American and Texas colleges of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians and American Osteopathic Association. He is also team physician for the Peaster High School Football Program. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Phillips received a bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University and a medical degree from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, and completed his emergency medicine residency at Doctors Hospital. He is being reappointed.

Karen Pickard of Ovilla is assistant EMS program director at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is a member of the National associations of Emergency Medical Technicians, EMS Educators and EMS Physicians, State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas, and North Texas Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association. She is a member of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing, National Fire Protection Association EMS Standards Technical Committee, and North Central Texas Regional Advisory Council on Trauma. She is also founder, past president and a current board member of the Dallas Area Crisis Response Team, secretary/treasurer of the North Texas Fire District, and a volunteer for the Ovilla Fire Department EMS Continuing Education Program. Pickard received a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and completed executive fire officer training at the National Fire Academy.

Shirley Scholz of Ransom Canyon is a registered nurse and regional clinical operations manager of AeroCare. She is a member of the American Society of Critical Care Nurses and the Association of Medical Transport Services, and a member and past president of the Texas Association of Air Medical Services. She is also a member of the New Mexico Medical Reserves Corps Serves and New Mexico Air Medical Transport Advisory Council. Scholz completed two years of program study at South Plains College and received a nursing diploma from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. She is being reappointed.

Alan Tyroch of El Paso is chief of surgery and trauma medical director at the University Medical Center of El Paso and chairman of surgery at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso. He is a member of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Western Surgical Association, Highlands Regional Rehabilitation Hospital Medical Executive Committee, and Trauma Center Association of America Reimbursement Committee. He is also second vice president of the Texas Surgical Society, a member of the American College of Surgeons Board of Governors, a board member and systems performance chairman of the Border Regional Advisory Council, and president-elect and trauma committee state chairman of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. Tyroch received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University and a medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and completed his general surgery residency at the Phoenix Integrated Surgical Residency Program and his trauma and surgical critical care fellowship at the University of California at Fresno.