MEMS - English - About MEMS - Executive Committee

About MEMS - Executive Committee

	George McLellan President & Chief Executive Officer Medavie EMS In October 2005, George McLellan joined Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) as the President and Chief Executive Officer. EMC is responsible for management of the ground and air ambulance operations and medical communications centre for the Province of Nova Scotia under contract with Emergency Health Services (EHS), a division of the Nova Scotia Department of Health. Responding to the growth of the business into other markets, Mr. McLellan established the Medavie EMS Group of Companies (MEMS).
MEMS currently operates provincial ambulance services in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick – including the Atlantic Paramedic Academy, and Muskoka, Ontario. Medavie EMS recently commenced its own communications and dispatch operation, Medacom Atlantic. Medavie EMS is involved in developing other models of health care solutions in the markets it serves, to meet the challenges in today’s health care. George McLellan has held positions within government, both provincial and local, including Chief Administrative Officer for the Halifax Regional Municipality. Mr. McLellan also spent many years in Corporate and International Banking with the Royal Bank. George is a member of the Dalhousie University Board of Governors. In the past, George has served on various boards including Chair for the Halifax VON, Board Member of Saint Mary's University and the Greater Halifax Partnership. Mr McLellan is active in fundraising efforts, including the United Way, the Initial Capital Campaign for the QEII Hospital, and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. George McLellan holds a bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Business Administration, and is a Member of the Certified Management Accountants Society. He currently resides in Nova Scotia with his wife and two children.
	Doug Sabean VP Finance & Chief Financial Officer Medavie EMS Doug Sabean is the Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer for the Medavie EMS Group of Companies. Doug is responsible for Risk Management, Corporate Reporting, Measurement, and Analysis of Key Performance Indicators. Doug leads a team of Finance professionals, who are responsible for the overall financial management and reporting for the Group of Companies. Doug joined the Medavie EMS Group of Companies in January 1998, as the Chief Financial Officer for Emergency Medical Care Inc (EMC). He is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia, as well as the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Prior to Joining EMC, Doug worked with Doane Raymond Chartered Accountants (now Grant Thornton) as a Senior Manager. Doug holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University, and has completed the CFO Leadership Program from the Alberta Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the Executive Program from Queen’s University. Doug is currently the treasurer of First Baptist Church in Dartmouth, currently sits as a Director on the Board of the Property Valuation Services Corporation. Doug has previously been on the Board of Directors for the Kidney Foundation of Canada and Northwood Inc.
	Tim Coolen Vice President Shared Services Medavie EMS Tim is Vice President, Shared Services, for the Medavie EMS Group of Companies. Tim leads a team of Principals, a Director, and support staff in corporate areas of responsibilities that include: Clinical Quality & Patient Safety; Operations Quality; Business Planning and Development; System Design and Technologies; HR Corporate Policy and Compensation; plus Corporate Procurement and Facilities. Tim held the position of Vice President Business Development and IT Services at Emergency Medical Care Inc. from 2003 to 2007. Prior to joining The Medavie EMS Group of Companies, he was a senior management consultant with Eastbridge Consulting Inc., a Maritime Canada consulting firm, where he assisted clients in the health, telecommunications, and insurance industries. Tim holds a Bachelor of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University, PMP designation from the Project Management Institute, and recently completed a Masters of Business Administration from Fredericton University.
	Alexander ‘Sandy’ MacQuarrie Program Director, Atlantic Paramedic Academy Educational Services Director, Medavie EMS Alexander (Sandy) MacQuarrie is the Director of Educational Services for Medavie EMS. In that role, he oversees Paramedic education at the Maritime School of Paramedicine and the Atlantic Paramedic Academy as well as targeted emergency services training. Sandy graduated from Paramedic training programs in Prince Edward Island, New Hampshire and Toronto, achieving the level of Critical Care Paramedic (flight). He has worked as a ground paramedic (including remote settings), flight paramedic, and as an emergency services educator. Sandy has earned a Bachelor of Science degree from McGill University, Master of Business Administration from Charles Sturt University in Australia and a Diploma in Learning Management from Holland College in PEI. Sandy currently resides in southeastern New Brunswick with his spouse and three sons.
	Paula Poirier Chief Operating Officer Emergency Medical Care Paula Poirier has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Emergency Medical Care Inc. since February 2009. As COO, Paula provides leadership in the development, operation and strategic long-term planning of EMC and its initiatives. Paula has more than 13 years experience in the field of emergency health services. She served as Director of the Emergency Health Services (EHS) Provincial Programs for the Department of Health for eight years. In this role, she was responsible for four provincial programs, with a key focus on the development and implementation of the Nova Scotia Trauma Program, Simulation and Training Centre, Medical First Responders Program and EHS LifeFlight.
She also continues be actively involved in the National Trauma Association of Canada (TAC) as an Executive Committee Member, Trauma Systems Accreditor and Co-chair for the Trauma Association of Canada Accreditation Committee. Paula began her clinical career in many areas (e.g., general surgery, orthopaedics and emergency) at the Halifax Infirmary Hospital (HIH). She progressed through diverse management roles: Nurse Manager, General Surgery Unit, HIH – Medical/Surgical ICU, Victoria General Hospital – Medical/Surgical ICU and Neuro ICU, Capital District Health Authority (HIH) Medical/Surgical/Neuro ICU; Acting Director – Cardiac, Emergency and Thoracic Portfolio (QEII); and then Manager of the Nova Scotia Provincial Trauma Program (EHS) for four years. Paula graduated from St. Martha’s School of Nursing and holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree and a Master of Nursing degree from Dalhousie University.
	Alan Stephen Chief Operating Officer, New Brunswick EMS President and CEO, Ambulance New Brunswick Alan Stephen was appointed Chief Operating Officer of New Brunswick Emergency Medical Services and President and Chief Executive Officer of Ambulance New Brunswick in July 2009. Originally from Nova Scotia and with family in New Brunswick, Alan’s senior leadership experience spans the municipal, business and military sectors. Most recently, he was General Manager Infrastructure and Emergency Services with the City of Sudbury (Operations), and Director of the ORNGE Communications Centre (OCC) in Ontario. Alan possesses a Bachelor of Science from Acadia University and has attended the Canadian Forces Command & Staff College.
	Matt Crossman, General Manager Island Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) and Medacom Atlantic Matt is the General Manager and Chief of Island Emergency Medical Services (IEMS) and Medacom Atlantic. Matt is responsible to oversee and provide leadership, to establish service direction, as well as to build staff capabilities with the goal to improving service levels throughout ground ambulance operations and the Emergency Services Communications Centre on Prince Edward Island (PEI). Matt has been involved in Emergency Medical Services for over 10 years and has held various positions ranging from Safety, Fleet, and Operations to Clinical Quality and Learning.
Matt joined the Medavie EMS group of companies’ team in 2008. In 2009, Matt was awarded the EMS Safety Foundation Leadership Award, and in 2010 was the recipient of the EMSCC Award of Excellence for Injury Prevention and Public Safety for his work within the Medavie EMS group of companies. Matt has studied Health Services Administration at Dalhousie University and is now planning on completing a Master Degree in Business Administration.
	Dr. Ken Buchholz, MD CCFP FCFP Medical Advisor Medavie EMS Dr. Buchholz is a rural Family and Emergency Physician from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. He is a graduate of Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine (1980) and holds both his CCFP (1990) and FCFP (2004) in Family Medicine. He is a former interim Provincial Medical Director for Emergency Health Services Nova Scotia (EHSNS), former Chief of Staff (Annapolis Community Health Centre), and previously held the positions of Senior Medical Officer United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (Middle East) and Deputy Base Surgeon, CFB Cornwallis. Dr. Buchholz completed a term as Senior Physician Advisor for the NS Department of Health in September 2010, and returned to full-time clinical practice in Annapolis Royal.
He was Chief of Staff of Annapolis General Hospital during the turbulent mid-nineties and oversaw the transformation of this rural hospital to one of the most progressive “Community Health Centres” in Nova Scotia, piloting a nurse practitioner and developing an integrated inter-professional community healthcare collaborative in Annapolis Royal. He has just set up the community’s first fully electronic medical office, and has integrated his practice into a 65-bed long term care facility. He is also a collaborating physician for nurse practitioners in Annapolis Royal, Digby, Bear River and Long and Brier Islands. Dr. Buchholz is also active in the field of primary and pre-hospital healthcare delivery. He is one of the founders of the “community paramedicine” movement internationally, and continues as an international speaker, educator and physician consultant on integration of primary care into EMS (emergency medical services) and the evolution of collaborative primary care teams. Dr. Buchholz is a medical educator, holding preceptor positions with Athabasca and St. Francis Xavier Universities, and is a faculty member and rural preceptor with Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. He is a senior instructor/instructor trainer with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of NS and is an instructor with the NS Trauma Program Advanced Trauma Life Support Program. He has been a paramedic educator since 1984.