Nationally recognized in clinical excellence and prehospital medicine research, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center offers a comprehensive approach to EMS medical direction, focusing on quality improvement and systems design services for local EMS agencies and the communities they serve.
Each year, our EMS medical director physicians provide tens of thousands of continuing education hours directly to their agency paramedics. This training features evidence-based guidelines and protocols that have been developed by our research division, which receives more than $10 million annually – $2 million of which goes specifically to prehospital projects.
The EMS physicians at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center have each completed the state of Ohio’s requirements for the position of medical director and have knowledge and training in:
- Medical control and medical command, such as protocols, standing orders, triage and the capabilities of care providers
- Quality improvement theories and applications
- Medical delivery of care consistent with the mission profile of both ground and air ambulance services
- Pertinent regulatory and safety requirements for ground-service EMS units, including vehicle capabilities and equipment performance
- Operational management of communication equipment and dispatch procedures
- Prehospital and interhospital transport issues and laws
Medical Directors
Travis Sharkey, MD, PhD
Medical Director – Ohio State Center for EMS
Medical Director – Worthington Fire Department
Assistant Fellowship Director – EMS Fellowship at Ohio State University
Medical Director for the City of Westerville Division of Fire and EMS
I started my educational pathway in computer science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering studying signal processing and artificial intelligence techniques. This led to a PhD in biomedical engineering while obtaining an MD through the Medical Scientist Training Program at The Ohio State University. I completed both an emergency medicine residency and EMS fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center before returning as faculty. As an EMS physician, I focus on strengthening educational opportunities directed at real-world experiences of our local EMS providers. As a researcher, I'm investigating the use of artificial intelligence and natural language processing to support accurate and efficient dispatch of EMS providers to get the right resources to the right people at the right time.
Creagh Boulger, MD
Medical Director – Columbus State Community College EMS Program
As a physician, my areas of interest include intimate partner violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, trauma, EMS and ultrasound. I currently serve as medical director for the Paramedic Training Program at Columbus State Community College and medical director of the Forensic Nursing Program at The Ohio State University.
I was born and raised in central Ohio, and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in chemistry and childhood studies from Case Western Reserve University. I continued my education in Dayton, Ohio, earning a medical degree from Wright State University. Following medical school, I did my residency here at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
I love travel and any outdoor adventure, especially backpacking and boating. My husband, Nick, and I have two very active kids, Rowan and Turner, and a collection of pets.
Christopher Kao, MD
Dr. Kao obtained his medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed his emergency medicine residency at The Ohio State University.
With an interest in EMS subspecialities such as event, tactical, and disaster medicine, he furthered his training through an EMS fellowship at Indiana University. He then returned to The Ohio State University as faculty, helping teach within the residency and the EMS fellowship.
Nicholas Kman, MD
Medical Director – Defense Logistics Agency, Fire & EMS
Medical Team Manager- Ohio Task Force 1, FEMA Urban Search and Rescue
My clinical interest is in disaster response and emergency preparedness. I have created and currently instruct an elective course in Disaster Medicine for senior medical students, and frequently participate as a Stop the Bleed Instructor. I also serve as one of the medical managers for Ohio Task Force 1, Ohio’s FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team, and have deployed to hurricanes Harvey (2017), Dorian (2019), Laura (2020), Ida (2021) and Ian (2022). I received a grant to teach mass casualty triage to first responders in virtual reality, and I am presently working on a mass casualty triage project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency In the Moment Program.
Ashley Larrimore, MD
Medical Director – MedFlight of Ohio
Medical Director – Newark Fire Department
Medical Director – Whitehall Division of Fire
I’m an assistant professor of clinical emergency medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
I completed my undergraduate degrees at The George Washington University with dual majors in biology and religion. I received my medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in emergency medicine at UMass Memorial Medical Center and a fellowship in emergency medical services at the University of Cincinnati.
I have a particular interest in air medical transport and have previously flown as a flight physician with UMass Memorial Life Flight and University of Cincinnati AirCare, and I am medical director at MedFlight of Ohio.
Nicole McAllister, DO
Medical Director of Clinton Township Fire Department
Associate Medical Director of Delaware County EMS
Associate Medical Director of Columbus State Community College EMS Program
Medical Team Manager for FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Ohio Task Force 1
I’m an associate professor of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine. I have had the opportunity to train and work in multiple states and systems, and have an appreciation for the variability in prehospital medicine. After completing my residency in emergency medicine in New York during COVID-19, I completed my fellowship training in EMS at The Ohio State University. I stayed on as faculty and am currently working both in the emergency department and in the prehospital setting.
Currently, I am active in many aspects of prehospital medicine. I am the associate medical director at Delaware County EMS and the medical director of Clinton Township Fire Department. With a recent interest in disaster medicine, I have also worked to become a physician for the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team Ohio Task Force 1. After finishing my fellowship, I also stayed on as a faculty advisor, helping to train fellows and residents with interests in the prehospital setting. My newest role will be helping with medical direction at Columbus State Community College’s EMS Program.
Brooke Moungey, MD
Associate Medical Director – Columbus State Community College EMS Program
I completed my medical training at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, followed by residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. During that time, I served as a flight physician for the University of Wisconsin’s Medflight program and subsequently completed fellowship training in Medical Education.
I joined the core faculty at the Ohio State College of Medicine in 2018 as an assistant professor in Emergency Medicine. Since that time, I have continued to focus on my passion for curriculum design and implementation in the education of medical students and physician residents as well as EMS providers. I currently serve as the EMS course director for the EM and EM/IM residency programs, which are designed to give physician residents an appreciation for the challenges of patient care in the prehospital environment and teach them how to better support EMS providers. I also enjoy creating quality improvement initiatives and providing educational content to support our EMS agencies providing exceptional service to our communities throughout central Ohio.
Outside of work, some of my favorite pastimes include adding new books to my home library, enjoying firepits with friends, discovering new hiking trails, and traveling to explore new places and create memories with my loved ones.
Ashish Panchal, MD
Medical Director – Delaware County EMS
National Registry of EMT Medical Director
I’m an associate professor of emergency medicine for the Department of Emergency Medicine in the College of Medicine. I’m passionate about improving patient outcomes in the prehospital setting, and conducting research focused on prehospital airway management and improving outcomes from cardiac arrest. I began my career as a researcher and completed a PhD in cardiovascular physiology at Case Western Reserve University. Following this, I completed my medical training and residency at the Ohio State College of Medicine.
Currently, I’m heavily involved in prehospital care, being the EMS medical director for Delaware County EMS and the Delaware County Dispatch Center, as well as associate medical director for the Worthington Fire Department. At The Ohio State University, I’m the program director for the ACGME-accredited EMS fellowship. On a national level, I’m the research and fellowship director for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, and part of the expert panels for the National EMS Scope of Practice Model Revision Project and the Evidence-Based Guideline for Naloxone. I’m also a member of the American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Scientific Subcommittee, and I am the chairman of the 2018 AHA/ECC Guidelines Focused Update for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.
Hussam Salhi, MD
Associate Medical Director for the City of Westerville Division of Fire and EMS
I am a board-certified emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. I specialize in emergency medical services and acute care, treating patients with urgent and life-threatening conditions. My patients can rely on me for high quality, compassionate care and honest communication in every encounter.
I collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of skilled experts to ensure each patient receives personalized care tailored to their unique needs and values. In addition to my clinical responsibilities, I am passionate about educating and mentoring the next generation of providers.