Name
The Next Pandemic Will Be Different: What EMS Needs to Understand Now
Description
The COVID-19 pandemic was a defining moment for EMS agencies of every size, exposing long-standing gaps in preparedness, coordination, and system integration. Shortages of personal protective equipment, inconsistent clinical guidance, overwhelmed hospitals, and fragile workforce capacity placed EMS at the center of the crisis—often without a clear seat at the public health planning table. The next public health emergency is not a question of if, but when. Drawing on lessons from COVID-19 and earlier infectious disease events such as SARS, H1N1, Ebola, mpox, and Zika, as well as system-stress emergencies including Hurricane Katrina and the 2021 Texas winter storm, this session examines how crises disrupt EMS operations in distinct but predictable ways. From workforce shortages and hospital diversions to infrastructure failures, resource scarcity, and breakdowns in mutual aid, these events reveal how quickly EMS systems can be strained when preparedness and coordination fall short. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of EMS’s indispensable role as frontline healthcare and public health infrastructure, along with practical strategies to strengthen collaboration, resilience, and operational readiness ahead of the next inevitable public health emergency.
NYS CME: All Levels - Core - Operations
Speakers
Raphael Barishansky, RMB Consulting Services, LLCPrincipalRaphael M. Barishansky is a public health and EMS leader with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of systems and agencies, with positions of increasing responsibility.
Currently an independent consultant providing his unique perspective and multi-faceted public health and EMS expertise for various organizations, his most recent position before this was as the Deputy Secretary for Health Preparedness and Community Protection at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, a role he recently left after several years. Prior to this position, he served as the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) at the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Dr Barishansky holds an earned doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from the Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University. In addition, Barishansky possesses a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Touro College, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management (MPH/HPM) from New York Medical College, and a Master of Science (MS) degree in Homeland Security Studies at Long Island University.
Dr Barishansky has been published in various journals including the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice and the Crisis Response Journal (UK) and has presented at various state, national and international conferences
Date & Time
Friday, November 13, 2026, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
