Ray Barishansky
@rbarishansky.bsky.social
Doctor of Public Health(DrPH). Autodidact. Human. All views are my own.
I am beyond happy to see this law has passed but wondering why it took so long. #EMS #paramedic www.lex18.com/news/coverin...
Kentucky paramedic's death leads to landmark law protecting EMS families 9 years later
A Kentucky paramedic's tragic death nine years ago continues to save lives and protect EMS families across the state.
www.lex18.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:24 AM
I am beyond happy to see this law has passed but wondering why it took so long. #EMS #paramedic www.lex18.com/news/coverin...
if you think that this will not be impacting you and your family, think again. #publichealth
Another round of terminations, combined with previous layoffs and departures, has reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workforce by about 3,000 people since January. www.wired.com/story/cdc-te...
A Quarter of the CDC Is Gone
Another round of terminations, combined with previous layoffs and departures, has reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workforce by about 3,000 people since January.
www.wired.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
if you think that this will not be impacting you and your family, think again. #publichealth
Very interesting piece about how EMS providers may, at times, have to operate in an area that the author calls "the moral gray zone of Modern EMS". #EMS www.ems1.com/ems-protocol...
When doing the right thing breaks the rules
Paramedic Eddie Barnes saved a life with skills he wasn't authorized to use — prompting an investigation that reveals the moral gray zone of modern EMS
www.ems1.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Very interesting piece about how EMS providers may, at times, have to operate in an area that the author calls "the moral gray zone of Modern EMS". #EMS www.ems1.com/ems-protocol...
What do you think? Should these EMS providers be in danger of losing their licenses for these life-saving actions? #EMS www.wkyt.com/2025/09/24/k...
Ky. EMS team under fire for treating man with antivenom
In May, we brought you the story of James Harrison, the director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo.
He was bitten by a highly venomous Jameson’s Mamba while working.
www.wkyt.com
September 26, 2025 at 6:19 AM
What do you think? Should these EMS providers be in danger of losing their licenses for these life-saving actions? #EMS www.wkyt.com/2025/09/24/k...
Is EMS too "stuck in tradition"? Great piece from
on how our field still carries relics from its transportation-era roots—even as our role has expanded many times over. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
on how our field still carries relics from its transportation-era roots—even as our role has expanded many times over. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
Stuck in Tradition: How Our Past Continues to Shape EMS Today
EMTs and paramedics remain certified rather than licensed due to historical regulations focused on transport safety.
www.jems.com
September 25, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Is EMS too "stuck in tradition"? Great piece from
on how our field still carries relics from its transportation-era roots—even as our role has expanded many times over. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
on how our field still carries relics from its transportation-era roots—even as our role has expanded many times over. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
Can you teach situational awareness? Interesting piece from EMS1.com about this important topic #EMS www.ems1.com/safety/can-s...
Can situational awareness be taught?
Scene safety and awareness are critical to prehospital patient care
www.ems1.com
September 17, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Can you teach situational awareness? Interesting piece from EMS1.com about this important topic #EMS www.ems1.com/safety/can-s...
And once again, ambulance response times are shown to not be as important as once thought. #EMS #Ambulance www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Portland-area ambulance responses got faster, but quality of medical care might be declining
One year after AMR was cleared to change how it staffs its ambulances, signs show it may have had consequences for patient care.
www.oregonlive.com
September 13, 2025 at 6:16 PM
And once again, ambulance response times are shown to not be as important as once thought. #EMS #Ambulance www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...
Florida’s anti-vaccine push isn’t just a local issue. The state’s policy creates ripple effects that endanger neighboring states, the entire U.S., and potentially global public health. Simply put, infectious diseases do not respect borders. #PublicHealth www.newscientist.com/article/2495...
Florida's anti-vaccine push leads dangerous shift for US public health
Florida may soon become the first state to end all vaccine mandates, including those for schoolchildren, setting the stage for deadly infections to make a comeback
www.newscientist.com
September 12, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Florida’s anti-vaccine push isn’t just a local issue. The state’s policy creates ripple effects that endanger neighboring states, the entire U.S., and potentially global public health. Simply put, infectious diseases do not respect borders. #PublicHealth www.newscientist.com/article/2495...
I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts about EMS as an essential service with @ukrobl.bsky.social at the 2024 EMS World Expo! #EMS
OTEW is backwith @rbarishansky.bsky.social to ask: why isn’t EMS recognized as an essential service across the U.S.?
Ray dug into this in his article for Governing: www.governing.com/policy/of-co...
That’s our escalator message. For the elevator pitch on Prodigy head to 👉 prodigyems.com.
Ray dug into this in his article for Governing: www.governing.com/policy/of-co...
That’s our escalator message. For the elevator pitch on Prodigy head to 👉 prodigyems.com.
September 12, 2025 at 6:01 AM
I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts about EMS as an essential service with @ukrobl.bsky.social at the 2024 EMS World Expo! #EMS
Great to have the opportunity to speak with you all about such an important topic. #EMS
OTEW is backwith @rbarishansky.bsky.social to ask: why isn’t EMS recognized as an essential service across the U.S.?
Ray dug into this in his article for Governing: www.governing.com/policy/of-co...
That’s our escalator message. For the elevator pitch on Prodigy head to 👉 prodigyems.com.
Ray dug into this in his article for Governing: www.governing.com/policy/of-co...
That’s our escalator message. For the elevator pitch on Prodigy head to 👉 prodigyems.com.
September 10, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Great to have the opportunity to speak with you all about such an important topic. #EMS
I think the saddest thing about reading this is that it is all happening in the wake of a world-altering pandemic. #publichealth www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
In the fallout from Trump's health funding cuts, states face tough budget decisions
The Trump administration has pushed a significant amount of health costs to states, whose budgets may already be strained by declining state tax revenues, a slowdown in pandemic spending, and economic...
www.cbsnews.com
September 9, 2025 at 5:20 AM
I think the saddest thing about reading this is that it is all happening in the wake of a world-altering pandemic. #publichealth www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-h...
Yeh, we are totally not ready for the next pandemic but, at this point, who is really surprised by that statement. #publichealth #pandemic nypost.com/2025/09/07/s...
The next pandemic could rattle civilization — and a new book warns we’re not ready for it
Michael Osterholm, University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy director, was driving to the airport the morning of Dec. 30, 2019, when his cellphone rang. A colleague …
nypost.com
September 8, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Yeh, we are totally not ready for the next pandemic but, at this point, who is really surprised by that statement. #publichealth #pandemic nypost.com/2025/09/07/s...
Honolulu’s EMS director went the wrong way on a highway to reach a patient—sparking debate. Without second-guessing, this situation begs the question: how do we weigh urgent response, safety, and community perception when making these split-second decisions? #EMS www.civilbeat.org/2025/09/hono...
Why EMS Director Says He Drove Wrong Way On H-1 Freeway
Nobody got hurt, but one council member said she's concerned the director put public safety at risk.
www.civilbeat.org
September 7, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Honolulu’s EMS director went the wrong way on a highway to reach a patient—sparking debate. Without second-guessing, this situation begs the question: how do we weigh urgent response, safety, and community perception when making these split-second decisions? #EMS www.civilbeat.org/2025/09/hono...
Florida says vaccine mandates are over. Measles, mumps, polio… your VIP passes to the Sunshine State are ready. #publichealth #vaccineswork www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
Florida Moves to End Vaccine Mandates for Schoolchildren
www.nytimes.com
September 4, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Florida says vaccine mandates are over. Measles, mumps, polio… your VIP passes to the Sunshine State are ready. #publichealth #vaccineswork www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/u...
The CDC is the world’s foremost public health agency. Its leadership collapse isn’t just D.C. drama—it’s a direct threat to our preparedness. You don’t sideline the fire department in the middle of fire season. #publichealth www.scientificamerican.com/article/cdc-...
CDC’s Leadership Is in Chaos. Experts React to Crumbling U.S. Public Health Systems
Public health experts warn that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s leadership crisis—sparked by the White House’s efforts to oust CDC director Susan Monarez—could jeopardize national bio...
www.scientificamerican.com
August 29, 2025 at 6:09 AM
The CDC is the world’s foremost public health agency. Its leadership collapse isn’t just D.C. drama—it’s a direct threat to our preparedness. You don’t sideline the fire department in the middle of fire season. #publichealth www.scientificamerican.com/article/cdc-...
It’s only a quiet collapse… until the next public health emergency. #publichealth #preparedness thehill.com/opinion/heal...
thehill.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:03 AM
It’s only a quiet collapse… until the next public health emergency. #publichealth #preparedness thehill.com/opinion/heal...
A new national survey shows that 76% of Americans trust their personal physician for health information, compared to only 32% who trust local or state health departments. That gap begs the question: Why? #publichealth #publictrust www.nature.com/articles/s41...
U.S. trust in physicians as key public health messengers during the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - U.S. trust in physicians as key public health messengers during the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak
www.nature.com
August 24, 2025 at 6:38 AM
A new national survey shows that 76% of Americans trust their personal physician for health information, compared to only 32% who trust local or state health departments. That gap begs the question: Why? #publichealth #publictrust www.nature.com/articles/s41...
EMS isn’t glamorous—long nights, tough calls, low pay. But nothing matches being the calm in someone’s worst moment. The best “bad” decision you’ll ever make. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
The Best Bad Decision You’ll Ever Make: In Defense of EMS as a Career
Being a paramedic means exhaustion, frustration and chaos—but also unmatched pride, purpose and unforgettable moments of humanity.
www.jems.com
August 20, 2025 at 9:19 AM
EMS isn’t glamorous—long nights, tough calls, low pay. But nothing matches being the calm in someone’s worst moment. The best “bad” decision you’ll ever make. #EMS www.jems.com/ems-operatio...
Five years after the pandemic hit, COVID-19 still lingers—not seasonal, not mild, and often underestimated. Omicron subvariants spread year-round. Long COVID, repeated infections, and low child vaccination rates remind us: we’re not done yet. #publichealth #COVID www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
What do we know about the Covid-19 virus five years on?
As the virus continues to evolve, experts assess its latest variants, seasonal prevalence and levels of vaccine uptake
www.theguardian.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Five years after the pandemic hit, COVID-19 still lingers—not seasonal, not mild, and often underestimated. Omicron subvariants spread year-round. Long COVID, repeated infections, and low child vaccination rates remind us: we’re not done yet. #publichealth #COVID www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Mpox is a textbook case of what happens when biological risk collides with political & economic forces—a clear reminder that global health crises are never just about pathogens, but about the systems that respond to them. #publichealth #Mpox www.npr.org/sections/goa...
This virus seems like it's no longer a problem. It's still a threat
A year ago, on Aug. 14, 2024, the World Health Organization declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Why are health experts so frustrated by the world's response?
www.npr.org
August 17, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Mpox is a textbook case of what happens when biological risk collides with political & economic forces—a clear reminder that global health crises are never just about pathogens, but about the systems that respond to them. #publichealth #Mpox www.npr.org/sections/goa...
EMS is not just a transport mechanism—they see the cracks in the system. Too many nursing home 911 calls aren’t emergencies. EMS knows the fixes and ignoring their perspective wastes resources and hurts patients. #EMS #ambulance www.ems1.com/geriatric/we...
We are not a taxi service: Readers respond to preventable nursing home transfers
Medics weigh in on how skilled nursing facility policies and staffing gaps overburden EMS and the ED
www.ems1.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:25 AM
EMS is not just a transport mechanism—they see the cracks in the system. Too many nursing home 911 calls aren’t emergencies. EMS knows the fixes and ignoring their perspective wastes resources and hurts patients. #EMS #ambulance www.ems1.com/geriatric/we...
"If you're having a medical event, or I'm having a medical event, do you want an ambulance that's older than the Bush administration to pick you up?". Thats a great question. #EMS #ambulance www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
Examining the budget challenges Pittsburgh is facing
Is Pittsburgh headed for a budget crisis, or is it already in crisis?
www.cbsnews.com
August 13, 2025 at 8:09 AM
"If you're having a medical event, or I'm having a medical event, do you want an ambulance that's older than the Bush administration to pick you up?". Thats a great question. #EMS #ambulance www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/n...
The U.S. pandemic playbook is gone. The White House office that once coordinated biothreat response has been dismantled. We simply can’t afford this level of unpreparedness, all the more so in the aftermath of what we saw during COVID. #publichealth #preparedness www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
No One in the White House Knows How to Stop Ebola
We had a playbook for handling biothreats. Then Trump pushed out the people who knew how to use it.
www.theatlantic.com
August 11, 2025 at 5:47 PM
The U.S. pandemic playbook is gone. The White House office that once coordinated biothreat response has been dismantled. We simply can’t afford this level of unpreparedness, all the more so in the aftermath of what we saw during COVID. #publichealth #preparedness www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
"Unlike police and fire services, which are primarily funded through municipal budgets and taxpayer support, EMS uniquely relies on a reimbursement-based model financed largely through billing patients or their insurers for transport #EMS #funding www.jems.com/ems-manageme...
EMS Is Not a Business Model and We Are Paying the Price
EMS leaders face mounting pressure as Medicaid cuts, low reimbursements and flawed funding models threaten system stability and readiness.
www.jems.com
August 9, 2025 at 5:20 PM
"Unlike police and fire services, which are primarily funded through municipal budgets and taxpayer support, EMS uniquely relies on a reimbursement-based model financed largely through billing patients or their insurers for transport #EMS #funding www.jems.com/ems-manageme...
These type of sign-on bonuses are almost never successful in the long run and, at the same time, they disenfranchise your current employees. #EMS #workforce www.wboc.com/news/kent-co...
Kent County Approves Sign-On Bonus to Combat EMS Staffing Shortage
Kent County Emergency Medical Services is sounding the alarm on a critical staffing shortage and is seeking a lifeline. To help address the crisis, Kent County Levy Court has approved
www.wboc.com
August 7, 2025 at 10:35 AM
These type of sign-on bonuses are almost never successful in the long run and, at the same time, they disenfranchise your current employees. #EMS #workforce www.wboc.com/news/kent-co...