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Faculty

Haley Taormina

MD
EMS/EM Physician
Regions/Health Partners

Dr. Taormina grew up in rural Illinois where she started her career in EMS. Dr. Taormina completed her medical training at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, followed by University of Wisconsin where she was chief resident. Dr. Taormina completed her EMS fellowship at Regions in 2023. She is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and EMS. Currently, she is employed as a clinical faculty member at Regions hospital and serves as an assistant medical director with Regions EMS, associate program director for the Regions EMS Fellowship, and as an associate medical director for LifeLink III. She has special interests in EMS education, prehospital ultrasound, tactical EMS, sports medicine, and event medicine.

2026 Sessions

Tier 2 Trauma Teams: Using EMS Provider Judgement to Activate Trauma Teams for Patients Without American College of Surgeons Anatomic or Physiologic Criteria

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Some high-risk trauma patients present with normal vital signs, masking serious injury. This session examines a Tier 2 trauma team activation (TTA) designed for EMS providers to initiate when concern exists despite stable vitals. Unlike full activations, Tier 2 TTAs enable expedited evaluation without requiring a trauma surgeon response. Data from 153 activations show nearly 60% required admission, with some upgraded on arrival—highlighting the limitations of vital signs alone. Attendees will learn how EMS advocacy drives early recognition of occult trauma and how to implement a multi-tiered activation system that supports clinical judgment and improves patient outcomes.

Co-Presenter (2 Presenters)

Presenter (1 Presenter)

Wednesday, September 30 3:45–4:45 PM
Room W230 D
Critical Care
Faculty

Haley Taormina

MD
EMS/EM Physician
Regions/Health Partners

Dr. Taormina grew up in rural Illinois where she started her career in EMS. Dr. Taormina completed her medical training at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, followed by University of Wisconsin where she was chief resident. Dr. Taormina completed her EMS fellowship at Regions in 2023. She is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and EMS. Currently, she is employed as a clinical faculty member at Regions hospital and serves as an assistant medical director with Regions EMS, associate program director for the Regions EMS Fellowship, and as an associate medical director for LifeLink III. She has special interests in EMS education, prehospital ultrasound, tactical EMS, sports medicine, and event medicine.

Faculty

Aaron Burnett

MD
EMS Medical Director
Regions Hospital & St. Paul Fire Dept

Aaron Burnett, MD is the Medical Director of EMS and Emergency Preparedness and an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at HealthPartners Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Burnett serves as the EMS Medical Director for the Saint Paul Fire Department—the largest fire-based EMS agency in Minnesota—and served as the State of MN EMS Medical Director from 2014-2024. He is a member of the Minnesota Mobile Resuscitation (ECMO) Consortium at the University of Minnesota where he is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. As medical director of the MN State Fair, Dr. Burnett oversees medical coverage to approximately 2 million fairgoers over 12 days. He is a medical director for paramedic education and has deployed in support of medical operations during the 2020 civil unrest in Minnesota.

Blades, Breakaways, and Backboards: Managing On-Ice Emergencies in Professional Hockey

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This presentation equips EMS professionals with a focused understanding of the unique challenges of managing medical emergencies in the fast-paced, high-impact setting of professional hockey. Drawing on firsthand experience as an EMS physician for the Minnesota Wild (NHL) and Minnesota Frost (PWHL), the session highlights practical, evidence-based approaches to effective on-ice emergency care.

Participants will explore the full spectrum of acute injuries and time-critical scenarios encountered in hockey including cervical spine trauma, blunt thoracic injuries, facial and airway compromise, lacerations, orthopedic injuries, and cardiac events. Emphasis will be placed on safe patient access and extrication on ice, coordinated team-based response with athletic trainers and arena medical staff, and procedural considerations within the constraints of hockey gear, rink layout, and game operations.

Co-Presenter (2 Presenters)

Friday, October 02 9:45–10:45 AM
Room W331 A
Clinical Paramedicine
Faculty

Kari Haley

MD
EM/EMS Physician
Regions Hospital

Dr. Kari Haley is an emergency medicine physician and EMS medical director in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is the medical director of several EMS agencies as well as the program director for the Regions EMS Fellowship and has trained multiple physicians in the specialty of EMS. She has nearly a decade of experience in EMS and has worked with small volunteer agencies to large urban fire-based systems. Dr. Haley completed her medical degree at the Medical College of Wisconsin as well as her emergency medicine residency. She completed her EMS Fellowship at Regions Hospital.

Faculty

Haley Taormina

MD
EMS/EM Physician
Regions/Health Partners

Dr. Taormina grew up in rural Illinois where she started her career in EMS. Dr. Taormina completed her medical training at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, followed by University of Wisconsin where she was chief resident. Dr. Taormina completed her EMS fellowship at Regions in 2023. She is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and EMS. Currently, she is employed as a clinical faculty member at Regions hospital and serves as an assistant medical director with Regions EMS, associate program director for the Regions EMS Fellowship, and as an associate medical director for LifeLink III. She has special interests in EMS education, prehospital ultrasound, tactical EMS, sports medicine, and event medicine.
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