Originally from Wayne County, Ben started as a first responder for Williamson Ambulance when he was in High School. Once graduated, Ben headed off to boot camp for the United States Navy, but still rode on the Ambulance a few times a year while on leave.
He became a Navy Corpsman in the Fleet Marine Force within the US Navy and spent over six years on active duty with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“My field medical training was incredibly intense. Due to the war, we went to school seven days a week and did the nine week course in seven. EMS can be incredibly stressful, and I think my military training helps me keep a cool head.”
After those six years, Ben came back and decided to take the MCC Paramedic Class “simply because I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to do next.”
Ben has worked as a Paramedic with Southeast Quadrant/Pittsford for 12 years, and at Mercy Flight Central for five. “I recently added working at Wayne County ALS part-time, and love serving my own community. Being able to visit my wife and kids during my shift is definitely the best perk of the job.”
“The transition to being an air medical provider seemed like a logical transition. My comfort operating safely around the aircraft and working in austere environments after my years in the United States Navy gave me time to focus on critical care medicine.”
Ben is an Administrator for the Division of Prehospital Medicine at URMC, providing support for numerous medical director contracts and administrative assistance to our region. Ben is also the Regional Quality and Patient Safety Coordinator, overseeing the regions with the goal of always improving safety for our Patients.
So what’s next?
“I want one job. If I stay on the road in EMS, I want to do it out of want and not need. Each semester I take a class at the U of R and I am working toward a degree in Public Health. Someday I will figure out what I want to do when I grow up.”
