Inaugural Recipient of Jack Stout EMS Fellowship Announced

PRESS RELEASE

PLATTE CITY, MO—The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch and created in collaboration with the Fitch EMS Foundation, announced July 19, 2022, its inaugural recipient, Matt Parrish, a captain with the Columbus (Ohio) Division of Fire.

Named for the late Jack Stout, considered by many the father of high-performance EMS systems, the fellowship is designed to allow selected individuals to learn the principles espoused by Stout, including people-centered leadership, data-driven decision making, effective quality improvement and system-wide thinking.

“I’m super excited for this honor and so appreciative of this opportunity,” said Parrish, who will be attending the Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum as a first step in the fellowship. Parrish feels as though EMS in the fire service is at a crossroads and the fellowship will help him figure out how he can help and lead others through change.

Parrish comes from a family of firefighters, with a brother in the same Columbus Division of Fire and a father who retired from the division. Trained as a paramedic, he is a lifelong learner and has a special affinity for the EMS side of the fire-service mission.

Todd Stout, Jack’s son and founder of FirstWatch, said his father is remembered by so many as an important mentor to them. “The fellowship is a way to continue his legacy and give back to the EMS profession,” he said. “There were nearly 20 highly qualified applicants from the U.S. and Canada, making this an incredibly tough decision for the committee—I’m happy for Matt and wish everyone else the best.”

The Jack Stout EMS Fellowship was developed by FirstWatch in cooperation with the Fitch EMS Foundation, a nonprofit organization announced in August 2021 at Pinnacle. Led by Jay Fitch, PhD, himself a mentee of Jack Stout, its mission is to build on Fitch & Associates' core value of leadership development by giving back through scholarships to emerging leaders.

Earlier, the Fitch EMS Foundation announced the full slate of 2022–2023 scholarships. “We are proud to welcome Capt. Matt Parrish representing the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship as a member of this year’s recipients,” said Fitch.

Jack Stout Fellows attend the 2022 Pinnacle EMS Leadership Forum and either the Fitch Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) program or the Communication Center Manager (CCM) program, with all expenses covered by FirstWatch. Fellows will be mentored by FirstWatch senior leaders Todd Stout, founder and president; Randy Skomsvold, vice president and chief operating officer; Silvia Verdugo, MD, MPH, medical director; Mike Taigman, improvement guide; and others, including Jay Fitch, PhD, and other members of the Fitch leadership team. Leaders such as former hospital CEO Bill Atkinson, PhD, EMT-P, will offer their unique perspectives.

Nominations for the 2023–2024 fellowship will be open from March 1 through May 1, 2023. For more information and to apply, go to FitchEMSFoundation.org and select the Jack Stout EMS Fellowship, endowed by FirstWatch.