Modern EMS Models: Building Sustainable and Patient-Centered Care with Gerad Troutman

Can data, innovation, and collaboration truly rebuild the foundation of emergency medical care? In this episode, Asbel Montes sits down with Dr. Gerad Troutman, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Global Medical Response (GMR), one of the largest ambulance services in the United States. Together, they dig into how data-driven models, nurse navigation systems, and patient-centered design are transforming how emergency medicine operates. Dr. Troutman shares his remarkable story from rebuilding cars to reshaping healthcare systems and how his team at GMR has already served over 250,000 patients through nurse navigation programs that match people to the right care, at the right time, for the right cost.  But there's tension at the heart of this transformation: Can a system built on transport volume shift toward outcomes and efficiency without losing its soul? Through this episode, you'll discover what the next generation of EMS looks like and how it connects to healthcare finance, policy, and community-based innovation. What You'll Learn: ✅ How GMR's nurse navigation model uses data and telephonic triage to improve efficiency ✅ Why only a fraction of 911 calls require ambulance transport and what that means for reform ✅ How federal rural health funds ($50B) could reshape emergency response systems ✅ The role of data integration and reimbursement redesign in sustainable healthcare ✅ Why clinician leadership and financial collaboration are critical for transformation ✅ How to turn EMS challenges into innovation opportunities through evidence-based outcomes Key Takeaways: ✅ Sustainability requires rethinking EMS's core model beyond transport. ✅ Data-driven, patient-centric care models lead to both clinical and financial wins. ✅ Collaboration between EMS, hospitals, and policymakers drives scalable change. ✅ Clinician leadership and financial insight must align to shape the system's future. If you're a healthcare executive, EMS leader, or policymaker, this episode will challenge how you view emergency medicine, data, and finance. 👉🏻 Subscribe to The Leadership Lab with Asbel Montes for more conversations with industry innovators. 👉🏻  Follow and rate the show to help others discover the future of healthcare transformation. 👉🏻  Share this episode with your team to spark meaningful change.   Links: Asbel Montes LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/asbel-montes-31027634 Asbel Montes Book (In Plain Sight): https://asbelmontes.com/store/ Asbel Montes Website: https://asbelmontes.com/    Gerad Troutman Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerad-troutman-md-mba-facep-faems-3154ba5b/   Solutions Group Services: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/solutionsgroupservices  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/solution_sgroup/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/solutionsgroupservices  Website -  ​​https://www.solutionsgroup.com/