Overview
In this next episode, I was honored to be joined by M. George DeBusk, MD, MSc, FACS, FCCP. He’s a trauma surgeon and critical care physician specialized in trauma and emergency surgery. What makes him a fantastic resource for security practitioners like us is that he’s made a career out of educating, training, and providing medical oversight for security providers, first responders, law enforcement, and even special operations groups.
Dr. DeBusk holds dual certification from the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and specializes in Trauma Surgery and Intensive Care Medicine. “Doc” completed a General Surgery residency at Harvard Medical School’s, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at MIT during his residency. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and College of Chest Physicians. He is an elected member of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and has held the position of State Vice Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma in the States of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Dr. DeBusk also holds full medical licensure to practice in multiple U.S. states and abroad where he provides concierge medical care for private clients worldwide.
Topics that we focused on included: what type of medical training curriculum is most appropriate for security or executive protection professionals, how we can evaluate training providers, what the advantages are of having a physician like him supporting your team, and what deliverables you can expect to get from a medical director. And so much more!
*Nothing in this podcast recording or blog post qualifies as legal advice; please consult your legal counsel on all matters involving workplace medical practices.
Highlights from This Episode
- The key medical skills that all EP professionals and security professionals should have: First aid and basic life support skills
- If you’re going to provide an advanced level of care, you need medical oversight.
- It’s fundamental for organizations to develop policies and procedures (plus related training) when it comes to rendering medical aid in the work environment.
- The Good Samaritan Law does not protect you as much as you may think…for example, in the context of providing medical aid to an executive that you work with daily, this was not the intention of the law. (Consult your medical director!)
- Anyone can teach medical skills, but you need to think about what certifying organizations have vetted their programs, such as the American Heart Association or NREMT.
- There are so many considerations that people do not think about — such as conducting a medical intervention in a state where they are not licensed. And organizations employing security personnel also accept risk when they are not following best practices and industry standards.
- Having a medical standard builds credibility and trust among ourselves and those outside of security. It is also an opportunity for us to police our own — because, on the flip side, those outside our industry could establish standards for us through the law. It also establishes what is appropriate in the security role, defining the scope advantageously for the security practitioner (e.g., standard VS non-standard practices).
- A medical director can help organizations develop governance (policies, procedures, etc.) around medical topics, assess the program, quality control, create process improvement, take the right steps to reduce risk from liability, liaise with the principal’s medical physician, and help protect the protectors!
RESOURCES MENTIONED
- Aspitha: Concierge medical services and solutions
- Board of Executive Protection Professionals (BEPP)
- American Heart Association
- National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
- “Medical Oversight: No Longer a Luxury Item” by Dr. DeBusk
Use CONTROL + F to search the transcript below if you want to learn more!
Related Episodes
- Corporate Intel to Emergency Management
- Healthcare & Emergency Management
- Medicine & Security Standards
- Personal Emergency Preparedness
- Rethinking Business Continuity
