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LIFESTAR Director Named Top Administrator by Statewide Emergency Services Group

Published: Thursday, April 5, 2007

The Tennessee Ambulance Service Association (TASA) recently named Jeff Gregory, director of aeromedical services for UT LIFESTAR at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, as the 2007 John Bond EMS Administrator of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes Gregory for his leadership and significant contributions to the improvement of the delivery of pre-hospital patient care.

“Not only has Jeff made major contributions leading to an improved level of care provided by emergency medical services in the region, he has been instrumental in the expansion of the LIFESTAR program, including the development of full-time bases of operation in Hamblen, Sevier and Monroe counties as well,” said Norman Majors, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at UT Medical Center. “Jeff has continued to excel in his 20-plus years of outstanding service with LIFESTAR and is very deserving of TASA’s administrator of the year award.”

TASA, a 128-member group of service organizations, serves to foster the profession of public service. Additionally, the organization helps safeguard the common interest of its members, while educating the general public about the business principles and laws related to ambulance service in Tennessee.

“Being recognized as the administrator of the year by TASA is a tremendous honor,” Gregory said. “I believe residents of and visitors to Tennessee are served incredibly well by the hard working and highly trained members of the emergency services agencies in our state.”

Officials at UT Medical Center credit Gregory with a variety of major achievements in his time at LIFESTAR, including the following.

• Enhancing rapid transport of patients throughout the region through the development of designated landing zones and automatic patient acceptance protocols.
• Implementing a Night Vision Goggles program for pilots of LIFESTAR flights.
• Heading the development of the state designated Regional Medical Communications Center at UT Medical Center.
• Assisting with regional educational conferences and continuing educational opportunities for medical personnel.
• Developing strong ties with ambulance service directors throughout the region to further efforts toward improved patient care.

“We are extremely pleased with the excellent working relationship we have with EMS personnel in the region, and a significant part of that can be attributed to Jeff’s efforts,” Majors said. “Everything Jeff does is accomplished with a low key, get-it-done type of attitude that benefits emergency medical services providers and their patients alike.”

The University of Tennessee Medical Center is a 581-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, which serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information about the University of Tennessee Medical Center, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.