Kevin Wetherbee, AAS/EMS, NRP, FP-C, Author at DistanceCME

About Kevin Wetherbee, AAS/EMS, NRP, FP-C

Kevin Wetherbee, AS, NRP, EMS-I, began his EMS career right out of high school in upstate New York in 1984. He became a paramedic in 1986 and has worked in some form of EMS system since that time. He has experience in 911, non-emergent transport, emergency room care, inter-facility transport, critical care transport and industrial EMS. He currently instructs for DistanceCME, is a critical care medic operating in Columbia, SC, and is an educational subcontractor for the Teleflex corporation, providing emergency medicine device education throughout the country. He is a continuing education program administrator in South Carolina as well as an instructor in CPR, ACLS, PALS, PHTLS, AMLS and CEVO courses. He has earned his Associates of Applied Sciences degree in Emergency Medical Services and graduated with high honors from Corning Community College in Corning, NY.

What is Counterpulsation Therapy ????

Transporting a patient with an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) can be intimidating for EMS and critical care transport providers—but understanding how counterpulsation therapy works makes it far more manageable. This blog breaks down the core functions of IABP therapy, including how it increases coronary perfusion, reduces cardiac workload, and improves overall cardiac output. Learn how precise balloon inflation and deflation during the cardiac cycle enhances perfusion and decreases afterload, why helium is used, and what this means for safe patient transport. Perfect for paramedics and transport clinicians looking to build confidence in managing IABP patients in the field.

Airway Positioning Practices and Pitfalls

Airway management is often a skill that Paramedics and Critical Care Paramedics are thought to be experts on. It is a skill that we often practice, practice again and then practice again to become comfortable with. One pitfall of being an advanced provider is the fact that many advanced providers look for the shiny object in [...]

Why Did YOU get into EMS?

Why Did YOU get into EMS? After more than four decades of service, EMS remains a profession driven not by money, recognition, or convenience—but by purpose. This reflective piece explores the evolution of Emergency Medical Services, from the groundbreaking Freedom House Ambulance Service to today’s expanding scope of practice, education, and professionalism. While EMS has made significant strides toward becoming a respected part of the healthcare continuum, it still faces challenges in achieving parity with fields shaped by pioneers like Hippocrates and Florence Nightingale. Discover how EMS providers continue to push the profession forward—improving patient outcomes, advancing standards of care, and redefining their role in modern medicine.

Learning from the Special Healthcare Needs Patient

Patients with special healthcare needs can be both unique and challenging when encountered by EMS. Their unique conditions can vary from barely perceptible to life altering. How we assess, communicate, treat and interact with this special population can make the diﬀerence between a smooth running patient encounter and a total disaster. The term “Special Healthcare [...]

ICP: What is All The Fuss About?

The human brain is an incredible organ. It contains billions of neurons and is responsible not only for the higher functions that set us apart from all other living things, but also is responsible for maintaining all of our life sustaining functions. It weighs about 3 pounds (approximately 2% of total body weight) yet it consumes [...]

The Balance of Spontaneous Ventilation

So the next question is: what causes us to breathe in and what causes us to breathe out?

Managing the Obstetrical Airway

"When faced with managing the airway of the pregnant patient, it is important to understand the anatomic and physiologic changes that occur during gestation. Not only does the pregnant female have to oxygenate, ventilate, perfuse and nourish the developing fetus, specific anatomic changes occur due to hormonal changes and fluctuations due to pregnancy. Often, intubation and [...]

Airway Assessment To The Letter (Or Number)

Predicting the diﬃcult airway is a combination of art and science. Sometimes the airway that looks relatively easy to manage can turn out to be a nightmare and the supposedly diﬃcult airway based on external assessment can be managed relatively simple to maintain. A good rule of thumb is to always hope for the best [...]

Mechanical Ventilation: A Double Edge Sword

The role and consequences of mechanical ventilation during transport is something that must be both understood and respected. While it can free up much needed manpower and allow for more consistent delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide, it can also have negative effects if applied incorrectly. Broadly speaking, mechanical ventilation can be utilized [...]

Abdominal Trauma: The Silent Killer

Many traumatic injuries result in outwardly gruesome and visually grotesque injuries. Abdominal trauma however, often can go unnoticed and can be a silent killer if the injuries go unrecognized or untreated. While skeletal injuries often present with obvious deformity and are easily recognized, abdominal injuries are much more diﬃcult to identify. In regards to traumatic injuries [...]

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