About Russ ruszczyk
Russ Ruszczyk was an Army-trained X-ray technician with orders to Vietnam in 1968 but was re-routed to a unit assigned to the 101st Airborne at LZ Betty, where he became a medic. After his tour and certification as a radiologic technologist, he worked in several hospitals.
In 1981, he completed the paramedic program in Nebraska and has remained a registered paramedic ever since. In addition, to being a certified procurement transplant coordinator for five years he also worked as a volunteer firefighter/paramedic for 20 years while working a paid job in other professions.
He started his EMS career as a medic in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive. Then he became a registered radiology tech working mostly the adult cardiac cath lab with five years at a children’s hospital. In 1982 he became a registered paramedic, was a volunteer firefighter/paramedic for 20 years and taught for several university and college-based EMS programs. Then he became a certified procurement transplant coordinator and maintained brain dead organ donors in ICU for five years and worked aboard the casino riverboat, the Kannesville Queen.