Sherman doctor honored

“We are very proud and honored to have her as our medical director and look forward to more years of working with her,” said Shawn Payne, Sherman County Emergency Services director, who along with Dr. Paul Rostykus, nominated Burnham.

“It’s a huge honor. Here is a banquet where people were awarded for their work during the (October 2015) Umpqua Community College shootings,” she said.

In their nomination, they said, “Dr. Erin Burnham has a great passion for the EMS community demonstrated through her long years of service as the EMS medical director/supervising physician for Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue for 18 years and for North Central EMS (Wasco, Sherman and North Gilliam Counties) for 14 years.

“Her in-depth case reviews and her constructive and encouraging support for the EMS personnel are truly appreciated. She responds to questions in a positive and informative manner and makes volunteers feel comfortable when talking to her. Her open and supportive relationship with EMS volunteers has fostered a positive working environment.”

“Dr. Burnham has a long history with Oregon EMS and plays an active role in regional and state EMS medical direction leadership,” they said.

Burnham served as a member of the Oregon State EMS Committee for 15 years until her retirement from the committee in 2015. She is currently on the Advisory Committee for the Columbia Gorge Community College EMS Program, and in 2015 was elected president of the Oregon Chapter of National Association of EMS Physicians. Burnham is a board-certified emergency physician working in The Dalles, is active on the Gorge Heart Committee to increase the survival rate for Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest, and teaches hands-only CPR to middle and high school students.

She also teaches water rescue classes to the Port of Hood River Kiteboard Instructors, assists with robotics competitions, is a member of the Hood River Water Polo Advisory Board and is a camp physician for Athletes for Cancer at Camp Koru in Hawaii and Oregon. National Association of EMS Physicians, and has been very involved in local forums and now serves as Oregon AEMS president.

“I’ve been thinking I need to rise to the award and continue to improve EMS systems,” Burnham said. One way she will do that is working on cardiac illness awareness, including hands on training in the schools and communities, and working with police to get EADs on vehicles and in schools. “Just to develop that early recognition” of a cardiac event, she said. Burnham noted that because of the rural nature of the counties she works with, and long distances to health facilities, “sustained training for paramedics and EMTs on protocols is important, and working with (agencies) on transport times.

“There’s a lot of training, education and revision involved,” she said.