Chris Strobach has seen a lot of changes in emergency medicine since he first entered the field in 1992. Long gone are the days of new paramedic training consisting of little more than a set of ambulance keys and time shadowing a senior team member.

“Being in emergency medicine takes a healthy amount of confidence and the ability to thrive on a challenge, but even more important it takes specific and ongoing education to safely and effectively care for people who are having the worst day of their lives,” he said. 

Strobach, who started this fall at Ozarks Tech as a paramedicine instructor, brings to the college three decades of experience as a clinician and clinical educator. This summer he retired from the Taney County Ambulance District, but not before he was nominated by his colleagues for the 2024 Missouri Emergency Medical Services Association Jack Lyon Memorial Award. The award, which he received in June, is given to an outstanding instructor of a continuing education program that is accredited by the Missouri Bureau of EMS.

When Strobach first started with the Taney County Ambulance District, there were three ambulances that responded to approximately 2,000 calls for service a year. Now there are 13 ambulances and five response vehicles that respond to nearly 14,000 service calls annually. Keeping pace with those needs required ongoing field training and continuing education, as well as immersion courses for district new hires – all tasks he led and championed during his time at the district. But his passion for emergency training didn’t stop there. He also coordinated community CPR courses that are estimated to have trained more than 4,000 residents.

It is that dedication to training and education that gained Strobach the statewide recognition and led him to his newest role teaching at Ozarks Tech.

“It is a great position to help those in paramedicine be properly trained and increase the standard of care,” he said. “Any time I am helping these professionals be better equipped and have better outcomes is time spent wisely.”

Strobach notes he is particularly excited to teach at the college because paramedicine continues to be a rapidly evolving subspeciality of medicine. He joins Ozarks Tech as the sixth faculty member. His position was needed as Ozarks Tech has expanded EMT programs in the college’s High School Career Center and Middle College. This fall, there were 80 EMT students and 23 paramedic students enrolled in the Paramedicine Program.

The Paramedicine Programs at Ozarks Tech prepare students to work as EMTs and paramedics. The college offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and a Certificate of Achievement in Paramedicine, as well as Certificates of Specialization in Critical Care Transport and Community Paramedic.

“The scope of practice in paramedicine continues to grow and evolve, which makes it a rewarding field for those who are driven to help others,” Strobach said.

To learn more about the Ozarks Tech Paramedicine Program, visit https://academics.otc.edu/pmed/