By Greg Nesler,
I sat down with John Ehrhart, the initial recipient of the prestigious James O. Page Legacy Scholarship, endowed by Hartwell Medical, in partnership with the Fitch EMS Foundation. In this conversation, John shares his thoughts on the mentorship opportunity provided by the scholarship, what he learned from the values of the late Jim Page, and reflects on how it has impacted his career.
Q: What has the Jim Page Legacy Scholarship meant for you?
John Ehrhart: It鈥檚 meant a lot ... it鈥檚 been significant in helping me grow personally and professionally. The mentorship, conducted by Jay Fitch, has been amazing.
The Scholarship has also been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Jim, his history and the values that led him to do so much work for our industry. It was a great learning experience to reflect on my leadership development as I progress in my career.
Going to Pinnacle was also a great experience. There鈥檚 tremendous networking there, communicating with leaders with all kinds of backgrounds and getting a national perspective on the issues facing EMS leaders.
How was working directly with Jay Fitch? What did you get out of that interaction?
Ehrhart: It was great working with Jay. I like his personality, how up-front he is and the way he approaches problem-solving. We had a very powerful, structured set of mentoring sessions where we walked through the most critical tenets of leadership 鈥� from theoretical approaches to personal values, to how to stay organized and lead teams effectively.
We also talked a lot about Jim Page鈥檚 values throughout our sessions. It鈥檚 a nice blend of Jay鈥檚 immense experience, learning about Jim Page鈥檚 work, and aligning that with the topics we were discussing.
It was also mixed with real-world experiences that Jay has handled in his career. At the time, I was involved in leadership tasks, so I had a chance to directly apply what we were talking about.
Where there any surprises along the way?
Ehrhart: I think I understood the scholarship when I started, but my biggest surprise was Pinnacle. I had never been before and the networking and the quality of people there was incredible. I may have eventually gone to Pinnacle, but the Scholarship thrust me into the center of that conference 鈥� meeting people, networking and learning at the sessions.
Would you recommend this opportunity to someone else?
Ehrhart: Absolutely. I think it鈥檚 a very rare and valuable opportunity. If someone has goals to be impactful in their community 鈥� whether through direct leadership of clinical teams or projects supporting the industry 鈥� they would get a lot out of this.
What have you learned about Jim Page鈥檚 legacy?
Ehrhart: The No. 1 thing that stands out to me 鈥� and I will carry it with me throughout my entire career 鈥� is keeping things patient-focused. When people are working on different projects, it鈥檚 easy to get caught up in the initiative itself and lose sight of what success looks like. There can be drift. But it鈥檚 incredibly important to remember that the purpose of EMS is to serve the community and serve our patients.
I also appreciated how Jim mentored people and his leadership style of putting people in positions to succeed. He not only supported his initiatives but also helped support the initiatives of those around him, which was inspiring.
I鈥檝e learned a lot from what I consider to be the 鈥淗all of Fame鈥� of EMS leadership. When others discuss the impact Jim had on their work, it鈥檚 just incredibly inspiring.
About the James O. Page Legacy Scholarship
Nominations for the 2025 James O. Page Legacy Scholarship endowed by Hartwell Medical will be accepted through March 15, 2025. The chosen candidate will be able to attend Pinnacle 2025, with all expenses and registration paid, and will go through a structured mentorship program with Jay Fitch. Apply .
Pinnacle 2025 will be in Phoenix at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, July 14-18. Register .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greg Nesler is marketing manager,
