Meet the Team
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MEG MARINO, MD,FAAP, FACEP
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
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Jessica Barbour, BS, NRP
CLINICAL INNOVATION SPECIALIST
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David Rayburn MD, MPH
SENIOR CLINICAL ADVISOR
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Mitch Webb, BS, NRP, HSD
SENIOR PARAMEDIC CONSULTANT
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EMILY REILLY, MS, MED, PLPC
MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST
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TARUN PRAKASH, BS, NRP
PARAMEDIC CONSULTANT
MEG MARINO, MD, FAAP, FACEP
FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
Dr. Meg Marino is a physician executive and EMS leader with more than a decade of experience shaped by frontline work and system leadership. She served as both the Director and Medical Director of New Orleans EMS, guiding the agency through significant clinical and operational advancement. Meg remained deeply connected to field operations, working directly alongside crews including responding on the ground during the January 1st mass-casualty event on Bourbon Street.
Her leadership anchored citywide responses through mass gatherings, severe weather, and unprecedented crises while turning New Orleans EMS into a revenue-generating, high-performance agency known for innovation and resilience.
During her tenure, she implemented the New Orleans EMS prehospital blood program, a landmark initiative shown to decrease the city’s murder rate by improving survival among victims of penetrating trauma. Before her time in New Orleans, Meg worked with the Houston Fire Department for 4 years, contributing to protocol development, curriculum design, and provider education for one of the nation’s largest EMS systems. Her commitment to service extends internationally as well; she served in Haiti after the earthquake, delivering critical care in austere environments and supporting recovery efforts.
Meg’s career reflects a steady dedication to innovation, equity, and the clinicians who make EMS possible. Her leadership blends clinical expertise, operational strategy, and a human-centered approach to building the EMS systems communities deserve.
Jessica Barbour, NRP, BS
Clinical Innovation Specialist
Jessica Barbour is a published EMS researcher, educator, and advanced practice paramedic with specialized expertise in prehospital ultrasound and field-based resuscitation. A proud daughter of the Mohawk Tribe of Akwesasne, she brings a deep commitment to community, resilience, and equitable care to her work in emergency medicine.
While with New Orleans EMS Jessica served as blood medic, Deputy PIO, and one of the original advanced practice field paramedics, contributing frontline insight across trauma, medical, and pediatric high-acuity care. She also helped shape the 2024 prehospital protocols for the New Orleans region. Before entering EMS, Jessica worked in sexual assault and human trafficking advocacy, an experience that shaped the foundation of her trauma-informed approach to patient care, provider wellness, and program development.
Since leaving working on the ambulance, Jessica has dedicated herself to validating the depth and value of prehospital medicine through research, education, and consulting proving that you don’t need to be a physician to influence modern healthcare, contribute meaningful research, or drive real clinical advancement.
Jessica brings a uniquely paramedic-centered perspective to protocol design, system development, and clinician support. Her blend of research experience, advanced clinical practice, and practical teaching ensures solutions that are evidence-based, operationally realistic, and grounded in the lived realities of frontline providers.
DAVID RAYBURN, MD, MPH
Senior Clinical Advisor
Dr. Rayburn is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Louisiana State University, where he also serves as the interim Program Director for the LSU Combined Emergency Medicine–Pediatrics Residency. David serves as the Deputy Medical Director for New Orleans EMS and the Medical Director for the Lakefront Regional Airport and Audubon Nature Institute.
At New Orleans EMS, David had helped launch the agency’s prehospital ultrasound program and developed the Advanced Practice Paramedic Program, expanding the scope of practice for paramedics trained in ultrasound and blood administration. His work reflects a strong commitment to empowering field clinicians through thoughtful, evidence-based program design.
David’s clinical and research interests include paramedic education simulation, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and prehospital ultrasound. Known for his practical, collaborative teaching style, he remains deeply involved in training and skill development across all levels of EMS. His leadership centers on advancing field capability, validating prehospital practice, and supporting paramedics as essential clinical partners in emergency care.
He is deeply involved in training, known for an approachable teaching style that fosters growth and critical thinking. David believes in the expertise of paramedics and builds systems that support their clinical judgment.
Mitch Webb, BS, NRP, HSD
Senior Paramedic Consultant
Mitch Webb is an EMS and healthcare operations leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning prehospital medicine, emergency department operations, and healthcare leadership. As a Nationally Registered and Louisiana-licensed Paramedic, he brings a systems-based approach to improving clinical operations, patient safety, and organizational performance across both hospital and EMS environments.
Throughout his career, Mitch has held leadership roles within high-volume EMS agencies and a Level I Trauma Center, where he has led initiatives in emergency department operations, paramedic program development, rapid treatment processes, EMS integration, hyperbaric medicine safety, and multidisciplinary team coordination. His expertise includes operational strategy, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, workforce development, emergency preparedness, and building sustainable, high-performing clinical teams.
Mitch earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Occupational Safety and Health from Waldorf University, graduating magna cum laude. His combination of executive leadership, frontline clinical experience, and operational expertise allows him to help healthcare organizations strengthen systems, improve efficiency, and deliver exceptional patient care.
Emily Reilly, MS, MEd, LPC
Mental Health Specialist
Emily Reilly, LPC is a licensed professional counselor specializing in first responder mental health, organizational wellness, and resilience programming. With more than a decade of experience supporting EMS, fire, and public safety professionals, she partners with agencies to build sustainable wellness initiatives that strengthen both individual providers and organizational culture.
Emily has served as the inaugural Wellness Coordinator for both the Fort Worth Fire Department and New Orleans EMS, where she designed and implemented comprehensive wellness programs tailored to the unique operational demands of emergency services. Her expertise includes peer support program development, critical incident response, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, mental health light duty program design, resilience training, and leadership consultation.
Throughout her career, Emily has developed evidence-based wellness initiatives, trained peer support teams and agency leaders, and provided direct clinical care to first responders experiencing occupational stress and trauma. She also provided trauma-focused therapy to first responders affected by the Pulse nightclub shooting, bringing extensive experience in crisis response and recovery following large-scale critical incidents.
Emily holds master's degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Psychology. She combines clinical expertise with a deep understanding of emergency services culture to help organizations create healthier, more resilient workforces while improving provider well-being, retention, and long-term organizational success.
Tarun PRakash, BS, NRP
Paramedic Consultant
Tarun Prakash is pursuing an MD at Tulane University School of Medicine and has several years of experience as a Nationally Registered Paramedic spanning prehospital medicine, emergency department operations, and fire-based EMS. His clinical background combines frontline emergency care with a strong interest in medical education, systems improvement, and the integration of evidence-based practices across healthcare settings.
Throughout his career, Tarun has served in high-volume 911 EMS systems, a Level I Trauma Center emergency department, and fire services, caring for patients across a broad spectrum of medical and traumatic emergencies. His experience includes advanced prehospital critical care, emergency department workflow, multidisciplinary collaboration, quality improvement initiatives, and EMS education. He currently is involved with teaching both EMS courses and community initiatives and has a particular interest strengthening the connection between prehospital and hospital-based care through research, innovation, and physician leadership.
Tarun earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Chemistry, with a minor in Biology, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before pursuing his medical degree at Tulane University School of Medicine. His combination of analytical training, frontline clinical experience, and commitment to advancing emergency care positions him to contribute to healthcare systems through clinical excellence, research, education, and operational innovation.