Paramedic/ Community Educator
Johnson County Hospital
Tecumseh, NE
Mike Miers is a paramedic, community educator, and operations leader with more than 17 years of experience across 911 response, rural and metropolitan EMS, interfacility transport, and emergency department care. He currently serves as a paramedic and community educator at Johnson County Hospital and as adjunct faculty with the Paramedicine Education Department at Creighton University.
Mike has held senior operations roles overseeing large teams and complex systems, with a focus on leadership, decision-making, and professionalism in high-stress environments. He is an AHA BLS, ACLS, and PALS instructor and a frequent speaker on modern EMS practice, leadership, and professional development.
For decades, backboards were synonymous with good patient care. Today, evidence tells a different story. This session challenges outdated dogma and guides fire and EMS providers through the evolution of spinal precautions—from routine long-board immobilization to patient-centered, assessment-driven spine motion restriction.
Using real-world cases, current research, and practical decision-making frameworks, attendees will learn when spinal precautions are truly indicated, when they may cause harm, and how to confidently justify selective immobilization in the field. Emphasis will be placed on clinical assessment, documentation, provider confidence, and overcoming cultural resistance within fire-based and third-service EMS systems.
This presentation is designed to improve patient comfort, reduce unnecessary interventions, and align prehospital care with modern trauma standards—without compromising patient safety.
