2023 Fred Parker Award Winner Announced

July 17, 2023

The Fred Parker Award recognizes an individual or group with significant contribution to the Pre-Hospital Trauma System through education, prevention, or operations.  The 2023 Fred Parker Award recipient is Greg Neiman, MS, NRP, NCEE!

Greg Neiman has made EMS his life and his passion since the 1980’s when he began his career as a paramedic with Tuckahoe Rescue Squad. Over the years he has become embedded in the Virginia EMS community and is an integral link between VCU/VCU Health and pre-hospital providers and agencies across the state. Prior to his role as EMS Liaison for VCU Health he graduated from George Washington University with his master’s degree in EMS Leadership. He has been able to apply his knowledge and the relationships he had built in the community to not only enhance connections between EMS and VCU Health but also to bring VCU Health to the forefront of safety, disaster planning, education, and outreach in our catchment area and beyond.  

As VCU Health has grown through the construction of the Adult Outpatient Pavilion and Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Greg has taken a proactive role in anticipating and mitigating challenges with regards to EMS involvement and staff and patient safety. Through attending daily safety and operations meetings, construction impact meetings, EBOLA preparedness meetings, planning for city events such as Lobby Day and the Richmond Marathon and COVID preparedness and contact tracing, Greg has been instrumental in ensuring smooth EMS and ED operations. He has also enhanced relationships with local EMS providers and agencies through consistent education in the form of CE dinners which transitioned to virtual lectures during COVID, in addition to ACLS, PHTLS, BCLS, AMLS, an annual Super CE weekend in South Boston, a presence at the Virginia EMS Expo and other pre-hospital provider events across the state. He assists with Rural Trauma Team Development Courses to support rural EMS and ED providers and coordinates VCU Health’s annual EMS Week in May to show appreciation for our pre-hospital providers.

In addition to building and maintaining relationships with EMS, Greg is also very active in public health education and safety in the region. He was one of the founding members of the Central Virginia Coalition for Stop the Bleed (STB) and teaches STB classes across the state, including train the trainer classes. He is a member of the Virginia-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team to provide on-call disaster relief, and volunteers with the Metro Flying Squad to provide support to area first area responders. He also works part time as an EMS Supervisor at Kings Dominion.

Through trust, integrity, hands-on involvement, open communication, education and being in the trenches with our local area EMS, Greg has fostered excellent partnerships with pre-hospital providers, EMS agencies and community members across our region which have greatly benefitted VCU and VCU Health and ultimately, our patients. He truly has a passion for prehospital education and outreach as not only a career but as the heart of his personal life. We cannot think of a better candidate for the Fred Parker Award.