ABOUT US
Ryan C. Jacobsen, MD
FAAEM, FACEP, FAEMS
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Ryan Jacobsen MD, FAEMS, FACEP is the medical director for the Johnson County EMS System. He is responsible for overseeing all clinical aspects of the EMS System including patient care protocols, credentialing programs, performance improvement/QA/QI, provider education, as well as providing medical oversight for the 911 Emergency Communications Center.
Dr. Jacobsen attended the University of Iowa for undergraduate work where he developed an interest in EMS prompting him to enroll in an EMT-Basic program. After becoming an EMT he worked for a local inter-facility EMS transport agency and began working as tech in the University of Iowa Emergency Department while attending Paramedic school. After becoming a paramedic he worked full-time in the field for several years before completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas. He then graduated from the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine and completed his Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
Dr. Jacobsen served from 2009-2013 as the Associate EMS Medical Director for the Kansas City Fire Department as well as the Associate Section Chief of EMS at Truman Medical Center/UMKC School of Medicine. He also served time as the Medical Director for the EMS Education Program at the UMKC School of Medicine EMT/Paramedic Training Program. Dr. Jacobsen was involved in numerous research endeavors resulting in multiple publications in various Emergency Medicine/EMS periodicals and continues to mentor Emergency Medicine Residents regarding EMS and EMS research.
He currently an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center and works clinically as an Attending Physician in the Emergency Department at the University of Kansas Health System.
At the national level, Dr. Jacobsen has served on the National Association of EMS Physicians Clinical Standards and Practices Committee since 2009 and was appointed to serve as Chair of the Clinical Standards and Practice Committee for NAEMSP from 2019-2021. Dr. Jacobsen continues to be involved in EMS at both the state and regional level as well, as an active participant with the Mid-American Regional Council Emergency Rescue (MARCER) and serves as the Chair of the Kansas Medical Advisory Council to the Kansas Board of EMS. He continues to be an invited speaker on various EMS topics throughout the Midwest for a variety of EMS and educational venues.
Dr. Jacobsen is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and subspecialty boarded in Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Jacob Ruthstrom, MD
DEPUTY
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Jacob Ruthstrom MD, is the deputy medical director for the Johnson County EMS System.
Dr. Ruthstrom began his EMS career as a firefighter/EMT-Intermediate working for an ALS ambulance service and fire department in Manhattan, Kansas. He attended Kansas State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Dr. Ruthstrom attended medical school at the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine where he graduated in 2008. After medical school, he completed his residency training at UMKC/Truman Medical Center in 2011 specializing in Emergency Medicine. He continues to work full-time as an Emergency Medicine physician at Olathe Medical Center and also adds additional shifts at one of the area academic, Level 1 trauma centers at Truman Medical Center in downtown Kansas City, MO, where he is a clinical assistant professor of Emergency Medicine.
Melody Morales, BSN, RN
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PROGRAM MANAGER
Melody Morales is the Medical Director Program Manager for the Johnson County EMS System. Melody attended Truman State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007.
Locally, she has worked in the Emergency Departments of Truman Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center. While working at Truman Medical Center in the Emergency Department, she served as a relief charge nurse, a preceptor, as well as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Melody has also worked at Research Medical Center in the Interventional Radiology Department. In addition to working locally, she worked as a travel nurse in the Emergency Department at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, California.
Her most recent position at Truman Medical Center was in the Quality Resources Department. While working in this department, she had the opportunity to work for a federally funded grant to prevent the re-hospitalization of high utilizer patients with chronic conditions. Over the course of her career, Melody has had the opportunity to participate in several performance improvement projects and has developed a passion in this area.
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She also serves on the board of the Johnson County HeartSafe Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 that promotes hands-only CPR training and AED awareness.
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Stacy Jones, EMT-P, RRT
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Clinical Practice Coordinator
Stacy Jones is an Education / Clinical Practice Coordinator for the Johnson County EMS System. He earned an Associate’s Degree in Paramedicine from Kansas City Kansas Community College and an Associate’s Degree in Respiratory Care from Johnson County Community College. He is also a Certified Documentation Specialist and Certified Ambulance Coder by the National Academy of Ambulance Compliance.
Stacy previously served as a Firefighter for Johnson County Fire District #2 as well as Firefighter/Paramedic and Tactical Medic for South Metro Fire District. He has worked in all facets of fire based, third service and private EMS systems including Leavenworth County EMS and was a Field Supervisor for AMR in Linn County. Stacy was also the Supervisor in charge of the EMS system for John Knox Village, the only retirement community in the United States with their own transporting EMS service. Stacy is also a Registered Respiratory Therapist and former US Army Medic.
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