METRO CONGRATULATES MATTHEW BENZEN AS THE 2013 SMTA SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

April 9, 2013

Mercy Life Line Flight Nurse Supervisor, Matthew Benzen, RN, BSN, CFRN, CMTE, has been awarded the 2013 Safety Management Training Academy (SMTA) Scholarship by the MedEvac Foundation International. Mr. Benzen receives the scholarship based on his long standing dedication to safety in the critical care transport community. Mr. Benzen has been actively involved in the air medical community for twelve years. He is currently a Base Manager for Mercy Life Line in Springfield, Missouri where he also serves as the co-chair of the program’s Safety Committee.

Mr. Benzen enjoys teaching and takes an active role in safety education by frequently presenting ground operations safety classes to local emergency personnel. He has lectured nationally on safety related topics at the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC). In 2012, he saw the realization of a long-term safety goal by actively participating in Mercy Life Line’s transition to an IFR program. Matthew recognizes that successful safety programs must be proactive and he continuously pursues new ideas and best practices.

“The SMTA’s unique safety focused curriculum will provide me with education that I can use to improve Life Line’s safety program and the opportunity to network with safety professionals,” says Mr. Benzen. “I very much look forward to making the trip to Dallas for the SMTA program.”

SMTA provides formal continuing education for individuals (and their organizations) interested in improving their understanding of safety systems theory and the application of that theory to the practice of medical transportation. The Academy operates with a rigorous approach to competency-based education, utilizing formal classroom hours, mandatory student participation, written testing, and a code of professional conduct.

The scholarship is made possible through a gift to the Foundation by the Air Medical Operators Association (AMOA). Christopher Eastlee, President of AMOA, states, “AMOA’s support of the SMTA scholarship is a part of our ongoing industry wide effort to enhance safety in air medial transport; we recognize SMTA’s value as the ideal way to introduce a broad spectrum of safety concepts to our crews.”

“Congratulations to Mr. Benzen, a model candidate for the 2013 SMTA Scholarship, and an advocate for safety in our industry,” says MedEvac Foundation President and CEO, Rick Sherlock. “The SMTA program provides a wide range of safety education that Mr. Benzen can put to great use at Mercy Life Line.”

Mercy Life Line has been a Metro Customer since 2002.

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