Fred H. Wilkins

About Fred H. Wilkins

I entered EMS in 1988, thanks to a nurse who suggested I become an emergency medical technician. I found a class an hour and a half from where I lived. The cost was high, and the distance was too much for my old truck. I told her that I had to spend another year working before I saved enough to replace my vehicle. Next thing I knew, she had gifted me the tuition for the course, and a family friend who had heard about the distance to school gave me a car —a 1979 yellow Monza with one red door! That is a whole other story. I loved being an emergency medical technician student and got a job as soon as I got my scores from the state. My first day was the day of the Coca-Cola bus accident in Alton, Texas. Any doubts about EMS ended that day. I was constantly taking new classes, attending every conference I could find, and seeking out mentors who led by example. I\'ve worked in all aspects of EMS. I became the paramedic you hoped would show up at your house when you needed someone.After suffering a back injury that moved my work into the hospital emergency room and cardiac cath lab, I discovered my clinical skills and knowledge of medicine outside the initial paramedic training began to blossom. I acquired communication and management skills to transition into EMS management roles. I spent time on the Gulf Coast, which led to disaster management through multiple hurricanes and other natural disasters around the country. I was beginning to see the lack of technology solutions that the EMS industry has suffered from and still suffers from. My focus shifted from solely clinical excellence to envisioning the need for technology in all aspects of a truly mobile-integrated healthcare system. In 2013, I joined VLI Tech as I saw the need for technology solutions, interoperability, and advancements in the industry. Technology companies were creating isolated data silos that customers had to learn to navigate and connect several of them to accomplish their goals. My passion is guiding people towards the best solution technology offers for their needs. I never want another customer to buy new technology solutions based on what someone from a sales department told them. I want to bring a team in, evaluate their needs, and provide them with a competitive matrix of what\'s available so they can make an informed decision by comparing each solution to their specific needs.I believe EMS must be driven by data, powered by smarter processes, and rebuilt as a resilient, dynamic system — one that truly embodies the promise of Mobile Integrated Healthcare.

Experience

1. President

   Vli Tech, Inc

   Nov 2017 — Present · Houston, TX, US

Education

• Texas State Technical College Harlingen

  Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)

  1990 — 1991

Skills

• Program Management
• Emergency Medicine
• Telex
• Ems
• Computer Aided Dispatch
• Operations Management
• Management
• Team Building
• Strategic Planning
• Healthcare Information Technology
• R&D
• Ambulance
• Crystal Reports
• Leadership
• Business Strategy
• Nims
• Ems Management
• Healthcare Management
• Disaster Response
• Ems Education
• Cpr Certified
• Acls
• Paramedic
• Customer Service
• Training
• Public Speaking
• Healthcare
• Emergency Services
• Emergency Management
• Preparedness