Cincinnati - Dudley Smith, director of Alliance Medical Transport Service, recently became certified as a Master Exercise Design Practitioner (MEP) upon his completion of a series of classes with Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)/Homeland Security Administration (HAS). The classes centered on disaster exercise design, control, simulation and evaluation. This was the first series of classes specifically focused on public health and hospitals.

Nationally, there are 452 certified MEPs, but only six others in Ohio have received this recognition. Smith is the only MEP in Ohio who is also a hospital employee.

An employee of The University Hospital for 32 years, Smith has been the director of University Air Care since it began in 1984 and has also directed Alliance Mobile Care since its inception in 1992. His other positions with the hospital have included director of the University Paramedic Service, systems development coordinator and manager of outpatient registration and collection.

A certified medical transport executive, Smith also serves on the board of directors for the Association of Air Medical Services, the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, the Medical Transport Leadership Institute, and the Disaster Preparedness Committee of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council.

Smith graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, and a master of science degree in health planning and administration. He is a resident of Cleves.

The Health Alliance is an integrated health care delivery system, which includes The Christ Hospital, The University Hospital, The St. Luke Hospitals, The Jewish Hospital, The Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom.

- 30 -