Culture, candor, and innovation are redefining what it means to lead in emergency medical services.

In this episode of The Leadership Lab Podcast, Asbel Montes sits down with the executive team of Pro EMS and Prodigy EMS to explore how leadership, operational strategy, and a mission-driven culture are transforming out-of-hospital care. From field experience to executive decision-making, this team shares the practices that have turned a small ambulance service into a nationally recognized leader.

Asbel and the Pro EMS leaders unpack how to balance innovation with sustainability, adopt technology that truly serves clinicians, and maintain clinical excellence even under pressure. They discuss the tensions of financial constraints, workforce challenges, and system-wide vulnerabilities—and how a culture of candor and accountability helps them overcome these obstacles.

You’ll learn:

• How a “duty to dissent” fuels better decisions and stronger leadership

• Why financial sustainability is critical for innovation and mission continuity

• Lessons in rapid clinical adaptation, from advanced equipment to just-in-time training

• How Prodigy EMS evolved from internal need to a national leader in EMS education

• The impact of cross-sector partnerships on operational resilience and patient care

• Strategies for building a workforce motivated by mission and equipped to perform

If you’re a healthcare finance executive, EMS leader, operations strategist, or policy maker, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and provide a roadmap for leading organizations that thrive under pressure, innovate with purpose, and put patients first.

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Links:

Asbel Montes LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/asbel-montes-31027634

James DiClemente – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdiclemente

Bill Mergendahl – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mergendahl-8621006

Gibson McCullagh – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmccullagh

Dan Wagner – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdanwagner

Pro EMS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proems/

Solutions Group Services:

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/solutionsgroupservices

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/solution_sgroup/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/solutionsgroupservices

Website – ​​https://www.solutionsgroup.com/