Steve Blackburn
Steve has more than twenty-five years experience in business management. Steve's management career began as a senior manager for one of the largest private ambulance service providers in Ohio. He later joined the Rural/Metro Corporation, a publicly traded national medical transportation, private fire protection and security services firm, where he served in a number of roles including that of Division General Manager and Regional Director of Business Development. At Rural/Metro he was responsible for developing the nation’s first state-wide medical transportation network encompassing both ground and air transportation services. Utilizing this network system he was responsible for negotiating several statewide and regional medical transportation service contracts with Aetna US Health Care, United Health Plan and CIGNA Health Plan among others. Steve was also instrumental in Rural/Metro gaining the ambulance industry's first nationwide ambulance services contract with a managed care provider - Multiplan. Additionally Steve led or supported teams developing emergency medical services system proposals for major system RFP’s including Orange County-Orlando, Florida; Blount County, Tennessee; and South Fulton County-Atlanta, Georgia as well as serving as an internal company consultant.
In addition to broad experience in leading public safety operations Steve also has extensive experience in the emergency medical and disaster response equipment industry. He served as Director of Marketing for Ferno-Washington, Inc. Steve was responsible for working with emergency medical services across the United States and around the world in assessing their field equipment needs. He was responsible for directing Ferno’s new product development activities as a project manager leading a diverse team of clinical experts, marketing specialists, engineers, ergonomists, industrial designers and technicians. During his tenure Steve led development teams focused on a number of innovative emergency medical, disaster response and CBRN decontamination products including the Medkids™ pediatric immobilization and restraint device, E-Z Glide™ tracked stair chair and Unifold™ Mass Decon System.
Steve has strong experience managing business operations for both service and manufacturing firms. Through his various roles, Steve has had the opportunity to manage, support, consult and collaborate with both civilian and military agencies in more than twenty-five states and a number of foreign countries.
Steve’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education from The Ohio State University. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Combat Medical Specialist Course where he served as an Assistant Instructor and also has had extensive training and certification in emergency medical care, safety management, fleet deployment and dispatch, hazardous materials response, nuclear-biological-radiological decontamination, disaster planning and rescue operations. Steve’s unique experience in public safety services operations coupled with his extensive business management, project management, third party payor, marketing and business development skills makes him a valuable part of the IPS consulting team.
863-838-3295
steve.blackburn@onlineips.com