FirstWatch at Pinnacle 2026

FirstWatch users are data-informed progressive leaders. During this interactive session, the FirstWatch team will share new tools and capabilities, including strategies for managing hospital offload times, managing workload, improving clinical performance, determining which calls can be handled by BLS or a non-emergency unit, and more.

Open to everyone!

Sponsored by FirstWatch

Todd Stout is the founder and CEO of FirstWatch, a Pinnacle Strategic Partner. Mike Taigman, MA, is the Improvement Guide for FirstWatch and was the facilitator for the EMS Agenda 2050 project.

We are swimming in a sea of data from dispatch, electronic medical records, scheduling systems, payroll, fleet, and more. Unskilled leaders use data as a weapon to judge, apply pressure, and manipulate. They share it in ways that blame, cause fear and cause damage to the systems they lead. Effective leaders use data to empower their teams, track progress on their strategy, and make measurable improvements. They display data in ways that people extract accurate meaning at a glance. They know what measures are meaningful and how to assess trends and patterns in valid ways. In this interactive session, you’ll learn the skills, tips, and tricks from real-world examples on becoming a truly effective data-driven leader.

Course Outcome Objectives:

• Participants will be able to recognize manipulative data at a glance.
• Participants will be able to describe the steps in a data-driven leadership checklist.
• Participants will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the psychological impact of sharing data with their team.

This signature Monday night session delivers true just-in-time leadership education—driven by the room, not a preset agenda. Designed for candid conversation and shared learning, participants surface real-time challenges, exchange experiences, and explore emerging issues facing EMS leaders today. Unscripted, collaborative, and always engaging, this Pinnacle tradition creates space for the conversations that matter most in the moment.

Sponsored by FirstWatch

FirstWatch users are data-informed progressive leaders. During this interactive session, the FirstWatch team will share new tools and capabilities, including strategies for managing hospital offload times, managing workload, improving clinical performance, determining which calls can be handled by BLS or a non-emergency unit, and more.

Open to everyone!

Sponsored by FirstWatch

Todd Stout is the founder and CEO of FirstWatch, a Pinnacle Strategic Partner. Mike Taigman, MA, is the Improvement Guide for FirstWatch and was the facilitator for the EMS Agenda 2050 project.

While we often think of data as objective and clear, the metrics we collect vary by constituency and reflect what we most value based on our perspectives. In this presentation, Silvia Verdugo, MD, MPH, and Dustin Gonzalez, Santa Clara County EMS, will look at how county fire, transport, and EMS data can all tell different stories about the same challenge. The presenters will demonstrate possible pitfalls that can negatively impact your agency and community. They will then offer approaches for reconciling data and creating a shared vision of success that respects the dynamic nature of first response and public health.

As more patients choose to spend their final days at home, EMS and hospice organizations are increasingly working together to provide compassionate, coordinated care for patients and their families. In this insightful session, Dr. Amelia Breyre and Mike Taigman explore practical models for EMS–hospice collaboration, including communication strategies, care pathways, and approaches that honor patient wishes while reducing unnecessary hospital transports. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how EMS can support dignity, comfort, and continuity of care at the end of life.