Wellstar Trauma Symposium 2025

Dr. Ashong serves as the assistant program director for the Emergency Medicine residency at Wellstar Kennestone as well as a core faculty instructor for the Ultrasound curriculum for the residency.  He is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Residency where he served as a Chief Resident.  Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with his wife and soon to be 4 year old daughter, Isabel. 

Trooper First Class 2 Brian Butler #928
K-9 Amor
Criminal Interdiction Unit
7 years with GSP
Previously with Carroll County SO and US Marines

Dr. Gregory Coffman received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. He completed his General Surgery residency at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Coffman is currently in practice at Wellstar Surgical Specialists of North Fulton.

Joseph Endemano works at Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center as faculty with the emergency medicine residency. He works as an EMS medical director and also teaches at the Medical College of Georgia. He is board certified in emergency medicine and completed a fellowship in emergency medical services and prehospital medicine. He loves good barbecue, being outside and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Mark Esshaki has been affiliated with Wellstar Kennestone Trauma Acute Care Surgery since 2022. He attended medical school at Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Esshaki completed his general surgery residency at McLaren Health Care and his fellowship in surgical critical care at Augusta University Hospital, now known as Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.

• Med School University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus graduated 1998
• Residency in ObGYN at San Juan City Hospital, San Juan PR graduated in 2002
• Board certified in OBGYN 2004
• Started with Wellstar Medical Group in 2012
• MIGS and Davinci Robotic Surgeon since 2014
• Associate Program Director Wellstar OBGYN residency program since 2016 (founding member of program)
• Chief Medical Director for quality Women's services Wellstar Medical Group
• Clinical Professor of OBGYN Augusta Medical College, Georgia

Dr. Feen joined Wellstar Medical Group in 2016. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Feen completed his Neurology Residency as well as his Stroke Neurology and Neurointensive Care Fellowship at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Feen is board certified in neurology, vascular neurology, and neurocritical care. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Neurocritical Care Society.

Sergeant Dillon Graves #620
K-9 Draco, K-9 Severus
K-9 Unit Supervisor
Criminal Interdiction Unit
Oversees 56 K-9 Teams throughout the Georgia State Patrol
11 years with GSP

Trooper First Class 2 Keith Kammeraad #896
K-9 Figo, K-9 Trash
K-9 Unit Instructor
Crime Suppression Unit
Oversees training of all K-9 teams in the northern half of Georgia for GSP
5 years with GSP
Previously with Green County SO, Jefferson PD, and US Army

Zack Lancaster is the Director of AirCare for the Wellstar Health System, bringing over 14 years of nursing experience in emergency, trauma, and critical care transport. He is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), where he earned degrees in Nursing and Health Science. Zack’s career in healthcare began in nursing, where he honed his skills in various critical care settings, including emergency, trauma, and transport at Columbus Regional, UAB, AU Health, and Wellstar.

Zack’s flight career took off with UAB, where he initially worked as a fixed and ground transport RN before transitioning to helicopter EMS with Alabama LifeSaver, Lifestar, and AirLife Georgia. Since 2021, he has served as the Director of AU Health AirCare/Wellstar MCG AirCare, where he has been instrumental in the development and operation of the hospital-based program since its inception. He still flies as both a Flight Nurse and Paramedic for the program. 

Outside of his professional life, Zack enjoys playing ice hockey and is passionate about coaching his two sons' hockey and football teams.

Jefferson Langston has served in the field of Emergency Medical Services since 2016. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Chemistry he began his career as an EMT Basic working in Columbia SC for a local 911 EMS agency. After obtaining his National Registered Paramedic certification in 2018 he worked as a 911 EMS Paramedic and as a Critical Care Paramedic in South Carolina. Since 2021 Jeff has been a part of the Wellstar AirCare Flight Team and has served the department in several different capacities, including quality assurance, data collection and analysis, and clinical operating procedure review. Jeff's passions in medicine include prehospital pharmacology, implementation of prehospital blood product programs, and critical care education.

Sarah Gard Lazarus, D.O., is a pediatric emergency medicine physician with Pediatric Emergency Medicine Associates (PEMA), a physician owned group that staffs Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta-Scottish Rite. Training at Emory for residency and fellowship, she is a true Atlanta native! She is incredibly passionate about injury prevention and is a founding member of Children's Injury Prevention Program (CHIPP), a program through Children's Healthcare of Atlanta that provides a multidisciplinary approach to reduce childhood injury in Atlanta through evidence-based programs, research, education, and community outreach, with her personal focus on safe sleep and drowning prevention. She has presented and published on these topics and provides context expertise to the hospital, with media interviews, guidance on print campaigns and working with local advocacy groups. In addition, she is the emergency room trauma liaison and passionate about patient family experience.

Being a leader or a mentor are different things. Russell McDaniel celebrates 43 years in numerous roles in EMS, including Program Director, Air Evac Lifeteam/GMR. Claiming his most important “job” didn’t involve caring for a single patient, but inspiring people who do.

Dr. Tariq Noohani joined the Emergency Medicine staff at ApolloMD and Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in 2011. He has held various leadership and teaching positions including Ultrasound Director, Associate Residency Program Director and Administrative Fellowship Program Director. He currently serves as ApolloMD Medical Director and Regional Vice President.

Dr. Noohani earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, Medical degree from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Dr. Noohani completed his Emergency Medicine training at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He obtained his MBA from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, LA.

Dr. Phillip Parry is a board-certified Neurosurgeon who joined Wellstar in July of 2018 after having completed his military service with the United States Air Force. During his time in the military, he was deployed as a Neurosurgeon in Afghanistan during the Operations Freedom’s Sentinel conflict with the 455th Air Expeditionary Force in Bagram, Afghanistan, where he was awarded AF Outstanding Unit for his distinguished surgical support. Prior to his military service Dr. Parry graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 2008 and completed residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2008-2015 where he also finished his fellowship in Endovascular Neurosurgery and minimally and maximally invasive spine surgery. He has been the recipient of the University of Pittsburgh’s Distinguished Alumnus award as a visiting professor and has authored over 30 peer reviewed publications. He is currently the medical director for Spine Surgery and Pain for Wellstar Health System and maintains a special interest in the treatment of complex spinal disease.

Dr. Travis Perry is a graduate of the East Carolina University School of Medicine in Greenville, NC. He completed his residency at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans, LA, and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. He completed his fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, TX. Dr. Perry completed his surgery training at Wake Forest University. Dr. Perry is board certified in general surgery. He specializes in the treatment of acute and reconstructive burn surgery, as well as complex necrotizing soft tissue infections, ulcers, and other traumatic wounds. Dr. Perry is currently the Burn Medical Director at Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center. He has a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Saloshni Pillay is a results-driven healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience in rehabilitation services, program development, and operational leadership. Currently serving as the Rehabilitation Program Manager at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, she oversees acute care therapy operations at a Level I Trauma Center, ensuring excellence in patient care and quality improvement.

Throughout her career, Saloshni has demonstrated a strong ability to drive efficiency, enhance patient experiences, and lead high-performing teams. Her expertise spans financial management, staff training, and physician relations, with a proven track record of optimizing rehabilitation services across multiple healthcare institutions. As a key stakeholder in length-of-stay initiatives and performance improvement programs, she has successfully led process enhancements that resulted in improved functional outcomes, increased staff engagement, and service expansion.

Previously, as Director of Rehabilitation Services at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center, she managed inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs, leading a team of over fifty professionals. She played a crucial role in implementing electronic medical record systems and developing strategic initiatives to enhance efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Saloshni has a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa and obtained her Master of Business Administration degree in the United States. She is a licensed Occupational Therapist in the state of Georgia and holds multiple professional certifications. Passionate about quality improvement and innovative care delivery, she continues to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare sector.

John Pracht is a board-certified Physician Assistant with over 18 years of experience working in both pediatric and adult critical care and emergency medicine. He is currently working full time as a critical care APP at West Georgia Medical Center. He additionally serves as the APP Lead for Quality and Education, Medical Executive Committee APP liaison, and APP Leadership Council. In addition to his civilian employment, he serves as a Lt. Colonel in the Air National Guard where he is a provider for a disaster response medical team specializing in chemical, biological, and radiation/nuclear threats; and is a recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, and Air and Space Commendation and Achievement Awards. He graduated as a Presidential Scholar at the Emory PA Program in 2006 and then began his career at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Pulmonology serving at Scottish Rite until 2015. His training and exposure in his military service led him to move to emergency medicine and critical care with Wellstar in 2015. In his time here, he has received the Nursing Provider Excellence Award, Shining Star and Rose awards. His current areas of interest include techniques for challenging vascular access, standardizing use of echocardiography in critical care, and management of cardiogenic shock patients in the ICU. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and 3 children, hiking, and reading.

Nauman Rashid, MD, MS, FACEP

I am local to the Atlanta area, born and raised (proud Grady baby!) I completed my undergraduate education at Emory University and graduate school at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. I earned my medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. I did my emergency medicine residency at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx, NY, and my internal medicine residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, OH. Currently I work for ApolloMD as an ED attending at both Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center and Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins, GA, where I am the current ED Medical Director. I am also part-time core faculty member of the emergency medicine residency program at Wellstar Kennestone. I am married with 3 children and a long suffering Atlanta sports fan!

I was born at Kennestone Hospital and raised here in Cobb County. My first job was at Wellstar where I worked in the Kennestone OR as a secretary while going to college. I completed my graduate and undergraduate degrees at Ga State University. I have been a Respiratory Therapist for 17 years at Wellstar. I was the Respiratory Therapy Clinical Educator at Kennestone for 6 years before becoming the Respiratory Therapy Clinical Specialist for Wellstar in 2023. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Dr. Rick Sidwell is a native of Davenport, IA, and a graduate of medical school from the University of Iowa. He is a trauma surgeon at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, a Level I trauma center in Des Moines. He has the unique perspective of having worked at Level I, Level II, Level III, and Level IV trauma centers. He has been active in the Iowa Trauma System since 2002. He is a longtime member of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, formerly serving as the chair Rural Trauma Committee and as the COT Chief for Region VII (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri). He led the development of the 4th edition of the Rural Trauma Team Development Course. Locally he serves as the Medical Director for his town’s (Bondurant, IA) EMS. He has been active in trauma education since 1994.

On the job: Dr. Kevin Winkler enjoys all aspects of small animal surgery. He currently serves on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s disaster relief team.

Education:

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons
• Residency, Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Internship, Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens GA

• Bachelor of Science, University of Georgia, Athens GA

Off duty: Dr. Winkler and his wife have four children, two dogs and two cats. They enjoy traveling and following the Georgia Bulldogs.