Beth Watt

Beth Watt has spent her entire 31-year career in emergency medical services (EMS). With decades of experience, she is a powerful example of how the EMS profession can grow alongside you, creating opportunities that encourage curiosity and are built on service.

Her story begins at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). While many of her peers pursued traditional career paths in medical centers or private practices, Beth chose a different direction. After completing a course for emergency medical technicians (EMTs), she discovered a passion that would shape her future.

After college, she joined American Medical Response (AMR), a GMR solution, as a paramedic and discovered a profession that combined hands-on medicine, service to others and working alongside dedicated, like-minded professionals. The excitement, teamwork and sense of purpose Beth found in EMS were undeniable, and the career that followed proved both meaningful and rewarding.

As she became more established in her role, she also developed strong critical thinking skills; most importantly, how to communicate with patients. “I learned the right questions to ask and when to ask them. This is crucial for diagnosing a patient and coming up with the correct treatment plan.” Beth also learned from her peers, as well as the doctors and nurses at the receiving facility, continuously gathering insight to make informed decisions that benefited her patients.

The knowledge she possessed strengthened her background and opened doors for her at GMR. She became a paramedic program director and instructor for NCTI, where she worked for 20 years, teaching courses ranging from basic life support to advanced trauma and pediatric care, which help prepare EMS professionals for the challenges they face in the field.

Over the course of her career, Beth expanded her clinical experience beyond ground EMS and eventually became a flight paramedic with REACH 5. Today, she continues to serve patients at REACH 80. “I encourage all of us in EMS to grow every day. We just barely touch the top of the iceberg when we are trained. The new trends and research that come out of the daily grind are fascinating, so be open to learning new ideas and be a part of improving EMS and patient outcomes.”

Beth’s passion for the EMS industry is evident, as is her deep connection to her community in Northern California and her commitment to our mission of providing care to the world at a moment’s notice. We are proud that she has continued to build a legacy with our organization.