1982
John Donohue
B.S., Emergency Health Services
Administrator
Maryland Emergency Medical Services
Baltimore, Maryland

When Pope John Paul II came to Baltimore in October 1995, John Donohue was ready.

In his position as Region 3 administrator for Maryland Emergency Medical Services, it fell to Donohue to handle medical emergencies in a crowd that was likely to number in the hundreds of thousands. Specifically, it was Donohue's duty to coordinate a team of bicycle-riding paramedics that would be on patrol.

Keeping the event running smoothly was a major challenge for everyone involved, says UMBC's first emergency health services graduate. Yet, he is also quick to point out that it was a gratifying experience as well.

It was an atmosphere in which almost anything could happen, and fortunately, most incidents were minor. At one point in the day, Donohue recalls, a woman became ill and had to be taken to the aid station. "She insisted that she had to see the Pope, so som e of my staff carried her on a stretcher to where the Pope's procession passed. He reached out and gave her his blessing."

More recently, Donohue's work has revolved around the illicit "designer drug" scopolamine, also known as "homicide." His unit focuses its efforts on locating those suffering ill-effects from the drug and providing them with the necessary treatment to prevent a fatal outcome. Off hours, he is also a volunteer paramedic in the White Marsh area of Baltimore County.

Of the EHS program at UMBC--the first of its kind in the country--Donohue says, "The faculty at UMBC did an excellent job in preparing me for my career. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of such a wonderful program."

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