The Alcor Podcast Deployment and Recovery: Inside Alcor's DART Team - Part 1
Apr 23, 2025
Shelby Calkins, Alcor's Medical Response Director and lead of the Deployment and Recovery Team (DART), shares fascinating insights into the vital operations of her team. She discusses the history and evolution of Alcor’s approach to Standby Stabilization and Transport. Listeners will learn about the crucial differences between cryopreservation techniques and why specialized training is essential. Calkins also addresses common misconceptions and highlights the importance of adapting care to individual cases, while emphasizing soft skills vital for team success.
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Advantages of In-house DART Model
- Geographic limitations and lack of equipment standardization hurt contractor model efficacy.
- In-house DART allows strategic hiring anywhere, better equipment control, and improved communication for consistent quality.
Building DART with Special Forces Veterans
- Shelby started as SST team member before MRD in 2022 when no in-house team existed.
- Integrating special forces veterans with elite training was a game changer for building rapid response teams.
Shelby's Medical Background and Experience
- Shelby trained as EMT, firefighter, ICU CNA, then BSN nurse managing high-acuity COVID ICU patients.
- She also gained soft skills in home health hospice, rounding out critical care and empathy for the role.