Kristal Giesebrecht

Master Cpl. Kristal Giesebrecht, 34, of Wallaceburg, Ont., who was married and on her second tour of Afghanistan had gone out with troops sent to defuse an improvised explosive device, which the military said the Taliban had planted in the doorway of a house.

Giesebrecht was from the 1 Canadian Field Hospital in Petawawa, Ont.

They died 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City in Panjwaii District, a Taliban hotbed where most of Canada’s battle group is now arrayed.

They were the sixth and seventh medics to die in Afghanistan and the 11th and 12th Canadians to die here this year.

Giesebrecht was a whirlwind of activity when spotted recently in a clinic, rushing around good-naturedly at double or triple time as she made her rounds.

The medic was, Vance said, “a mentor and an inspiration” to the other combat medics, who form a tight, highly respected and trained community within the military.

“Kristal prided herself on her health and her fitness, although she always felt the solution to any problem could be found in a box of chocolates,” the general said.

Patient Safety in Emergency Medical Services

Download Patient Safety Document

As well trained compassionate caregivers, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel often care for patients in challenging and dynamic environments. Providing healthcare services in unstable, high stress environments can lead to a real potential for risk of harm.

To better understand and begin to formally address the current patient safety issues in EMS, in 2008, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute partnered with the EMS Chiefs of Canada (EMSCC) and the Calgary EMS Foundation to fund research exploring patient safety in EMS. Through a competitive process, a research team from the University of Toronto was commissioned to develop the report,

Together with a pan-Canadian Advisory Group, experts and stakeholders from across Canada and internationally were engaged to contribute information and expertise throughout the research process. The findings highlight the important challenges and opportunities for improving patient safety in EMS and that collaboration across Canada is required to better define and understand patient safety incidents in EMS.

This paper is the first of its kind in the world and the researchers have already presented their findings internationally. It is our collective hope that this work forms a firm foundation for future improvement initiatives and investments in high quality research and education to improve patient safety in EMS.

Please read this important patient safety document and share with your colleagues.

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For more information about this initiative, contact Sandi Kossey at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Andrew Miller

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Two Canadian medics were killed Saturday morning, including the third Canadian woman to die in combat, when the armoured vehicle they were travelling in struck a homemade landmine in Afghanistan.

Pte. Andrew Miller, 21, of Sudbury, Ont., had gone out with troops sent to defuse an improvised explosive device, which the military said the Taliban had planted in the doorway of a house.

They died 20 kilometres west of Kandahar City in Panjwaii District, a Taliban hotbed where most of Canada’s battle group is now arrayed.

John Petropoulos Memorial Fund

The John Petropoulos Memorial Fund (JPMF) creates partnerships which strive to eliminate preventable workplace fatalities and injuries to first responders, including police, fire and EMS personnel