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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dick Rutkowski - President
Mr. Rutkowski retired from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with 33 years of federal service. He served as Deputy Diving Coordinator. He was founder and director of the NOAA Diving/Hyperbaric Training and Diver Treatment Facility from 1973 to 1985 where hundreds of divers have been treated. He also served a co-director for the annual Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) physicians diving and hyperbaric medical training program for the past 21 years. Mr. Rutkowski also served as director of ESSA/NOAA Diver Training from 1965 until he retired. Upon retiring from federal service in 1985, Mr. Rutkowski formed Hyperbarics International, Inc. for the purpose of educating and consulting in the field of hyperbaric medicine, diving gasses and life support systems.
After retiring from NOAA, Mr. Rutkowski has continued the use his vast knowledge conducting training programs for agencies such as NOAA, US Navy, US Air Force, NASA, EPA, US Customs, Panama Canal Commission, various hospitals, commercial diving companies and foreign navies. Mr. Rutkowski is past president/vice president of the UHMS, Gulf Coast Chapter, founder of the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers and co-founder of the American Nitrox Divers Association, International Board of Undersea Medicine, Hyperbarics International, Inc. Undersea Breathing Systems, and the Undersea Research Foundation. He also organized and founded diving safety organizations such as the Florida Underwater Council and Society of Diving Safety (Turks and Caicos Islands). In the early 1970’s Mr. Rutkowski taught the first diving accident management courses, including the importance of emergency oxygen use at the dive site for injured divers. At first this theory was widely criticized but now this concept has become the standard of care and is recommended by all diver certifying agencies and associations.
Mr. Rutkowski has written and lectured extensively on all form of diving life support systems, gases, undersea and hyperbaric medicine, and has installed over 18 hyperbaric facilities in hospitals and field locations. His ongoing training programs have taught thousand s of physicians, allied medical personnel, dive supervisors, and instructors, undersea and hyperbaric medicine including chamber operation. He has written and edited over 60 publications and training films including the NOAA Diving Manual. For his long dedicated service Dick Rutkowski has received many awards from noted organizations including NOAA, UHMS, DAN and National Association of Underwater Divers, Explorers Club, etc. In 1967 he also had a Glacier named after him by the US Board on Geographic Names and in 1995 he was elected to the Explorers Club as a Fellow.
Dick Rutkowski detailed Curriculum Vitae
Louis F. James, MD, MPH & TM, FACPM - Medical Director
- Bachelor of Science with Honors in Zoology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 1957
- Doctor of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 1961
- Rotating Internship, St. Mark’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT, 1962
- Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 1971
- Residency in Aerospace Medicine Phase II, USAF School of
- Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, San Antonio, TX, 1972
- UHMS Physician’s Course in Diving Medicine, Miami, FL, 1986
- Medical Director, Diver’s Training Academy, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 1964
- Certified in Aerospace Medicine by the American College of Preventive Medicine, 1974
- Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, 1974
- Colonel, USAF (Ret.), 1987
- Acting Director, Hyperbaric Department, St Mary’s Hospital,
- West Palm Beach, FL, 1988-1997
- Co-Director, Hyperbaric Department, Mariner’s Hospital, Tavernier, FL, 1996-1999
Earl Shaw - Secretary
Earl Shaw recently retired as Program Director for the Department of EMS, Fire Science, Hazardous Materials, & Health Education at Wallace Community College in Dothan Alabama. Earl has over 25 years experience in EMS including 19 years in EMS education. He was recognized as EMS Educator of the Year for the state of Alabama in 1995 and was nominated as Junior College Educator of the Year in 1996. Earl is a Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Affiliate/Faculty Instructor. He is also a Basic Trauma Life Support and Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support National Affiliate Faculty. Earl also serves as a national testing representative for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Earl has been actively involved in diving since 1962 with a primary interest in public safety diving. He currently serves as Training Officer for the Dothan Police Department Dive Team and teaches recreational scuba diving through multiple agencies.
Earl owns Emergency Systems Educational Services (ESESC), a company which provides training in emergency services and develops programs and emergency plans. Through ESESC, Earl serves as an educational specialist for the State and National Emergency Management Agency. He has also developed and taught programs for McDermitt International Diving Division and the University of North Carolina National Undersea Research Center. ESESC also offers Diver Medical Technician training.
Earl is a member of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technologists, American Heart Association, National Association of EMS Educators, and Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
James W. Loewenherz, M.D., FACP - Board Member
Education
Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana 47374 Major: Chemistry, Honors
Degree: B.A. 6/74, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
The University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark June 1972-Jan. 1973
Foreign Study Program Earlham College
UHS/The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, IL June 1974-June 1977. Degree: M.D.
Post Graduate Training
Internship: University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals, Miami, FL
Straight Medical Internship June 1977-June 1978
Residency: University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals, Miami, FL
Internal Medicine, July 1978-June 1980
Fellowship: University of Miami Affiliated Hospitals, Miami, FL
Subspecialty: Nephrology July 1980-June 1982
Special Training
Participant, Advanced Course on Medicine and Physiology of Sport SCUBA Diving,
Undersea Medical Society, Oct. 1978, Dec. 2002
Participant, N.O.A.A. Physicians Hyperbaric Training Course VI, Oct, 1980
Specialist and Examiner in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine
U.S. Department of Commerce, N.O.A.A.
FAA Aviation Medical Examiner Seminar and Certification Course,
Orlando, FL Aug. 1990, Mar. 1993, Chicago, IL June 2000
Savannah, GA 2005
Certificate in Medical Practice Management,
University of Miami School of Business Administration, 11/94
Academic Appointments
University of Miami, Departments of Medicine and Anesthesiology,
Assistant Clinical Profession of Medicine, Oct. 1984 – Present
University of Miami, Department of Medicine and Anesthesiology,
Research Instructor, July 1982-Oct. 1984
Medical Licenses
Florida ME 0032843
California G 42700
Specialty Board Status
American Board of Internal Medicine, Board Certified Aug. 1981
Certificate # 75390
American Board of Nephrology, Board Certified Nov. 1982
Certificate # 75390
American Board of Critical Care Medicine – Board Eligible
Download full CV
J. Morgan Wells, PhD - Board Member
Dr. Wells began his diving career at the age of 15 (1955) when he built an oxygen rebreather from surplus aircraft respirator parts. He used that unit for several years of diving in the ocean, rivers, lakes and under the ice.
When compressed air became available in his area, he switched to open circuit air diving and earned money teaching SCUBA diving while in college.
He received scientific diving training at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (University of California) in 1962. In 1965 he was accepted as a US Navy Sealab Aquanaut and received mixed gas and rebreather training at the US Navy Mine Defense Lab in Panama City, Florida.
Later that year, he served as a Sealab II Aquanaut during a 15-day, 205 foot helium/oxygen saturation dive, beginning a 30-year career in undersea habitat diving which has resulted in his having spent more time living on the ocean floor in undersea habitats, and having living in more habitats than any diver on the plant. In addition to Sealab, these include TEKTITE, EDALHAB, HYDROLAB, PRINUL, HELGOLAND (Germany), and LORA (Canadian, under ice). Dr. Wells also served as operations director for special missions of HYDROLAB and HELGOLAND (in US waters).
Dr. Wells was employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1972 until his retirement in 1995. From 1972 until 1975 he served as science coordinator for the Manned Undersea Science and Technology Office. His duties included coordinating and conducting undersea research. In 1975 he was appointed NOAA Diving Coordinator, where he was responsible for all aspects of NOAA diving training, safety, and effectiveness. When the NOAA Diving Program was created in 1978, he was appointed director, maintaining his duties as NOAA Diving Coordinator and assuming the administrative duties of the Director. In 1989 Dr. Wells achieved the career long ambition of creating the NOAA Experimental Diving Unit (EDU). He happily left the Washington, DC area for the new NOAA EDU, and the company of the US Army Diving Detachment at Fort Eustis, VA.
Dr. Wells’ early research interests centered around the respiration of marine organisms as related to temperature and oxygen concentration. He used undersea habitats and diving frequently for studies of symbiotic systems of algae and invertebrates (corals, giant clams, sea anemones). His Ph.D. thesis research was on the effects of pressure on human hemoglobin oxygen binding properties. He then studied the effects of elevated nitrogen pressure on the oxygen binding properties of hemoglobin of humans and deep diving seals.
While working for NOAA his research work shifted to applied physiology, and technological solutions to physiological problems. He conducted research and developed equipment and procedures for diving in hot and contaminated water. He developed the NOAA Nitrox I (32% O2/N2) and II (36% O2/N2) mixtures and their respective decompression tables during the late 1970S. These mixtures have gained wide acceptance in the scientific and recreation diving communities. He increased the safety and effectiveness of NITROX preparation by designing, building, testing, and putting into operational use of the NOAA Continuous NITROX Mixer. Wells and the US Government hold the patent on this device. He later increased the effectiveness of the device by adding air separation devices (oxygen generators).
His most recent contributions to this field are the development of NOAA TRIMIX I and simple and effective methods for its preparation and the preparation of the required NITROX decompression gases.
Dr. Wells’ current work (1995-1996) is related to gas separation technology and low energy consumption life support systems for long term undersea habitation.
Dr. Wells’ activities in scientific and medical education remained active after his departure from his medical school faculty position. In NOAA he organized and taught (20 years) a diver medical technician (DMT) program. He assisted in the preparation of a national program in this area and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology. In the late 1970s he designed a training program with the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, for physicians in diving and hyperbaric medicine. The NOAA/UHMS Physicians Training in Diving Medicine has been the most widely accepted civilian program on its nature in the country for over 20 years. Dr. Wells has served as course director during this time with the assistance of guest speakers who are the “cream of the crop.” The Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society currently coordinates the course, and Dr. Wells has continued as course director after his retirement from NOAA.
Download full CV
Dennis J. Holstein - Board Member
Education
Emergency Medical Technician
State of Florida
June 2000 – August 2007
Certified Hyperbaric Techonologist
National Board of Diving & Hyperbaric Medical Technology
August 1999
Instructor
Open Water SCUBA Diving, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI),
#38758-OW, 1989
Graduate
Professional Diver Course,
Divers Institute of Technology
Seattle, Washington, 1977
Bachelor of Arts – Biology
University of California
Humbolt State University, Arcata, California, 1971
Work Experience
November 2003-Present
Director, Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Recovery Departments
Mariners Hospital, Tavernier, Florida
October 1998-November 2003
Senior Hyperbaric Technician
Mariners Hospital, Tavernier, Florida
Participated in the design, assembly, installation & testing of a 6-patient multiplace hyperbaric chamber for Mariners Hospital’s new facility in Tavernier, Florida
November 1995-October 1998
Project Manager/Technical Director
Multiplace Hyperbaric Chamber Facility Development Project,
Centro Medico de Puerto Rico; Administracion de Servicios Medicos de Puerto Rico,
San Juan, PR; for GRW Engineering, Inc.
On-site management of construction, assembly & testing of a 20-patient, triple-lock clinical hyperbaric treatment facility. Facility completed & in operation in September 1997.
Developed all operational, emergency & maintenance procedures for the facility and trained the technical staff.
Served as the Technical/Safety Director of the facility from the project’s inception.
1992-1995
Quality Assurance Manager
Perry Baromedical Corporation, Riviera Beach, Florida
Responsible for establishing and maintaining corporation’s program for compliance with Federal Good Manufacturing Practices for Medical Devices.
Established and maintained corporation’s ASME Pressure Vessel Code Certification.
Ensured compliance with ASME-PVHO and NFPA guidelines for the manufacture of hyperbaric chamners.
Technical Writer
Perry Baromedical Corporation, Riviera Beach, Florida
Produced Operations & Maintenance Manuals for corporation’s monoplace, dualplace & multiplace hyperbaric chamber systems. Produced Training Manuals for chamber systems and conducted on-site training courses.
1989-1992
Voluntarily unemployed.
Extended sailing cruise.
1987-1989
Diving Supervisor
Global Divers & Contractors, New Iberia, Louisiana
1979-1988
Saturation Diving Supervisor
Santa Fe Offshore Construction Company
Houma, Louisiana
Served as a supervisor for saturation, bell bounce & surface supplied diving for offshore oil field related projects.
Participated in the design, assembly & installation of five heavy-use commercial saturation diving systems.
1977-1979
Diving Tender/Life Support Technician
Santa Fe Offshore Construction Company
Houma, Louisiana
1972-1997
United States Navy
Enlisted Quartermaster, 1972-1973
Commissioned Officer, 1973-1977
Vietnam Service
Honorably discharged as Lieutenant
Jeffrey Bertsch - Vice President/CFO
Jeff is currently owns and manages the consulting firm Healing Alternatives. He formerly served as the Program Director of Mariners Hospital’s Hyperbaric Department (part of Baptist Health South Florida) after six years at Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Instrumental in the development of the hyperbaric program at Mariners Hospital in the Florida Keys, Jeff has had to call upon all the skills he has developed throughout his career in diving and hyperbaric medicine. While at DAN his duties included providing assistance to divers on diving medical information and emergency calls, collecting data on dive accidents, writing articles and courses, producing multi-media presentations, and teaching dive accident management seminars. He was the co-author and developer of DAN's Oxygen Program and associate producer for DAN's educational videos.
Prior to going to DAN, Jeff worked at the Hyperbaric Medicine Department at Virginia Mason Medical Center, in his home town of Seattle, Washington. There he served as a hyperbaric chamber supervisor, medical attendant/advanced diver medic and DAN Northwest associate coordinator. He has logged several thousand hours of chamber time. He worked as an EMT and continuing education instructor for King County EMS in Washington State. Jeff owns Healing Alternatives, LLC, a company which provides consulting services to the diving and hyperbaric related organizations. www.jeffbertsch.com
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