John Cunha

Received Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 1998 from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (formerly University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine), Kansas City, MO

Board certified in Emergency Medicine, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, #1320 (November 2003-present)

Licensed, State of Florida, # OS 8631

I am Vice Chair of the Emergency Department at Holy Cross Health in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where I am also President of the Medical Staff and on the Board of Directors. In addition, I am the Medical Director of Emergency Medical Services for the City of Oakland Park, FL, and the Assistant Medical Director of Emergency Medical Services for the City of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

I have been a Medical Editorial Board Member and Author/Editor since 2007 for WebMD.com, eMedicineHealth.com, eMedicine.com, MedicineNet.com, OnHealth.com, and RxList.com where I write and medically review consumer medical content.

I routinely give lectures and presentations for and on behlaf of Holy Cross Health, the Caducean Society of Greater Fort Lauderdale, Emergency Medical Services for the City of Oakland Park, and others. 

I have been on staff and teach residents for Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Emergency Medicine Residency Program and the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.

Specialty: Emergency Medicine

EDUCATION

• DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE (1998)

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (formerly University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine), Kansas City, MO

• BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (1993)
  Rutgers University - Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ

INTERNSHIP/RESIDENCY

• NYCOM-Emergency Medicine Residency Program (2000–2002)

Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Newark, NJ 

• NYCOM-Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine Residency Program (1999–2000)

Union Hospital/Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Union, NJ/Newark, NJ     

• NYCOM - Emergency Medicine Special Emphasis Track Internship (1998–1999)

St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY   

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION

• Board Certified - Emergency Medicine, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine, #1320 (November 2003-present)
• Fellowship, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Medicine (2008)
• Licensed, State of Florida, # OS 8631 (February 2002-present)
• Licensed, State of New Jersey, # 71361 (January 2001-June 2002)
• Basic Life Support, American Red Cross (2022)
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support, American Red Cross (2022)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support, American Red Cross (2020)
• University of Miami, Mass Casualty Emergency Triage (2017, 2020)
• FEMA  
  • Introduction to Incident Command System ICS-100 (2017)
  • National Incident Management System (NIMS) An Introduction ICS-700 (2017)
• Emergency Ultrasound Course, South Carolina College of Emergency Physicians/American College of Emergency Physicians (November 2001)

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

• VICE CHAIR, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT (2016-present)

Holy Cross Health, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• EMERGENCY MEDICINE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN (2006-present)

Holy Cross Health, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director (2011–present)
• MEDICAL DIRECTOR (2012-present)

            City of Oakland Park Emergency Medical Services, Oakland Park, FL

• Owner of JCEMS Services
• Broward Sherriff's Office Active Shooter Course (2016)
• ASSISTANT MEDICAL DIRECTOR (2022-present)

City of Fort Lauderdale Emergency Medical Services, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• MEDICAL CONSULTANT (2013)

Health Fit Chiropractic Sports Medicine Football Camp, Florida Atlantic University

• CONSULTANT/CLINICAL CASE REVIEWER (2011-2013)

eQHealth Solutions Florida, Tampa, FL

• Medicare/Medicaid Utilization Reviews and Quality Management 
• Home Health Utilization Review Specialist 
• Alien Stabilization/Undocumented Non-Citizen Review Specialist 
• CONSULTANT/CLINICAL CASE REVIEWER (2006-2013)

Keystone Peer Review Organization South (Kepro), Tampa, FL 

• Medicare/Medicaid Utilization Reviews and Quality Management 
• Managed Care Reviews (Kepro Pennsylvania)
• Home Health Utilization Review Specialist 
• Alien Stabilization/Undocumented Non-Citizen Review Specialist 
• ASSISTANT MEDICAL DIRECTOR/EDUCATOR (2008-2011)

City of Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, Pompano Beach, FL

• EMERGENCY MEDICINE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN (2002-2006)

Northwest Medical Center, Margate, FL, Sheridan Healthcorp

University Hospital, Tamarac, FL, Sheridan Healthcorp

• ACUTE/URGENT CARE PHYSICIAN (2001- 2002)
  Care Station, Springfield, NJ

Occupational, Family Practice, sports/employment physicals

• ACUTE/URGENT CARE PHYSICIAN (2001)

First Care Medical Group, Verona, NJ

Occupational, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, sports/employment physicals

COMMITTEES/ADMINISTRATIVE

• Holy Cross Health
  • Holy Cross Health Board of Directors (2019-present)
  • President, Medical Staff (2022-present)
  • Secretary/Treasurer, Medical Staff(2019-2022)
    • Member of Holy Cross Health CEO search panel (2020)
    • Member of Holy Cross Health COO search panel (2020)
• Hospital Committees:
  • Medical Executive Committee (2019-present)
  • Peer Review Committee (2016-present)
  • Interventional Cardiology STEMI review Committee (2018-present)
  • Hospital Grievance Committee (2016-present)
  • Emergency Department Throughput Committee (2016-present)
  • Emergency Management/Preparedness Committee (2013-present)
  • Patient Safety Committee (2013–present)
  • Stroke Steering Committee (2012-present)
    • Door to Needle work group
  • Pain Management Pharmacy Committee (2019-2022)
• Broward County Regional EMS Council (2016-present)
• Greater Broward EMS Medical Director's Association (GBEMDA) (2012-present)
• Fire Chiefs Association of Broward County - EMS Chiefs Sub-Committee
  • Medical Issues Committee(2014-present)
• Broward EMS Stroke Coalition (2016-present)
• Broward County Stroke Council (2013-present)
• Panthers Warriors Hockey Program-Board of Advisors (2019-2021)
  • Advisor for disabled veteran’s hockey and outreach program in South Florida area
• United Way of Broward County Committee on Substance Abuse 
  • Community Action Team (2016-2019)
  • Flakka Action Team (2015-2016)
• American Red Cross of Broward County – Board of Directors (2015-2019)
  • Community Outreach Committee (2015-2019)
• Broward Emergency Medical Services Council - Take 5 To Stay Alive (2015)
• American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians - National Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (2005-2011)
• Northwest Medical Center - Emergency Medical Services, Critical Care Standards Review and Utilization Review Committees (2003-2006)

PUBLICATIONS/MEDICAL WRITING AND EDITING

• Medical Editorial Board Member and Author/Editor for online content at WebMD, eMedicineHealth, eMedicine, MedicineNet, OnHealth, and RxList consumer medical content (2007-present)
  • Articles on diseases and conditions, causes, symptoms, treatments, quizzes, ‘Top 10’ lists, ‘How to’s,’ versus, facts, toppers, blurbs, definitions 
  • Primary and Revising Author/Medical Editor 
  • Article topic list on request
• Medical Editor for DynaMed, a branch of EBSCO Health Notes
  • Topic: Hair tourniquet syndrome (2020)

PRESENTATIONS/LECTURES

• Holy Cross Health, Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • Patient Satisfaction (annually, 2017-present)
  • ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Certification (annually, 2019-present)
  • Stroke Management and RACE score-ED Resident Orientation (annually, 2016-present)
  • TXA use in Nosebleeds (2019)
  • Dangers of Fluoroquinolones (2019)
  • Loperamide Overdose (2018)
  • Malignant Hyperthermia (2018)
  • Naloxone (Narcan) Induced Pulmonary Edema (2018)
  • AED use and function-ED resident Grand Rounds (2017)
  • R.A.C.E. Score for EMS Stroke Activation – Stroke Symposium (2016)
  • Dangers of Synthetic Drugs/Flakka – Medical Grand Rounds (2015)
  • ER Missed Strokes – Stroke Symposium (2014)
  • Stroke Treatment (2011)
  • Heart Talk – Time is Heart (2011)
  • Stroke Management (2006)
• Caducean Society of Greater Fort Lauderdale
  • New Drugs of Abuse (2022)
  • Rabies (2019)
  • Dangers of Fluoroquinolones (2019)
  • Carfentanil (2016)
  • Flakka (2015)
  • Ebola (2014)
  • Krokodil-Molly (2014)
  • Moon Talk (2014)
  • AEDs (2012)
  • Drugs of Abuse (2012)
• Expert Witness
  • Synthetic Drugs on the Streets of Florida (2017)
    • United States Sentencing Commission, Washington, D.C.
  • Synthetic Drug Investigation (2016) 
    • Broward County State Attorney’s Office Grand Jury Investigation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Community Relations
  • Ideal System of Stroke Care, Guatemala Stroke Congress-Hospital Herrera Llerandi, Guatemala City (2019)
  • Acute Stroke Care, Hospital Herrera Llerandi, Grand Rounds (2019)
  • When to Go to the E.R. with Chest Pain – John Knox Village (2017, 2019)
  • Flakka and Synthetic Drugs (2016)
    • United Way of Broward County High School Education
  • Flakka and Synthetic Drugs (2015)
    • Broward County Flakka Awareness Press Conference
    • Deerfield Beach Community Outreach 
    • Broward Regional Health Planning Council-HIV
    • Urban League of Broward County Community Outreach
    • Oakland Park Community Outreach
    • United Way of Broward County Flakka Action Team
    • Broward Sheriff's Department Training 
    • Palm Beach Sheriff's Department Training
    • Henderson Mental Health Hospital Training
    • Broward Multi-Agency Homeless Task Force Training  
    • Broward School Resource Officer Training 
    • South Florida Hospital Security Director's Meeting
  • Signs of Heart Attack – John Knox Village (2015)
• Emergency Medical Services Medical Director, Oakland Park, FL
  • COVID Presentation, City of Oakland Park (2022)
  • Naloxone (Narcan) Induced Pulmonary Edema (2017)
  • The R.A.C.E. Scale and How EMS Pre-notification Affects Stroke Care (2017)
  • Stroke Care at Holy Cross Health (2016) 
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (2016)
  • Flakka, GBEMDA Presentation-webcast (2015)
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (2014) 
  • Dialysis Emergencies (2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021)
  • Ebola (2014)
• Florida Osteopathic Medical Association - Spring Seminar, Weston, FL
  •  Synthetic Drugs on the Streets of Florida (2016)
• Barry University, Miami, FL
  • Street Drugs of Abuse (2016)
  • Emergency Room Evaluation and Treatment of Stroke (2016)
  • Emergency Approach to Abdominal Pain (annually, 2011-2015)
  • Psychiatric Emergencies - Baker Act (2011)
• Assistant Medical Director/Educator Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, Pompano Beach, FL 
  • Stroke Management for EMS (2011)
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (2008, 2010)
• Nova Southeastern University, Davie, FL
  • Gynecologic and Obstetric Emergencies (2009, 2011)
  • Emergency Medicine Career (2009, 2010)
• Northwest Medical Center, Margate, FL
  • Natrecor Treatment for CHF (2005)
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ
  • Food and Waterborne Illness (2002)
  • Rat Poison (2002)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Emergency Medicine Residency Program  (2016-present)
  • Emergency Medicine Faculty
• University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL (2012 – present)
  • Affiliated Assistant Professor of Medicine
  • Preceptor: Emergency Medicine Medical Student Rotation - Holy Cross Health
• Barry University Physician Assistant Program, Miami Shores, FL (2011–2017)
  • Adjunct Lecturer
• Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) - Department of Family Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2004-2013)
  • Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Course Instructor: Clinical Medicine I & II 
  • Preceptor of Medical Education for Emergency Medicine Rotation Medical Students, Northwest Medical Center, Margate, FL (2002-2006)
  • DO Care Medical Mission, Ecuador, Teaching Physician (2006)
• Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, Pompano Beach, FL (2008-2011)
  • Assistant Medical Director/Educator
• Total Caring Inc., State of Florida (2010-2011)
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor
• Scios/Natrecor Southeastern Regional Speaker’s Bureau, Fremont, CA (2005-2006) 
  • Certified lecturer on Natrecor’s use in congestive heart failure
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ (2000–2002)
  • Residency Leadership Project
• Burlington County Community College, Pemberton, NJ (1993–1994)
  • Biology and Physical Science Laboratory Instructor 

RESEARCH

• COVID-19 Impact on Stroke Presentations, Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Volume 29, Issue 10, October 2020, Sheryl Strasser MD, Laszlo Miskolczi MD, John Cunha DO, Lori Justynski RN
• Estreicher ME, Hranjec T, Pepe PE, Rosenblat BS, Roach JP, Antevy PM, Katz, RS Gandia A, Scheppke KA, Cunha JP, Lee W, Farcy DA, Clift A, Adams PJ. Spotting the clotting: hypercoagulopathy in COVID-19. EMS World August 2020;49(8):44-47. First published on-line: May 20, 2020 
• Contributing Author, Webster's New World Medical Dictionary, Third Edition. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing (2008)
• Cunha, J., Shapiro, T.; Food Poisoning. American Academy of Emergency Medical and Family Health Guide, online textbook at eMedicine.com, (2000, updated 2004 and 2007)
• Cunha, J., Almeida, V.; The Impact of Patient Satisfaction Surveys on Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Residency Programs-Poster Presentation. ACOEP Annual Meeting (2001)
• Cunha, J., Almeida, V.; The Impact of Patient Satisfaction Surveys on American Emergency Medicine Programs-Poster Presentation. SAEM National Meeting (2001)
• Cunha, J., Almeida, V.; The Impact of Patient Satisfaction Surveys on New Jersey Emergency Medicine Residency Programs-Poster Presentation. NJACEP Annual Meeting (2000)

 PRESS

• The New Pelican. City Resident and Doctor Receives Excellence Award 
• Oakland Park Community Check-In with Dr. Mitch Rosenwald. COVID-19 and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). July 2020.
• Broward Fire Chiefs Association COVID Plasma Donation Press Conference. May 2020.
• Fusion. Wile, Rob. RIP South Florida’s flakka problem. 7 April 2016.
• Metro. Dyer, Kristian. Jet lag is nothing for these Jets to sleep on. 30 September 2015. 
• CNN. Ganim, Sara. Vaping: The latest scourge in drug abuse. 30 August 2015.
  • Re-broadcast by KHON, KLOR, WJHL, WPTV, WVNO, WWLP
• The Press of Atlantic City. Capoferri, Carmen. Broad Street Bullies share the ice with fans in Atlantic City. 23 August 2015. 
• Observer. Emeott, Diane. Dangers of Flakka. 18 June 2015. 
• Sun Sentinel. Geggis, Anne. Flakka's rush: Stimulating brain chemicals into fatal shutdown. 13 June 2015.
• International Business Times. Herman, Barbara. Flakka Deaths On The Rise In Florida: 'Insanity' Drug Prompts Meetings To Combat Growing Threat. 15 May 2015.
• Fusion. Wile, Rob. Flakka, Florida’s horrible new street drug, is coming from China. 14 May 2015. 
• NBC 6 South Florida, Miami. Jones, Keith and Hamacher, Brian. "The $5 Insanity Drug": Broward Officials Fight Spike in Flakka Use. 13 May 2015. 
• WHDH NBC News Boston. Community leaders educate community on dangers of Flakka. 13 May 2015. ABC News Local 10 Miami. Sheriff Scott Israel: 'Flakka' is '$5 insanity'. 13 May 2015.  Broward Palm Beach New Times. Joseph, Chris. Broward County Announces Joint Effort to Educate Public on Flakka. 11 May 2015. WSVN, Fox News Miami. Cafiero, Carmel. Flakka and The Rise of Dangerous Synthetic Drugs. 28 April 2015. Fusion.net.
• Wile, Rob. A complete guide to flakka, the horrible street drug terrorizing South Florida. 10 April 2015. 
• The Viewpoint. Serling, Caye. Lighthouse Point Residents on a Mission. July 2006. 
• COM Outlook, Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Serling, Caye. Health Care Outreach: NSU Style. Summer 2006.

AWARDS

• Oakland Park City “Teamwork Award” as part of the Hurricane Irma Relief Team for the City Fire Rescue Service (2017)
• Mark Unis Speaker of the Year Award – Caducean Society of Greater Fort Lauderdale (2013)
• Patient Satisfaction Recognition Awards (2000-2002)

Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark NJ 

• Patient Satisfaction Recognition Award (1999)
  • Union Hospital, Union NJ

AFFILIATIONS

• American Osteopathic Association
• American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians
• Greater Broward Emergency Medical Directors Association (GBEMDA)
• Florida Association of EMS Medical Directors (FAEMSMD)
• National Association of EMS physicians
• Caducean Society of Greater Fort Lauderdale
  • President (2017)
  • Vice President (2016)
  • Secretary-Treasurer (2015)
• KISS Army (1976-present)
• 12

• DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE (1998)

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (formerly University of Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine), Kansas City, MO

• BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (1993)
  Rutgers University - Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ

INTERNSHIP/RESIDENCY

• NYCOM-Emergency Medicine Residency Program (2000–2002)

Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Newark, NJ 

• NYCOM-Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine Residency Program (1999–2000)

Union Hospital/Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Union, NJ/Newark, NJ     

• NYCOM - Emergency Medicine Special Emphasis Track Internship (1998–1999)

St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY