Robert Maciej Gałązkowski (born 1976 in Zielona Góra) – Professor, Doctor habilitated in medical sciences and health sciences, Doctor honoris causa, specialist in public health, expert in emergency medical services. From 2008 to 2024 he served as Director of the Polish Medical Air Rescue (LPR). He is the Editor-in-Chief of the scientific quarterly Emergency Medical Service. Ratownictwo Medyczne, addressed to professionals working in emergency medicine and EMS. Since 2024 he has been the Coordinator of the Mobile Medical Security Group of the Polish Medical Air Rescue.
He graduated from the University of Zielona Góra, Faculty of Pedagogical and Social Sciences, majoring in pedagogy with a specialization in rehabilitation of chronically ill individuals. Earlier, he completed studies at the Regional Center for Medical Education in Zielona Góra in the field of paramedics.
In 2005 he received a PhD in medical sciences at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Medical University of Łódź, based on a dissertation supervised by Professor Wojciech Gaszyński: The Role of the Polish Medical Air Rescue in the Integrated Emergency Medical System – Experiences and Perspectives.
In 2006 he completed postgraduate studies in Management of Healthcare Organizations at the College of Management and Finance of the Warsaw School of Economics. In 2014 he completed postgraduate studies in Management of Medical Entities Transformed into Commercial Law Companies. On 7 June 2016 the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Medical University of Warsaw awarded him the degree of Doctor habilitated in health sciences on the basis of his scientific work Implementation, Strategy and Use of the Polish Medical Air Rescue in Poland.
On 11 May 2020, by decision of the President of the Republic of Poland, he received the title of Professor of medical sciences and health sciences. He also completed postgraduate studies in Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Throughout his professional career he has been involved in emergency medical services and emergency medicine. He worked in a resuscitation ambulance team, an intensive care unit, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and the fixed-wing medical transport team. He served as spokesperson for the Polish Medical Air Rescue, and from January 2001 to February 2007 he was Head of Emergency Medical Services of the Polish Medical Air Rescue. From February 2007 to March 2008 he acted as Deputy Director of the Polish Medical Air Rescue for Medical Rescue Operations. He was an adviser to the Minister of the Interior and Administration on emergency medical services and an expert of the Government Centre for Security.
Since February 2011 he has been a member of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Council at the Chief Sanitary Inspector (9th term, until February 2014). Since May 2011 he has been an expert of the Transdisciplinary Centre for Security Research at the Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities.
In 2008 he became Director of the Polish Medical Air Rescue, with which he had been associated since its establishment in 2000. Under his leadership, the helicopter fleet was modernized, replacing Mi-2 Plus aircraft with Eurocopter EC135 helicopters. He oversaw the relocation of the Fixed-Wing Medical Transport Base from Szczecin–Goleniów to Warsaw Chopin Airport in 2009.
He initiated closer cooperation between the Polish Medical Air Rescue (LPR) and the Mountain Volunteer Search and Rescue Service (GOPR), which led to the signing of a cooperation agreement on 17 September 2011 and enabled joint training and coordinated deployment of helicopters in mountain rescue operations.
He co-authored the cooperation agreement of 31 July 2008 between the Polish Medical Air Rescue and the State Fire Service, regulating joint training and protocols, including nighttime landing assistance by firefighters.
On 29 February 2012 in Munich, he was elected to the Board of the European HEMS and Air Ambulance Committee (EHAC). He was the only Polish representative in the Board at that time. On 29 April 2015 in Brno, he was re-elected for another term with 66 out of 68 votes.
He is a member of the Polish Society of Emergency Medicine and the Association for the Treatment of Severe Bleeding. Since 2015 he has served as a member of the Mazovian Road Safety Council.
He was an assistant at the Department of Emergency Medicine of the Medical University of Warsaw. Since 1 October 2018 he has been Head of the Department of Emergency Medical Services of the Medical University of Warsaw, and in the same year he was appointed Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
He actively promotes public education and first aid awareness. He is the author of the principle: “No perfectly functioning emergency medical system will be effective if the first eyewitness does not begin first aid.”
He was a member of the Scientific Council at the Minister of Health from August 2015 to May 2020.
He served as an expert in medical security for the Government Team for the Preparation of the Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Poland in 2016. He was Deputy Chair of the Advisory Team of the Governor of Małopolska responsible for coordination during World Youth Day.
He contributed to the expansion of the network of Polish Medical Air Rescue bases; in 2016 four new bases were established.
From 29 October 2020 to 12 December 2022 he served as Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Health for coordination of the extracorporeal oxygenation (ECMO) system for patients with acute respiratory failure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021 he coordinated the flights of the Polish medical mission during the evacuation operations in Afghanistan.
He is a member of the Polish Aviators Association.
In January 2024 he resigned as Director of the Polish Medical Air Rescue; his resignation was accepted on 12 February 2024 by the Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna.
He is Chair of the Council of the Discipline of Health Sciences at the Medical University of Warsaw for the 2025–2028 term.
He is also a member of the Scientific Council of the State Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, and a member of the Scientific Council of LUX MED.
Source: wikipedia
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