Our Team

Cape and Islands EMS is built on a team of current and retired providers from diverse backgrounds and experiences in Emergency Medical Services

Staff

Donna Rex

Executive Director

As a wash-a-shore to Cape Cod I quickly became accustomed to living my best beach life.

A graduate of Barnstable High School and Cape Cod Community College led me to a career in the Fire Service.

After completing 32 years as a fulltime Firefighter/Paramedic with the Barnstable Fire Department, my 2018 retirement was a brief 12 hours, as I returned to work the next day as Executive Director of Cape & Islands EMS, the position I currently hold.

Happily married, proud mama to 2 humans and 1 fur baby and a new favorite title as Grandma. My spare time is spent on the beach in our RV, practicing yoga or reading to my granddaughter and grandpups.

Jonathan Cook

Director of Operations

Jonathan is Cape Cod native who attended the Cape & Islands EMS EMT and Paramedic programs in the early 1990s. He retired as a State Trooper with the Maryland State Police where he spent his career as a Flight Paramedic and Tactical Paramedic in the Special Operations Division.

After retiring, he founded a company that created video training content for Emergency Services Programs in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC areas.

Jonathan joined Cape and Islands EMS as a contractor in 2021 to help create educational content and was later brought on as staff where he designed, implemented, and is now the system administrator for the Cape Cod EMS Learning Management System.

He enjoys his free time with his family and also a pilot, he enjoys flying as well as dual-sport motorcycle riding.

Johnathan Olson

Education Coordinator

John Olson is currently a full time Firefighter/Paramedic with the Yarmouth Fire Department. John began his EMS career in 2003 as a Call Firefighter/EMT with the Yarmouth Fire Department.

John went on to Paramedic School attending Cape Cod Community College in 2005. In 2011, John began teaching at Cape Cod Community College where he continues to assist in educating incoming EMTs and Paramedics.

John took the position of Education Coordinator for Cape and Islands EMS and 2022 and has been passionate about creating new educational content for all providers.

John’s largest accomplishment is being a father of 5 beautiful daughters and a granddaughter. In his down time he is either 100 miles off shore fishing or skiing with his family.

Identity Protected

QA/QI

Quality Assurance / Quality Improvement is an integral member of the Cape and Islands EMS team.

This person is a practicing Paramedic who’s identity is kept confidential so they may provide thorough, comprehensive, and honest feedback without fear of reprisal.

Affiliate Hospital Medical Directors

Ryan Bemis, MD

Falmouth Hospital

Dr. Bemis serves as the Falmouth Hospital Affiliate Medical Director and is a Falmouth Hospital Emergency Department Physician.

Board Certifications

American Board of Emergency Medicine

Education

Medical School

Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA

Residency

University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA

Karen Casper, MD

Martha's Vineyard Hospital

Dr. Casper serves as the Affiliate Hospital Medical Director for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Dr. Casper lives and works on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband Pieter Pil MD and their 4 children.

Board Certifications:

Emergency Medicine

Education:

Medical School:

Univ. of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Residency:

Yale-New Haven Hospital & Boston Medical Center

Jacob Crowell, MD

Cape Cod Hospital

Dr. Crowell serves as the Cape Cod Hospital Affiliate Medical Director, Medical Director of Cape & Islands EMS System and is a Cape Cod Hospital Emergency Department Physician. Dr. Crowell is also a call firefighter with the Dennis Fire Department.

Board Certifications

American Board of Emergency Medicine

Education

Medical School

University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA

Residency

Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME (Emergency Medicine)

Jennifer Meyer, MD

Tobey Hospital

Dr Jennifer Meyer serves as the Tobey Hospital Affiliate Hospital Medical Director.

Dr Meyer is originally from Pittsfield, MA. She attended UMass Medical School prior to completing an Emergency Medicine residency at Duke. After her residency she practiced in Arizona for 8 years where she worked at some small and large community hospitals as well as an academic hospital. Dr Meyer decided to move back to MA and brave the winter to be closer to her friends and family.