Sponsoring

Mentoring and sponsorship are essential activities in the professional development of both men and women. These forms of relationships often form between individuals who have common interests, or when the junior member reminds the more senior member of themselves. In paramedicine, the number of men in leadership positions usually means that other men are the ones who end up mentored and sponsored. It can be the case that junior women find it difficult to find similar levels of personal and career support since there are fewer women in leadership positions. I proudly sponsor four women in paramedicine: Paige Mason and Chelsea Lanos, both paramedics in the Ottawa region, Tyne Lunn, a paramedic in Alberta, and Jennifer Bolster, a paramedic in BC.

Paige is a Primary Care Paramedic with the Ottawa Paramedic Service, who is completing a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on organisational culture, change, and leadership.

Chelsea is an Advanced Care Paramedic with the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service, with a Master of Science in Critical Care focused on end-of-life care and organ donation.

Tyne is an Advanced Care/Community Care Paramedic with Alberta Health Services, who is interested in public health, palliative care, equity and justice, and a variety of other practice issues.

Jennifer is an Advanced Care Paramedic and Paramedic Practice Leader with BC Emergency Health Services, with responsibility for substance use and harm reduction portfolio. She is completing an Honours Degree in Paramedicine with a focus on the paramedic role in substance use.

Sponsorship panel with Chelsea and Paige at PACE2019 in Winnipeg, MB
Paige speaking in London, UK 2019
Paige speaking in Edmonton, AB
Paige presenting in Dublin, Ireland
Tyne and Paige in Edmonton, AB
EMS Leadership Summit
Paige keynote at inaugural Women of Paramedicine Leadership Summit
Sponsorship panel with Chelsea and Paige at PACE2019 in Winnipeg, MB
Paige and I have the best idea of the day!
Sponsoring highlights – Paige
Chelsea presenting at ESEM19 in Abu Dhabi
Chelsea keynote at Fanshawe Paramedic Research Day 2019
Chelsea attending Fisdap Research Summit in Minneapolis
Chelsea presenting at ESEM19 in Abu Dhabi
Presenting on behalf of Chelsea at PACE2022
Sponsoring highlights – Chelsea
Jen keynote at Fanshawe Research Day 2022
Sponsoring highlights -Jennifer
Tyne’s poster on her development as a leader
Tyne winner of Best Oral Abstract
Tyne and Paige in Edmonton, AB
Sponsoring highlights -Tyne

I also mentor several other women and men in their career development and success, and I provide the Women of Paramedicine group with support.

I personally strongly believe in an equal playing field for men and women where success and advancement are truly based on merit rather than politics. Until that occurs however, we need to accept that women have less opportunity to advance than men – they are over-mentored, and under-sponsored. We’ve published and presented on this over the past number of years:

  • Batt, A.M. Go Sponsor Her: supporting the next generation of women leaders in paramedicine. EMS Leadership Summit 2020, October 15-19, 2020.
  • Mason, P., Lanos, C., Batt, A.M. Female leadership in paramedicine: the case for sponsorship (panel discussion). Paramedicine Across Canada conference 2019, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, September 20, 2019.
  • Lanos, C., Mason, P., Batt, A.M. GoSponsor…Us. Going beyond mentoring for women in paramedicine. Canadian Paramedicine. 2019; 42(3): 34-36. Full-text
  • Mason, P., Slack, M., Batt, A.M. Female leadership in paramedicine. Emergency Medical Services Show, London, UK, June 25, 2019.
  • Mason, P., Delport, S., Batt, A.M. Let’s make this our “thing”: levelling the gender field for a brighter future in paramedicine. Canadian Paramedicine. 2018; 41(1). Full-text
  • Batt, A.M., Mason P. Increasing female leadership in paramedicine. Indiana EMS Association Conference, West Lafayette, IN, USA, November 30, 2018.
  • Mason, P., Slack, M., Batt, A.M. Female leadership in paramedicine: results from the FLIP study. Irish College of Paramedics Scientific Symposium, Cork, Ireland, September 15, 2018.
  • Mason, P., Slack, M., Batt, A.M. Female leadership in paramedicine. Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs Spring Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, May 9, 2018.

What’s the difference?

Sponsoring resources

If you’re interested in sponsoring, I can highly recommend the following publications and resources to help you figure out where to start and how to create a successful sponsoring relationship.