New Full-Time Faculty for Fall 2024
Antonino DeSalvo
Lecturer | EMS-Paramedic
Antonino DeSalvo brings decades of emergency medical experience to his new role as full-time lecturer and psychomotor skills coordinator in Kingsborough Community College's paramedic program after 10 years as an adjunct.
Nino oversees training in physical skills essential for paramedics, such as patient assessment, cardiac arrest management, and oxygen administration. Paramedics must pass a psychomotor examination, also known as a practical skills test, to become certified.
The 1970s TV show "Emergency!" sparked the Brooklyn native's interest in emergency medicine. He enrolled as a biology major at St. John's University while simultaneously taking EMT courses at South Beach Hospital in Staten Island and Beekman Downtown Hospital. He also started riding with BRAVO Volunteer Ambulance. “I was interested in going to medical school but enjoyed working EMS, and it became my career,” he shared. He took a break from college to pursue a paramedic career, working full time in the New York City EMS system. He ultimately completed a bachelor's degree in health care administration with a concentration in emergency medical services from Columbia Southern University.
In addition to volunteering with BRAVO for eight years, Nino has worked at Long Island College Hospital, first as an emergency medical technician and then as a lead paramedic. In 1988, he started his career at Maimonides Medical Center as a 911 field paramedic, and in 2003, he advanced to the position of EMS supervisor, from which he recently retired. Throughout his career, Nino has received nearly two dozen commendations and lifesaving awards from the NYC Fire Department.
He began his teaching career as an American Heart Association instructor. He later
became a New York State Department of Health certified instructor coordinator who,
in consultation with the course medical director, is responsible for the course’s
academic integrity and the selection of the course faculty. His teaching experience
includes roles at New York Methodist and Maimonides hospitals, as well as the United
States Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Outside of work, Nino enjoys several hobbies. He practices taxidermy, a skill he learned during an apprenticeship while at St. John’s; building models replicas of emergency vehicles; and inventing.
“When I first started teaching in 2003, I realized a need to help students learn the process of endotracheal intubation techniques,” he explained. Usually simply referred to as intubation, tracheal intubation is the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the trachea to keep the airway open in order to give oxygen, medicine, or anesthesia. To help students master the proper placement of an endotracheal tube, Nino strategically placed a video camera inside the training manikin so his students could simultaneously see the manikin's trachea and surrounding area, as well as the relative positioning of the laryngoscope blade and endotracheal tube on a remote display.
After encouragement from colleagues, he filed and received a U.S. patent (10/833,765, April 2004 Pending) for “System and Method of Training the Proper Placement of Airway Adjuncts in a Training Manikin.”
Nino strives to keep his teaching skills cutting edge. He recently became certified as a PHTLS (prehospital trauma life support) instructor, which allows him to improve the quality of trauma care delivery by offering continuing education, positively impact the lives of both paramedics and patients. “Teaching students to provide the best emergency care to the public is a true joy for me.”