Geisinger doctor named EMS Physician of the Year

DANVILLE, Pa. - Geisinger's Chris Berry, M.D., has been named the 2026 EMS Physician of the Year by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council, an independent advisory committee to EMS agencies across the state.

Dr. Berry has been a physician in Geisinger Medical Center 's emergency room since 2024 and is the associate medical director for Geisinger EMS. He personally responds to emergencies using the Geisinger Physician Response Vehicle, working alongside EMS crews when not in the emergency room, and is the medical director for multiple central Pennsylvania EMS agencies and fire departments.

"I'm deeply grateful to receive this award from a community that means so much to me," said Dr. Berry. "EMS professionals provide lifesaving care and are a cornerstone of our community, and it's a real honor to be recognized by my colleagues in this way."

The EMS Physician of the Year award is chosen through peer nomination and an EMS voting committee. After reviewing nominations from across the state, the committee makes their final choice based on the nominee's contributions to the delivery of EMS, clinical leadership and mentorship of EMS providers.

Mark Bertollo, emergency medicine services coordinator and award nominator, says, "Chris is very good at what he does and is very involved - he does trainings and education, he will work with EMS on his day off and he often invites hospital residents to join him to further their education."

Dr. Berry was honored at a ceremony at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville on May 5 and will also be recognized at the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg during EMS Week, May 17 to 23.

This year's award is in honor of Deno Gualtieri, D.O., a Pennsylvania EMS physician, agency medical director and emergency department director who passed away earlier this year.

About Geisinger

Geisinger is among the nation's leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates more than $8 billion in annual revenues across 163 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses - and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 500 medical professionals annually and is conducting more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With more than 27,000 employees, including 1,800 employed physicians and 5,200 registered nurses, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania's largest employers, having an estimated economic impact of $16.8 billion on the state's economy. In 2024, Geisinger joined Risant Health, a nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.