Rick Hartsock
| Mr. Rick Hartsock | |
|---|---|
 Rick Hartsock.jpg | |
| Born | Rick J Hartsock December 11, 1979 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🎓 Alma mater | California State University, San Bernardino Cornell University Brown University University of Redlands |
| 💼 Occupation | Healthcare executive |
| 📆 Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Executive leadership in ground medical transportation and mobile ECMO transport |
| Title | CEO, Advantage Ambulance, Inc. |
| 🌐 Website | www |
| rick.hartsock | |
| rhartsock | |
| rick-hartsock-mba-mhl-mha-27ab1415 | |
Rick J Hartsock (born December 11, 1979) is an American healthcare executive who serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Advantage Ambulance, Inc., a ground medical transportation company operating in Southern California. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Mission Ambulance from 2006 to 2023.
Early life and education
Hartsock was born in Riverside, California, and raised in Lake Arrowhead. He attended California State University, San Bernardino, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English. He later completed graduate studies, receiving a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Cornell University, a Master of Healthcare Leadership (MHL) from Brown University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Redlands.
Career
Hartsock began his career in the healthcare sector in 2000.
Mission Ambulance
From 2006 to 2023, Hartsock served as Chief Operating Officer of Mission Ambulance. During his tenure, he led a regulatory challenge regarding the City of Riverside's non-emergency ambulance permitting system. The policy, which had granted an exclusive franchise to a single provider since 1989, was reviewed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority in 2012, concluding that state regulation preempted the local ordinance. The Riverside City Council subsequently revised its regulations in 2013.
Advantage Ambulance
In 2014, Hartsock founded Advantage Ambulance, Inc. after a San Diego County hospital sought transport services in an unserved market area. The company grew into a five-station network across San Diego and Riverside counties, eventually acquiring Mission Ambulance's contracts in 2023 upon the retirement of Mission's chief executive.
Under Hartsock's leadership, Advantage Ambulance became the ground transport partner for UC San Diego Health's mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) program. The specialized initiative deploys mobile cannulation teams to critically ill patients at regional hospitals and transports them on mechanical circulatory support to regional ECMO centers. Between April 2020 and January 2021, the program executed 22 transports across four Southern California counties, with Advantage performing 19 of those missions.
References
- Mobile Life Support Delivered to Area Hospitals During COVID-19 Pandemic - UC San Diego Today (May 26, 2020)
- Odish MF, Yi C, Chicotka S, et al. Implementation and Outcomes of a Mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2021;35(10):2869–2874. PMID 34176676.
- Riverside, Calif., Ambulance Rules Dispute - Journal of Emergency Medical Services (February 13, 2012)
- Robinson A. Riverside council changes ambulance rules. The Press-Enterprise (September 24, 2013)
