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Medical Program Faculty and Staff 

Doctor Terry Sweeney

Medical Director

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Doctor Sweeney is the Academy for Professional Developmnent Medical Director and overseas all medical programs being offered. Currently Dr. Sweeney also serves as the Medical Director for Memorial Medical Center of Modesto, Emergency Department.  The expanded emergency department is able to accommodate 80,000 patients per year. The expansion cost $3.7 million, with 20 percent of the funding coming from philanthropic efforts. Doctor Sweeney is well known for his tireless efforts to serve the community. 

David Hunter

Program Director

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David Hunter grew up in Martinez, California and decided to pursue a career in the medical field. He graduated from Chabot College with a paramedic degree and has been in the emergency medical field for over 25 years.

His employment history includes experience as:

 

  • ​An emergency medical technician with American Medical Response in San Leandro

  • A paramedic with American Medical Response in Contra Costa County

  • A paramedic/preceptor with American Medical Response in Alameda County

  • A paramedic with Medi-Flight of Northern California in Modesto

  • A flight medic/medical director with Pacific Dive and Rescue in Martinez

  • A flight paramedic with Mercy Air Modesto in Modesto (current)

 

As one of the founders, and the medical director, of Pacific Dive Rescue, Hunter has accumulated vast amounts of experience in the water. He worked offshore power boat races where he and his team were responsible for the safety of the racers, and he has directed several open water rescues while the races were still underway. Hunter was directly involved with, and invented, a device that is placed inside rescue baskets and assists with stabilizing a patient's head and neck.   

Hunter has worked in the East Bay Area, Oakland, and Fremont for most of his years in practice. For the past five years, he has been employed in Modesto at Memorial Medical Center as a flight paramedic with [MA]. Hunter is also the EMS program director for Franco Consulting Inc. D.B.A. Spec Group. He has a vision for the EMT and other medical programs that AFPD provides, aspiring to create an unrivaled training facility in the Central Valley that will properly equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in these professions.

Dave Hunter Program Director

Anthony Ellis

Clinical Director

 

Anthony has been in the medical field for the past 17 years. He initially obtained his Emergency Medical Technician Certificate in 1999 and began working as an Emergency Room Technician in 2000. During that time, he had also been accepted into Northern California Training Institute’s Emeryville Paramedic program in early 2000.  While working at Washington Hospital, he was given the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of San Francisco (USF) through the career latter program, in which he would be able to retain his yearly income while attending school full time.   During his time at USF, Anthony was consistently on the Honor Roll each semester, was accepted into Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society, and graduated cum laude in 2007. After graduation, Anthony began working in the Emergency room at Washington Hospital as a registered nurse.  In 2010, Anthony was awarded Washington Hospital’s prestigious Nurse of the Year award based on his dedication to the nursing profession as well as his clinical competence. As he continued to grow within the nursing profession, Anthony made the decision to become a Flight Nurse with Mercy Air in Modesto to gain experience that would be valuable for further advancement in his career. Throughout Anthony’s long career in the medical field, he has applied a core moral belief to always put the patient first and do no harm. Due to this belief, Anthony has recently been appointed the chair position for Washington Hospital’s Professional Practice Committee where he directed a group of like-minded nurses to design a nursing model for Washington Hospital.

Michael Helton
EMT Instructor
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Mr. Helton is currently instructing Paramedic and E.M.T courses for a Junior College and a Fire Academy.  Mr. Helton is currently one of the lead instruct for The Academy of Professional Development.  Mr. Helton has a distinguished career with the U.S. Army and the National Guard.  Mr. Helton was deployed several times to Afghanistan and Iraq where he conducted security operations, was a Tactical Combat Casualty Care Instructor, was the lead instructor for the Army’s Combat Lifesaver program.  Mr. Helton was also the Senior NCO for the U.S Army where he was responsible for the medics in the field who provided care for over 175 Airborne Rangers.  Mr. Helton has also worked as a Paramedic for various ambulance companies in California and holds several accreditation's and certifications through the State of California. 
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