Matthew bitner, MD, facep

Senior Physician, Founder

Dr. Matt Bitner is a Senior Physician and Founder at VIGILINT. He has a background in clinical operations, quality, instructional systems design, adult learning strategies, prehospital system design, and disaster planning/response. Dr. Bitner has served in multiple operational roles, including service line direction and departmental chairman in academic and community medical centers, as well as providing medical oversight for fire-based EMS services, private EMS services, police-based EMS services, police departments, as well as a multi-jurisdictional 911-communication center.

Dr. Bitner is currently the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Prisma Health and holds appointments at both the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and the Clemson University School of Health Research. Dr. Bitner has been involved in emergency medicine, serving on and/or chairing committees at the local, state, and national level throughout his career. He has served on the Board of Directors for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Colleges of Emergency Physicians. He has chaired educational programs and committees for their annual meetings.

He has designed comprehensive pre-hospital programs for victims of sudden cardiac arrest in several metropolitan areas and developed and designed Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) Programs for multi-jurisdictional Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Teams. He has directed undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate medical education programs in pre-hospital and disaster medicine. His strategic planning and operations portfolio also includes providing medical oversight for professional world-class cycling events, internationally recognized marathons, and national special security events.

He has served on peer-review panels for Annals of Emergency Medicine, Public Health, the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Journal of Operations Management, and has lectured nationally and internationally on Emergency Medicine topics at sites including Columbia, Republic of Georgia, Mozambique; and Rwanda.

Dr. Bitner graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude from Hampden-Sydney College. He graduated Alpha Omega Alpha from the University of Miami School Of Medicine. He received his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Emory University, where he served as Chief Resident. Following residency, he was awarded the SAEM/Medtronic-Physio-Control EMS Research Fellowship, which he completed with the Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine at Emory University. He went on to complete his Masters of Medical Education at a joint program between Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the University of Cincinnati’s College of Education.

"As a global media and communications company, complex medical challenges frequently confront our offices and business travelers. VIGILINT plays a valuable role in our crisis management process as a trusted medical advisor. Their team is incredibly knowledgeable and responsive. Global companies like ours are constantly affected by international health issues and VIGILINT has been a true partner when we needed an informed opinion to help set policy and guidance with respect to medical challenges affecting the health and safety of our employees and our ability to meet our client obligations. They are my first call whenever a medical crisis arises.”

-Director of Business Continuity & Crisis Management, Fortune 500 global advertising and marketing services company

"We have been using VIGILINT for the past two years and have been very satisfied with their services. The information and services have been provided in a very timely manner with extremely accurate information. They have been an intricate part in our planning of large corporate events."

-Manager of Risk Services, $10-billion-a-year consumer products company

“Simply put, VIGILINT is unmatched anywhere. They are compassionate, with high professional standards and an unwavering commitment to their client. For many years, VIGILINT has allowed our Family Office to travel with confidence, with complicated medical problems. This is the most complete, impressive, full-service program I have ever encountered. They are highly respected physicians who believe in personalized service.”

-West Coast family office (family-owned global event production company)