Austin/Travis County (TX) Search for new Medical Director

[Dustdevil]

I could easily rule out three of them without even interviewing them. Can you?

http://www.impactnews.com/northwest-austin...avis-county-ems

Six chosen to interview for medical director of the Austin/Travis County EMS

Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Austin City Manager Marc Ott announced April 21 that six emergency health care leaders from throughout the country will be interviewed for medical director of the Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical System.

“This position truly can make a difference in life-or-death situations,” Ott said. “The expectation is that the medical director will bring innovative approaches to meet the needs of our diverse communities.”

The candidates, chosen from 35 applicants, are all physicians.

The finalist candidates are:

* John Freese

: medical director of training, medical director of On-line Medical Control Facility and director of Prehospital Research, all with the New York City Fire Department

* Paul Hinchey

: deputy medical director of Wake County EMS in Raleigh, N.C., and attending physician with the Department of Emergency Medicine at WakeMed Health Hospitals

* Donald Locasto

: medical director for Cincinnati, Ohio, Fire Department and surrounding townships and assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati

* James Kempema

: associate medical director for Austin/Travis County EMS/Office of the Medical Director, STAR Flight medical director and associate medical director at the University Medical Center at Brackenridge Hospital’s Emergency Department

* Allen Marino

: medical director of Laughlin University Medical Center Quick Care (the emergency care service for Las Vegas, Nev.); and emergency attending physician and assistant clinical professor at UMC and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals.

* Jullette Saussy

: director of EMS and medical director for the City of New Orleans

Interviews will take place in late May. Two to three finalists will then meet with stakeholders and the community who will provide feedback to the city manager and Travis County Judge Samuel T. Biscoe. Ott, in partnership with Biscoe, will make the hiring decision. Ott and Biscoe established the candidate screening committee.

“The process has been both deliberate and collaborative as we seek someone who will listen attentively to the various agencies throughout Travis County,” said Danny Hobby, Travis County executive manager for Emergency Services. “The medical director must balance sometimes divergent viewpoints with the ultimate goal of providing the best care possible for patients whether they live in Austin or Lago Vista.”

The city/county Emergency Medical System includes more than 35 agencies — both public and corporate first responders — and provides coordination with 15 area hospitals. The medical director heads an office that provides clinical oversight of pre-hospital care, ensuring that it is medically appropriate, patient-friendly and of the highest professional quality.

A profile, developed after extensive input from those involved in the emergency care system, calls for the medical director to be a “patient advocate” who promotes a customer service-oriented approach in all employees.

The PAR Group Public Management Consultants of Chicago helped facilitate the recruitment. Technical advisers for the recruitment are Dr. Raymond L. Fowler, chief of EMS Operations for the Dallas Area BioTel EMS System, and Jerry Overton, executive director of the Richmond, Va., Ambulance Authority.

The new director will fill the vacancy created by Dr. Edward Racht who left the position in November after 13 years to join an Atlanta hospital group. The three associate medical directors have performed the director’s duties on a part-time basis since Racht left.

Edited April 22, 2009 by Dustdevil

[spenac]

Darn I didn't make the cut.

Maybe they will get someone in there that will help them be at the lead of what the future of EMS will be. Perhaps even requiring higher education for the Paramedics that work under their license.

[Dustdevil]

Can you narrow it down to three?

[JakeEMTP]

Can you narrow it down to three?

I'll try. Paul Hinchey, James Kempema and Allen Marino. None of my choices are involved with the FD currently.

[croaker260]

I'll try. Paul Hinchey, James Kempema and Allen Marino. None of my choices are involved with the FD currently.

In squarly in the courner for the Med Director From Wake County. They have been on the forefront of many good things in the past years, including Theraputic Hypothermia and Advanced Practice Paramedics.

Im NOT for the FDNY. Another med director came from FDNY, to the newly founded LMEMS (Louisville) and by all acounts has allienated most of his EMS crews.

[JakeEMTP]

In squarly in the courner for the Med Director From Wake County. They have been on the forefront of many good things in the past years, including Theraputic Hypothermia and Advanced Practice Paramedics.

Im NOT for the FDNY. Another med director came from FDNY, to the newly founded LMEMS (Louisville) and by all acounts has allienated most of his EMS crews.

Yeah, I know Paul. Great guy and really cares about EMS. WCEMS as you stated is at the forefront of EMS in the US. WakeMed is a great hospital which has their own Critical Care transport complete with aircraft. Austin/Travis EMS would have an excellent Medical Director in Paul. Edited April 23, 2009 by JakeEMTP

[Doczilla]

Darn I didn't make the cut.

If it makes you feel better, I didn't either.

'zilla

[Dragoon]

It sucks that FDNY EMS has such a bad rap. I've never had a problem with Dr. Freese. He has done more to advance and progress NYC*EMS in the last two years than any of the other physicians at the office of medical affairs. About every six months there are revisions and advancements to the protocols that benefit us and it is a result of Dr. Freese. We all know that NYC is not great but is has gotten better in part because of him. We have some real pompus a**hole physicians that treat us like crap (80249 for anyone in NYC) when we call for orders or consults that we have to deal with but I've never had a problem with him. He is also an attending emergency room physician at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Manhattan which has it's own EMS department that handles 911 in the city.

I hope that A/TC EMS gets the best doc but try not to knock the guy just because he has FDNY in resume.

[CBEMT]

I could easily rule out three of them without even interviewing them. Can you?

I've got two.... I can't see where your third is.

[Dustdevil]

I've got two.... I can't see where your third is.

Not surprisingly, Jake nailed it.

He has done more to advance and progress NYC*EMS in the last two years than any of the other physicians at the office of medical affairs. About every six months there are revisions and advancements to the protocols that benefit us and it is a result of Dr. Freese. We all know that NYC is not great but is has gotten better in part because of him.

Ya know, you make an excellent point about Dr. Freese. Perhaps the fact that he wants to leave NYC should speak clearly enough about his progressive vision to at least partially overshadow the negative baggage that such association carries with it. Point taken. If he can mask his Lawn Guyland accent long enough to get through the interviews, he might have a shot at it. Someone better tip him off that the Civil War ain't over yet down here, though.