Medical Director, Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA)

Under the general administrative direction of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Director, the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) Medical Director plans, organizes and is responsible for the clinical and quality assurance for the emergency medical services care in San Francisco. Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilization for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care.

The role of the EMSA Medical Director includes medical leadership, quality assurance and improvement, in-service training and professional development of emergency medical services professionals and paraprofessionals including physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other staff. The EMSA Medical Director must coordinate closely with the EMS leadership within the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and will also maintain contacts with emergency medical services specialists and department heads in other fields to obtain their expert advice in difficult medical and related matters.

In addition, the EMSA Medical Director will prepare, review and approve reports related to quality of emergency medical services care in San Francisco and work with the California Emergency Medical Services Authority to ensure San Francisco's compliance with all relevant state laws and regulations regarding emergency medical services. The position may also require 24-hour on call availability to emergency services staff or scheduled for emergency services clinical shifts. The EMSA Medical Director reports to the San Francisco Department of Public Health Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Under the general administrative direction of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) Director, this position's duties and responsibilities include the following:

Leadership and Supervision

• Serves as the Emergency Medical Services Agency (EMSA) Medical Director.
• Provides strategic leadership for the SF Emergency Medical Services System, including educating medical personnel throughout the City and County to the goals and objectives of the System
• Leads San Francisco Department of Public Health EMS initiatives and projects, including disaster mitigation goals and objectives.
• Briefs the PHEPR Director, Health Officer, the Director of Health and other DPH leaders as needed on EMS issues.
• Supervises EMS/Disaster Medical Fellows.
• Develops procedures and standards for facility categorization, EMS personnel, EMS response and transport modalities and agreements.
• Is responsible for development of triage, treatment, communication and mass casualty management policies and clinical treatment protocols.
• Prepares necessary evaluation and progress reports related to the implementation of all assigned duties; evaluates progress as it relates to medical aspects of delivery, training, and the interface with various components of the EMS System.
• Assists in preparing budget materials.
• Oversees research project impacts on EMS system components.
• Provides medical expertise to EMS office staff and regional committees
• Reviews complaints of a medical nature involving EMS personnel.

Staff Development and Training

• Develops standards for training and performance for all prehospital personnel; reviews medical procedures which First Responders, EMT’s, paramedics and other prehospital practitioners are authorized to perform.
• responsible for the certification of approximately 1,800 EMTs, accreditation of over 600 paramedics and 70 community paramedics in San Francisco.
• Teaches EMS Providers at EMSA's Sim Center Education; teaches EMS providers at the City EMT Program for underrepresented communities and the San Francisco Fire Department; and supports City College of San Francisco Paramedic Training Program with instruction.
• Assists Population Health Division's Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) with training and exercise plans, and closely collaborates on areas of overlapping work.
• Develops articles and educational materials for the EMS Agency website and on-line and in person training programs.
• Incorporates disaster planning, response, and recovery activities into all programs.
• Provides EMS Medicine training to physicians in the EMS system, especially EMS/Disaster Medicine Fellows and Emergency Medicine residents from the UCSF system.

Clinical, Consultation, Collaboration and Community

• Consults with other agencies on EMS program planning and evaluation; collaborates with the California EMS Authority to ensure San Francisco's compliance with all relevant state law and regulation regarding EMS.
• Provides medical care and treatment, supervision of, and support for EMS providers as the Base Hospital Physician in the field shifts.
• Maintains contact with appropriate medical personnel for developing, implementing, and upgrading the EMS System.
• Consults with public and private agencies and individuals using an equity lens to develop, implement and upgrade patient care in the EMS System
• Recruits' physicians and other medical personnel as instructors, specialty advisors and committee members to engage the local medical community in the EMS System.
• Monitors and evaluates the implementation and interface of prehospital programs with the SF hospital and healthcare system.
• Attends State and local meetings pertinent to EMS medical direction and quality control.
• Assists the EMS Director and SF EMS Agency staff in fulfilling all regulatory functions required by applicable CA state statutes.
• Writes reports and maintains accurate records.
• Interacts professionally and courteously with internal and external stakeholders
• Performs relevant duty officer functions, such as the Medical Health Operations Area Coordinator support, including responding to stakeholder requests, monitoring EMS system, etc.
• Assists with special projects as assigned
• Performs other related duties as needed.

Do you Qualify:

1. Current valid board certification in Emergency Medicine.  And of a current valid CA license issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.**
2. Two or more years of post-Emergency Medicine board certification experience in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) administration, providing EMS medical direction
3. Three (3) years of post-residency experience as a practicing physician in Emergency Medicine.
   One (1) year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2,000 hours (2,000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a forty (40) hour work week).

**Applicants possessing a valid license to practice medicine issued from another state within the United States of America may apply, but if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until they obtain a valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

The Department of Public Health prioritizes equitable and inclusive access to quality healthcare for its community and values the importance of diversity in its workforce. All employees at the Department of Public Health work to advance equity, inclusion, and diversity with a specific lens and focus on race, ethnicity, gender, sex, sexuality, disability, and immigration status.

The Mission of the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is to protect and promote the health of all San Franciscans. SFDPH strives to achieve its mission through the work of multiple divisions - the San Francisco Health Network, Population Health, Behavioral Health Services, and Administration. The San Francisco Health Network is the City’s only complete system of care and has locations throughout the City, including Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health Division (PHD) provides core public health services for the City and County of San Francisco: health protection, health promotion, disease and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response. Behavioral Health Services operates in conjunction with SFHN and provides a range of mental health and substance use treatment services.