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New EMS administrator outlines priorities as EMS moves back to DPH
Summary
Dr. John Brown and new EMS administrator James Duran briefed the commission on returning EMS to DPH, staffing and system data gaps, and near-term priorities including medical direction, centralized data, quality assurance and regionalized training.
Dr. John Brown, medical director of the San Francisco EMS Agency, and James Duran, the agency’s new administrator, presented an overview of the EMS system and the planned transition of EMS from the Department of Emergency Management back to the Department of Public Health.
Brown described EMS’s role in a layered emergency response system—dispatch, first responders, ambulance transport and receiving hospitals—and noted rising call volumes in recent years. He said that when EMS moved to DEM in 2009 the unit’s staffing and focus changed, and that bringing EMS into DPH restores closer alignment with public-health goals and clinical quality oversight.
Duran, who said he has more than 30 years of EMS experience, outlined a draft organization and four priority areas: medical direction and training, administrative capacity (fiscal and IT), research and quality assurance, and operations including updated interagency agreements. He emphasized the need for a centralized data hub and personnel who can analyze the electronic prehospital records now being collected.
Commissioners welcomed the transition and said they expect the agency to report back with measurable data and milestones. The commission asked for a return in roughly six months to review progress and specific performance indicators.
Next steps: Duran and Brown will develop staffing plans, a data and QA roadmap, and return to the commission with progress and metrics as the transition proceeds.
