David Miramontes, M.D., assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences and medical director for the San Antonio Fire Department, was named the EMS Medical Director of the Year by the U.S. Metropolitan Municipalites EMS Medical Directors Consortium during its annual EMS State of the Science Conference in Dallas on March 2.
The award is given to the medical director who has demonstrated longstanding service, contributions and leadership in the unique realm of out-of-hospital emergency care and has served as a role model, not only for emergency medical services personnel, but also for fellow 9-1-1 system medical directors across the nation.
Dr. Miramontes was recognized, along with the San Antonio Fire Department, in part for instituting whole blood administration by paramedics in the region but also several other innovative EMS projects, such as law enforcement navigation for psychiatric patients and regional coordination of EMS and hospital stroke care and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Dr. Miramontes also works with the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The primary mission of NDMS is to coordinate the federal government’s medical services in the event of a major emergency or tragedy. Dr. Miramontes has served on NDMS’ Disaster Medical Assistance Team as a senior medical officer since 1998. He has been deployed and assisted in several hurricane and flood relief efforts, and as chief medical/safety officer for the Haiti Disaster Mortuary Support Mission.
Dr. Miramontes joined UT Health San Antonio in 2014. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo in 1996.
Dr. Miramontes is the second member of the UT Health San Antonio faculty to receive the award. Craig Manifold, D.O., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Health Sciences, won the same prestigious award in 2016.