Eagle County Emergency Medical Services welcomes new medical directors

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Diana Herne has provided medical direction for emergency medical services in Eagle County. Now, with Hearne’s retirement in June, the emergency medicine group at Vail Health has retained two physicians to take over her duties.

Dr. James Engeln and Dr. Jason Zeller will lead the medical direction for the emergency medical services system in the county, which includes Eagle County Paramedic Services, the five fire districts, Eagle County Airport ARFF, Eagle County Open Space and more. 

“The medical director(s) help create and manage protocols for emergency response within the county,” said Will Dunn, chief clinical officer for Eagle County Paramedic Services. “They are the authority on scope-of-practice; they are also going to be our collaborative partner in medical oversight and the evolving world of pre-hospital medicine.”

“One aspect that the new medical directors will address is increasing representation for all the co-responders who depend on medical direction,” Dunn added.

Though Eagle County Paramedic Services is the primary user of the service, the decisions and protocols enacted by the medical directors have an impact on emergency medical services in the county. 

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“We are excited to move into a new model of modern medical direction where physicians can be proactive providers, both guiding and nurturing, to provide the highest quality EMS care to our community and visitors,” said Brandon Daruna, CEO of Eagle County Paramedic Services.

Zeller is a graduate of the University of New Mexico emergency medical services fellowship and is currently a board-certified emergency medical services physician and medical director for a number of first response, transport and flight agencies in Cleveland, Ohio. He is also an assistant professor at Case Western working closely with residents, fellows and medical students.

“I am excited to build on the amazing oversight that Dr. Hearne provided the county while keeping innovation and quality at the foresight of EMS care,” Zeller said. “I look forward to being an interactive team member with the prehospital medical team on the ground and especially becoming part of the Eagle County community.”

Engeln is a graduate of the Denver Health emergency medical services fellowship and started working in the Vail Health Emergency Department at the beginning of July. He will also be taking over as medical director for the county emergency medical services training groups and for the Colorado Mountain College initial emergency medical services training programs.

Emergency medical services that utilize medical direction from these directors include:

• Beaver Creek Public Safety
• Eagle County Open Space
• Eagle County Paramedic Services
• Eagle County Airport ARFF
• Eagle River Fire Protection District and associated public safety agencies
• Greater Eagle Fire Protection District
• Gypsum Fire Protection District
• Rock Creek Volunteer Fire Department
• Vail Fire and Emergency Services
• Vail Ski Patrol (Paramedics only)

“We’re extremely grateful for the decades of leadership and direction that Dr. Herne provided in Eagle County,” Dunn said. “We wish her the best in her retirement and are looking forward to this new chapter in EMS for the county.”