Area Fire Departments and EMS Say Goodbye to Retiring Medical Director
After 15 years of service, New Bremen EMS, New Knoxville Fire Department, St. Marys Fire Department, and Joint Township Transport are all saying farewell to Medical Director Dr. Kenneth Fox.
The groups Dr. Fox served recently presented him with a plaque honoring his service. While Dr. Fox is retiring from his role as medical director, he will still serve the community in the emergency department at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital. Dr. Fox has been a physician for 25 years, and says that taking on the role of director was something he was asked to do. “Nobody else was here to take over,” joked Dr. Fox. “They asked, I accepted. It's the squad’s prerogative of who they want to take the role. They ask who they want.” Dr. Fox said that he was familiar with the squads due to his work over the previous five to six years before being asked. Regarding why he chose the field of emergency medicine, he added, “The variety. There is no most common thing in the ER. We see everything: colds, rashes, heart attacks, strokes, and gunshots. Every day you walk in the door, you never know what you’re going to see.”
Linda Emmons, administrator and a paramedic for New Bremen EMS defined the role of a medical director, “All ambulance services are required to have a medical director in order to operate. That person needs to be a doctor, and that's what he did for us.” Emmons added that the squads operate under Dr. Fox’s medical license. “In order for us to carry drugs, or run any kind of protocols, they have to be approved by Dr. Fox.”
Over his 25-year career, Dr. Fox said he’s seen advances, and changes in the medical field.
“Surgical advances, we streamlined a lot of the heart attack problems, and stroke issues. A lot of it is more streamlined than when I first got here. Referring to hospitals, to testing what we do, its streamlined,” said Dr. Fox. “He’s been great at entertaining new equipment and medications for the patients... he’s been very helpful,” said Emmons. “He was just always very supportive and provided us with insight whenever we asked for or needed it. He worked with us to maintain a high standard of quality of care.”
Dr. Fox said that he’s stepping away from his role as director because, “Its time for some of the younger guys to take over this stuff.” He also had some advice for people who would like to become doctors, “Do as much training as you possibly can. Do as many procedures, see a variety of people, because in this field you never know what’s going to come through that door.”