Dr. Jim Bryan, MD, PhD honored as EMS Medical Director of the Year

Aurora, Ore., October 1, 2018—Life Flight Network’s Medical Director, Dr. Jim Bryan, has been honored as Medical Director of the Year by the Oregon Health Authority for his commitment to excellence and education in Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The Oregon EMS Awards Banquet, held Friday in Salem, honors those who stand out among the thousands of EMS professionals helping to save lives around the state.

“We want to congratulate Dr. Bryan on this exciting honor,” said Life Flight Network CEO Michael Griffiths. “Dr. Bryan has dedicated his entire career to improving emergency medicine in Oregon. At Life Flight Network, he is actively involved in maintaining the highest level of quality care we deliver every day to patients and the communities we serve.”

Now in his tenth year as Life Flight Network’s medical director, Dr. Bryan is one of only a few full-time medical directors for EMS agencies in the state. He began working as a physician for the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Portland in 1993. In 1994, he became Medical Director for Oregon Health and Science University’s Paramedic Program and later became the Medical Director for OHSU’s joint paramedic program with the Oregon Institute of Technology.

Dr. Bryan continually demonstrates a passion and talent for ensuring the highest standards of medical care and training. His passion for teaching is evident not only to the clinical staff at Life Flight Network, but also the many EMS providers in the State of Oregon who have benefitted from his instruction, guidance and mentoring.  Dr. Bryan is especially appreciated by the Life Flight Network staff for his unique ability to balance high expectations with kind but direct feedback; accessibility and approachability; and in-depth understanding of pre-hospital care, rules and regulations.

Dr. Bryan oversees and provides hands-on training to approximately 300 medical professionals at Life Flight Network. With each aircraft equipped and staffed to act as a mobile intensive care unit, Dr. Bryan continually leads evaluation of new equipment, treatment protocols and policies. He also serves as chair of Life Flight Network’s Clinical Quality Management Committee.