Physician Response Partner Paramedic

Job Summary

The Physician Response Partner Paramedic is an advanced practice paramedic who partners with a board-certified EMS physician on the EMS Physician Response Vehicle (PRV). This position provides advanced prehospital critical care in collaboration with the EMS physician at the scene of high-acuity calls across the regional EMS system. The paramedic functions as the physician's clinical partner—anticipating needs, performing critical care interventions within the Critical Care Paramedic scope, and assisting the physician with procedures that fall outside the paramedic scope (e.g., surgical airway, escharotomy, field amputation). The paramedic also serves as the primary operator of the PRV, manages on-board equipment and resources, and ensures seamless integration with frontline EMS, fire, and law enforcement agencies. The paramedic operates under the direct supervision of the EMS physician and within the scope established by the EMS Medical Director and the program's internal critical care credentialing process.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Respond with the EMS physician on the Physician Response Vehicle (PRV) to high-acuity prehospital calls (trauma, medical, entrapment, mass casualty, pediatric, and other complex scenes) across the regional EMS service area.
• Function as a clinical partner to the EMS physician—anticipating needs, communicating concerns, advocating for the patient, and providing a second set of trained eyes on scene assessment, patient status, and crew resource management.
• Perform advanced prehospital critical care interventions consistent with the scope of a Critical Care Paramedic and within the scope established by the EMS Medical Director and internal credentialing, including but not limited to: advanced airway management (including drug-assisted intubation), mechanical ventilation management, transfusion of blood products, procedural sedation, finger and tube thoracostomy, central and intraosseous vascular access, and resuscitative interventions.
• Assist the EMS physician in an assisting capacity only with procedures that fall outside the scope of a Critical Care Paramedic—for example, surgical airway, escharotomy, and field amputation.
• Perform delegated procedures under direct physician supervision and within the scope established by the EMS Medical Director and internal credentialing.
• Independently prepare, set up, and operate critical care equipment including transport ventilators, infusion pumps, blood/fluid warmers, advanced hemodynamic monitors, and other PRV-carried devices.
• Manage, draw up, and administer medications and blood products carried on the PRV per protocol and direct physician orders.
• Maintain operational readiness of the PRV: complete daily equipment, medication, and blood product inventory checks; restock and clean the vehicle; verify communications and response systems; document checks per program policy.
• Serve as the primary operator of the PRV—drive and operate the vehicle to and from scenes safely under both routine and emergency response conditions, in accordance with University of Utah Health and program vehicle operations policy, applicable traffic laws, and Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) standards.
• Coordinate and communicate seamlessly with frontline EMS crews, fire, law enforcement, air medical resources, and receiving hospital teams; deliver concise clinical handoff and maintain situational awareness throughout the response.
• Document all patient care, interventions, medications administered, and physician orders accurately and contemporaneously in the electronic patient care record and University of Utah Health EHR.
• Participate in ongoing internal critical care credentialing, simulation, skills laboratories, and continuing education to maintain procedural competency, even when external critical care certification is not maintained.
• Participate in continuous quality improvement activities including case review, morbidity and mortality conferences, post-mission debriefs, protocol development, and program-related research.
• Train, precept, and mentor other paramedics, residents, fellows, and learners on advanced prehospital procedures, PRV operations, and team-based critical care delivery.
• Maintain scene and personal safety awareness at all times; support the physician in scene size-up, hazard identification, and incident command coordination.
• Other duties as assigned by the EMS Medical Director, program leadership, or designee.