ST. CHARLES, Mo. (KMOX) - The role of a paramedic is expanding.
St. Charles County has the first full time EMS physician the state of Missouri.
Dr. David Tan was recently named St. Charles County Ambulance District's Chief Medical Officer (SCCAD) after a national search.
Tan has been a part associate medical director since 2006, focusing on the Tactical EMS Unit aligned with the St. Charles County Regional SWAT Team, and the medical specialists serving with St. Louis Metro Urban Search & Rescue Task Force 1.
Alongside that role, Dr. Tan was also a professor and EMS Division Chief at the Washington University's School of Medicine and an attending emergency physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, a certified Level 1 Trauma Center.
Tan joined Total Information A.M. Tuesday to discuss his new role, expressing excitement how in this role he never sees the same day twice.
"I never see the same day twice," said Tan. "When people ask me what I do on a typical day, I ask them how much time do they have because it can really be different every day."
While Tan's role will obviously have him oversee all the clinical practices and care the district provides in the area, he says that their is one aspect of the job is what most excites him.
"It will also include some road time, and that's what I love the most," said Tan. "Getting out with my paramedics in the field, running calls and seeing our patients first hand and what they do out there. It's really is a privilege for me to be out there with them and that's what makes it fun."
