Shea Duerring, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics, has been appointed by the Secretary of Transportation to serve on the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC).
The council, which advises the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS, plays a key role in shaping national policies, priorities and standards for emergency medical services across the United States.
Duerring will represent pediatric emergency medicine, bringing more than two decades of experience in prehospital care and a longstanding commitment to improving outcomes for children before they reach the hospital.
“Being appointed by the Secretary of Transportation to the National EMS Advisory Council to represent pediatric emergency medicine is a profound honor,” said Duerring. “As a pediatric emergency medicine physician and EMS physician, I have spent my career trying to improve the care of children before they reach the hospital.”
He says the appointment provides an opportunity to advocate for pediatric care at the federal level and ensure children are represented in national EMS discussions.
“The decisions NEMSAC makes go directly to the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS,” said Duerring. “That means the recommendations we develop have the potential to shape how EMS across our country prepares for and responds to pediatric emergencies now and for years to come.”
Duerring says he is committed to ensuring pediatric care remains a priority in those conversations.
“At its core, EMS is about one thing: in a medical emergency, help arrives,” said Duerring. “I will work to ensure that our national EMS system has the policy infrastructure, resources and standards it needs to deliver on that promise to every patient, including our children.”
Duerring has been involved in EMS since 2002, serving as an EMT, paramedic and medical director in rural, suburban and urban settings. He is board certified in general pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine and EMS medicine.
In addition to his role at UAB, Duerring serves as the assistant state EMS medical director for pediatrics at the Alabama Office of EMS and the principal investigator and medical director for Alabama EMS for Children. He has held leadership roles across multiple state and national organizations and currently serves as medical director for several fire departments in the Birmingham area.
Through his work, Duerring has focused on advancing prehospital emergency care through education, protocol development and advocacy, with an emphasis on pediatric patient care and disaster preparedness.