VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach has revolutionized emergency response by putting doctors directly alongside paramedics on 911 calls, bringing hospital-level care to residents' front doors.
The EMS Duty Physician Program, launched in 2019, allows local doctors to volunteer their time serving the community with Virginia Beach EMS crews. When residents dial 911, they might receive not just an ambulance, but a physician ready to provide immediate medical expertise.
Dr. Joe Lang, an emergency medicine doctor, dedicates one eight-hour shift monthly to the program, responding to critical calls from heart attacks to serious crashes.
"It's been very positive for me. I really enjoyed working with the medics and working with the city," Lang said.
The program now includes more than 20 volunteer doctors, including residents training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, who serve as MD02s in the community.
Dr. Stewart Martin, Virginia Beach EMS's operational medical director, leads the initiative. He says the program enhances an already elite emergency system by giving paramedics direct access to physicians who can guide treatment and make life-saving decisions in real time.
"It's a benefit to residents because you're bringing the physician to the field. Physicians bring their expertise, for instance ultrasound and with our Whole Blood Initiative program," Martin said.
The program provides what Martin calls "elite-level patient care" by involving physicians in field decision-making processes.
For Lang, patient reactions highlight the program's impact.
"I always get the comment if one of us shows up — 'Wow, they actually have a doctor showing up! I must be really important or really sick — one of the two,'" Lang said.
Lang emphasizes the program's deeper purpose: meeting residents in their moment of greatest need.
"I bring another level of medicine — you get to see patients where they live, before they even reach the hospital," Lang said.
City leaders are working to expand this Virginia Beach innovation statewide, potentially making the doctor-paramedic teamwork model the new standard across Virginia.
