GILROY
– Anchored by his deep roots in both firefighting and medicine,
former Gilroy firefighter Dr. David Ghilarducci is the new medical
director for Santa Clara County’s Emergency Medical Services
Agency.
GILROY – Anchored by his deep roots in both firefighting and medicine, former Gilroy firefighter Dr. David Ghilarducci is the new medical director for Santa Clara County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency.
Since starting his new post on Sept. 15, Ghilarducci has been responsible for overseeing the county EMS network and evaluating paramedics’ medical treatment. His hiring followed a four-month search by the county.
Ghilarducci has 16 years of experience as a firefighter, mostly with the county fire department. He at one time served as acting battalion chief there and was the department’s 1994 Employee of the Year.
He got his start, however, as a volunteer firefighter with the Gilroy Fire Department in 1980. Ed Bozzo, now a captain with the GFD, volunteered with him and knew him well.
“I went to school with him,” Bozzo said. “I think he’s a great person, and very knowledgeable. … I think he’ll do a great job in that position, having the fire background and having the medical background; I think he’s the perfect fit.”
By contrast, Ghilarducci has been a doctor for only three years, but those have been full of honors. He was chief resident in his final year at Michigan State University’s Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies and received that university’s 2002 Resident Teaching Excellence Award. Ghilarducci also received awards for Honors in Research and Humanism in Medicine when he graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2000.
The county EMS position is part-time, and Ghilarducci continues to work as an emergency physician for Kaiser Permanente.
