Kathy Rinnert, MD

Associate Professor
Surgery

Contact Information

UT Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75390

kathy.rinnert@utsouthwestern.edu

To make an appointment, call 214-645-8300.

Biography

Dr. Rinnert has been involved in emergency medicine and emergency response since 1984 beginning her career as a Nationally Registered EMT/Paramedic for Southeast Ohio EMS (SEOEMS). She attended medical school at The Ohio State University and performed an internship in Internal Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago. She then completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Chicago where she served as Chief Resident and flight physician for the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network (UCAN) providing critical care transport services for the tri-state region comprised of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Later, she simultaneously completed a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and a Master’s of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Pittsburgh. While in Pittsburgh, she served as flight physician for STAT MedEvac providing helicopter transport in eastern Pennsylvania as well as fixed-wing services for transcontinental and international patient transports. Currently as Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), Dr. Rinnert provides EMS education and mentoring for paramedic students, emergency medicine residents, and fellows. In her role as Associate EMS Medical Director in the UTSW/BioTel EMS system, she oversees the training and medical practice of approximately 1,700 paramedics operating in urban, suburban, and rural environments. Dr. Rinnert has extensive experience in the accreditation of EMS education programs serving as a site reviewer for the Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP). In addition she has valuable insight into ambulance accreditation through her extensive service as a site reviewer for the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). She is currently the physician representative on the CAAS Panel of Commissioners (POC) which accredits ambulance providers in the United States and Canada. Dr. Rinnert has extensive experience in emergency management, emergency response, medical management of acute illness and injury, and standards setting. She has been intimately involved in domestic preparedness efforts for both municipalities and hospital agencies, drafting the nationally recognized preparedness plans for the Parkland Health and Hospital Systems. She has contributed extensively to counterterrorism and preparedness initiatives at the local, state, regional, and national levels acting as liaison and consultant to numerous agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, United States Public Health Service, the Texas Medical Association, Dallas County Health Department, Dallas County Medical Society, Dallas/ Fort Worth Hospital Council, and the City of Dallas Emergency Management. Dr. Rinnert currently serves as the physician director for the Texas Urban Search and Rescue team, one of twenty-eight national teams within Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She has extensive experience in the surveillance, planning, and positioning of medical assets for high profile, national and international venues including; World Cup Soccer (1995, Chicago), Summer Olympic Games (1996, Atlanta), Winter Olympic Games (2002, Salt Lake City), Columbia Shuttle Recovery (2003, East Texas), Hurricane Katrina (2005, Gulf Coast) and Hurricane Rita (2005, Texas Coast). Dr. Rinnert has been active in committee work with appointments to federal grant projects spearheaded by agencies such as the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE), the National Association of State EMS Officials (NAEMSO), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Education

FellowshipUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Emergency Medicine (1997)
ResidencyUniversity of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Emergency Medicine (1995)
InternshipLoyola University, Internal Medicine (1992)
Medical SchoolOhio State University College of Medicine (1991)

Research Interests

Descriptive study of physician medical directors of emergency air medical services in the United States
Effect of basing emergency air medical services in rural areas: trauma transfer times
Effects of continuous hemorrhage on hemodynamics, oxygenation and hemorrhage flow in an uncontrolled continuous hemorrhage model of fatal hemorrhagic shock
Variability of state-approved emergency medical services drug formularies

Publications

Featured
Medical Risk Management of Bioterrorism

Pepe PE, Rinnert KJ , The International Lawyer , Spring 2002; (36(1)):9-20

Featured
Bioterrorism and Risk Management

Pepe PE, Rinnert KJ , Dallas Medical Journal , September 2002; (88(9)):314-317

Featured
Terrorism Preparedness, Parkland Health and Hospital System Serves as National Model

Rinnert KJ , Dallas Medical Journal , November 2001; (87(11)):470-474

Featured
An Approach to Terrorism Preparedness, Parkland Health and Hospital System

Rinnert KJ , Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings , July 2001; (14(3)):231-235

Featured
Preparing for a Terrorist Attack in Dallas County

Rinnert KJ , The Safety Net, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems , Fall 1999; (13(3)):19-22

Tactical Emergency Medical Support

Rinnert KJ, Hall WL , Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, Advances in Prehospital Care , November 2002; (20(4)):931-954

Occupational Exposures, Infection Control and Standard Precautions

Rinnert KJ , Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 6th ed , 2004; (Chapter 154, In Press)

Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Department Administration

Rinnert KJ, Miller A , Preparing for the Written Board Exam in Emergency Medicine , 2003; (4th ed, Vol II):789-821

Airway Management in the Trauma Patient

Vukmir RB, Rinnert KJ, Krugh JW , The Trauma Manual , 2002; (2nd ed):88-96

Prehospital Therapy

Rinnert KJ, O'Toole KS , The Trauma Manual , 2002; (2nd ed):42-54

Honors/Awards

Above and Beyond Award

Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas County Hospital District (2005)

Above and Beyond Award

Parkland Health and Hospital System, Dallas County Hospital District (2000)

Award of Excellence in Emergency Medicine Research

The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine (1991)

Award of Excellence in Emergency Medicine Research

The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine (1991)

The David Saylor Memorial Award

The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cardiovascular Teaching Laboratory (1991)

Professional Associations/Affiliations

American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP)

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)