David Boyd

David R. Boyd (born February 2, 1937) was an American surgeon and pioneer in emergency medicine. Boyd is considered to be one of the later fathers of EMS systems." His colleague John Otten noted that Boyd "had been responsible for saving thousands of lives - more than anyone in the medical profession."

Early life and family Boyd was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He graduated from Roosevelt High School, where he played quarterback and was captain of the famous "No score in '54" football team. He attended Central Washington University with the intention of becoming a teacher, but changed his major to psychology in preparation for medical school. Boyd attended medical school at McGill University, where he met his wife, Joyce Moore Boyd, a fellow physician. Together, they had four children.

Later in life, Boyd privately consulted with hospitals concerning trauma and EMS systems locally, domestically and internationally. Through Boyd's influence, terms such as "trauma registry", "trauma center," "EMS systems," and "first responder" became well known. In 2015, Boyd was invited to write a professional autobiography in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery about his role in shaping the trauma/EMS system nationally and globally, entitled "A trauma surgeon's journey."

Emergency medical services (EMS) systems Boyd developed a national EMS system by first creating a local trauma unit system in Cook County, Illinois, then expanding the system to the State of Illinois, and finally nationally through a series of plans for individual states. He also designated statewide specialty trauma centers for burns, spinal cord injuries, and pediatrics in Chicago. Cardiology expert Mark Vasu has said about Boyd's EMS program: "Prior to Dave's program, there was virtually no training, no standards, no 'system' of emergency care in this country." He became the medical director in the Blackfeet Tribe and re-organized the ambulance and visiting consultant system to improve medical care and response time.