Kathy Rinnert

Kathy Rinnert is a Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW). She has over 30 years of experience in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS education, holding leadership roles in national preparedness initiatives.

Her research interests focus on EMS education, medical standard setting, accreditation, emergency management, and disaster response. She co-authored foundational documents like the Core Content of EMS Medicine and EMS Physician Curriculum, which have defined the field’s educational framework.

Dr. Rinnert’s 15 most recent publications highlight trends in disaster preparedness, EMS protocols, bioterrorism risk management, and trauma systems development, with notable contributions to Hurricane Katrina response strategies and statewide EMS drug formulary regulations.

She has served on the EMS Examination Committee (EEC) for the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) from 2010-2019, shaping certification standards, and contributed to ambulance accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). Her work with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) advanced national trauma system assessments.

Dr. Rinnert has been a medical team manager for the Texas Urban Search and Rescue team (TXTF-1) for over 20 years, supporting high-profile events like the World Cup (1995), Olympic Games (1996, 2002), and post-Hurricane Katrina operations (2005). She drafted nationally recognized emergency preparedness plans for Parkland Health and Hospital Systems and collaborated with agencies like FEMA, FBI, and the Department of Defense.