Suffolk County, NY - November 30, 2016 - Suffolk County Police Department’s Chief Surgeon and Medical Director Dr. Scott Coyne has been named The Physician of Excellence for New York State EMS and also received the REMSCO 2015 EMS Physician of Excellence Award for Suffolk County.
The Physician of Excellence Award for New York State EMS is presented annually by the New York State Department of Health and the New York State EMS Council to a physician who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and experience in the pre-hospital environment. Physicians from all of New York State’s 67 counties are eligible for the award. Suffolk REMSCO (Regional EMS Council) is a collaboration of various medical professionals within Suffolk County, which was formed to share vital medical and emergency response information. Dr. Coyne is the first physician associated with a Suffolk County police department to win this prestigious award.
“The Suffolk County Police Department is fortunate to count among its assets the expertise and knowledge of Dr. Scott Coyne,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy D. Sini said. “Since his start with the department, Dr. Coyne has facilitated the implementation of life-saving programs that have helped improve the safety and well-being of Suffolk residents. On behalf of the Suffolk County Police Department, I congratulate Dr. Coyne on these well-deserved recognitions and commend him on his continued commitment to the residents of our county.”
Dr. Coyne joined the department in 1992 and in 2008, he created the department’s Medical Crisis Action Team (MEDCAT), a district-wide tactical medical team comprised of police officers trained as advanced life support Paramedics or Critical Care EMTs. Dr. Coyne is the also the medical director of the Suffolk County Police Academy with broad responsibility for all educational basic and Advanced Life Support EMT programs. Since 2012 he has trained thousands of Suffolk County police officers and Fire/EMS personnel in procedures for response to high risk operations such as active shooter situations, and has equipped all patrol officers with combat tourniquets to effectively respond to such incidents. In 2015 Dr. Coyne and 3 MEDCAT police officers received the International Association of Chiefs of Police Lifesaving Award at their annual meeting in Chicago for saving the life of a police officer who was gravely injured by a fleeing suspect.
In 2012, Dr. Coyne spearheaded the department’s Narcan program to address the epidemic of heroin and opiate overdoses. Since that time Suffolk County police officers have administered Narcan more than 650 times to reverse the effects of opiate overdoses. The New York State Attorney General selected the SCPD Narcan Program as a model for law enforcement throughout New York State, and in 2014 was hailed by the U.S. Attorney General as a model for law enforcement Narcan programs nationwide. In 2015, in conjunction with the police department's Community Relations Bureau, Dr. Coyne introduced “The Ugly Truth,” a public educational program designed to heighten awareness and treatment of victims of the opiate epidemic. The Ugly Truth program has experienced overwhelming success and continues to be presented in school districts and community meetings throughout the county.
Dr. Coyne is a member of Suffolk County Regional EMS Council, the Suffolk County Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Council and the New York State Regional Trauma Committee for Suffolk County. He is EMS Medical Director for the Lakeland and Holbrook Fire Departments, a Suffolk County EMS Field Physician and the EMS physician for Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department. He is also the Vice Chair of the Police Physicians Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is appointed by the Governor and serves on the Medical Review Board of the State Commission of Correction.
“It has been my distinct honor to serve the Suffolk residents and all of the members of the Suffolk County Police Department every day,” Dr. Coyne said. “It has truly been the highlight of my professional career, and I look forward to many more years of continued service to our county and our great police department.”