By Tony Saavedra
The Orange County Register
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. 鈥� Dr. Carl Schultz quietly retired this week as Orange County鈥檚 controversial decision-maker for emergency medical services, four months after fire chiefs countywide called for his termination.
As EMS medical director, Schultz by what the Orange County Fire Chiefs Association called his brash decisions preventing paramedics from using innovative medical techniques already employed statewide.
| EARLIER: Calif. fire chiefs association calls for removal of county EMS director
Schultz also to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana after complaints of poor care at the 282-bed hospital. After initially suspending the hospital from receiving stroke patients last summer, Schultz in October revoked its designation entirely as a stroke-neurology receiving center, one of nine in the county.
Under county guidelines, 911 dispatchers and paramedics must route stroke patients to a stroke center, bypassing other hospitals without the designation.
Hospital owner KPC Health called the revocation unfair and without due process, noting a three-physician panel had recommended against it. KPC Health now is to lift the ban.
In an interview Friday, Jana. 23, Schultz, 73, said his retirement had nothing to do with the fire chiefs鈥� accusations or the backlash from Orange County Global. He said he wants to spend more time with his family and updating his college textbook on disaster medicine. Schultz said he is not bothered by the criticism marking his seven-year tenure at the $301,000-a-year post.
鈥淭hat goes with being a regulator,鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淣o regulator is ever viewed positively by those who are regulated.鈥�
The Orange County Fire Chiefs Association, in an Aug. 20, 2025, letter to Schultz鈥檚 boss at the Orange County Health Care Agency, called him 鈥渁brasive,鈥� saying he had damaged the morale of paramedics as well as the county鈥檚 reputation among EMS professionals throughout California.
鈥淔or too long, Dr. Schultz鈥檚 decisions and actions have insulted our first responders, alienated our statewide partners and impeded our ability to heal, serve and save the sick and injured of Orange County,鈥� said the letter, signed by then association president and Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King.
鈥淪imply put, it is time for an immediate change, and nothing short of the removal of Dr. Schultz will resolve the issues at hand,鈥� King wrote.
The four-page letter ticks through a number of complaints. For instance, Schultz has steadfastly fought against performing blood transfusions in the field, despite the federal government鈥檚 offer of billions of dollars in grants to pay for them.
During a regional question-and-answer session hosted by the Los Angeles County EMS Authority, Schultz insulted the panel and remarked: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any idea if this stuff works,鈥� the letter said. This despite evidence that hundred of thousands of people have been saved by prehospital transfusions, King said. Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties already conduct such blood transfusions, according to the letter.
Schultz responded he wanted more study on the effectiveness of the practice, rather than just plunge into it because others are doing so.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 refuse to do it, what I did do was ask for evidence,鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淭hey act as if it鈥檚 been proven to be effective and it鈥檚 just not true.鈥�
Fire chiefs also complained that Schultz:
- Rejected the use of magnesium by paramedics for seizures in pregnant women, even though it is already in use nationally.
- Declined to apply for a state grant of up to $400,000 to test the use of the drug buprenorphine to combat opioid use disorder. According to the letter, Schultz said the grant might cost more to administer than the funds received.
- Slow-walked the trial use of the fast-acting anesthetic ketamine by paramedics, who were able to administer only four doses in six months under his stewardship. According to the letter, Schultz has said, 鈥淚f we give ketamine to someone and they die, there is a possibility of litigation or even criminal investigation, whether or not ketamine was the culprit.鈥�
The situation had gotten so bad, the letter said, that EMS agencies across the state strategize around anticipated opposition from Schultz and Orange County Emergency Medical Services.
Schultz declined to respond to the litany of accusations, calling them exaggerations and mischaracterizations.
鈥淏y continuing to have to refute all the accusations, it gives life to them,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a very good relationship and clearly they wanted to get me.鈥�
Adam Loeser, the new president of the chiefs association from the Fullerton Fire Department, did not return a request for comment.
In the case against Orange County Global, Schultz took away its ability to receive stroke patients via ambulance, following a complaint from a woman whose husband waited nearly eight hours for an emergency stroke surgery because Orange County Global allegedly didn鈥檛 have the necessary equipment and a qualified neurosurgeon available to perform the operation.
The Orange County Register also of a February 2025 state investigation that found troubling practices at the hospital, which serves many poor and vulnerable patients. KPC Health blamed the problems on industrywide financial pressures affecting all medical centers that treat the poor and uninsured. The state has since stated that the medical center has corrected the deficiencies.
Unaffected by the revocation is Orange County Global鈥檚 status as a 鈥渃omprehensive stroke center鈥� from the nonprofit Accreditation Commission for Health Care, which ensures that medical facilities meet national standards. The hospital also remains as one of Orange County鈥檚 three trauma centers that treat the region鈥檚 critically injured.
After learning of Schultz鈥檚 departure, KPC Health Chairman Kali P. Chaudhuri, 鈥淲e look forward to working with the County to bring Orange County Global Medical Center鈥檚 award-winning stroke services back on line for 911 transports as quickly as possible.鈥�
Schultz said Orange County Global is free to reapply for designation as a stroke-receiving center.
鈥淭hey sort of have to justify why they are now reliable as a provider of acute stroke care, but if you鈥檙e really good at it, it shouldn鈥檛 be a problem,鈥� he said.
Dr. Almaas Shaikh has been named as interim EMS medical director while a new director is recruited.
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