William “Bill” Dunwoody, paramedic and director of systems development and analysis for Delta Ambulance, Waterville, ME
William “Bill” Dunwoody is an ASQ senior member and active participant in Maine’s Pine Tree State Section. He has been a member of ASQ’s Healthcare Division since becoming an ASQ member in 1999. Recently, Dunwoody took on two new roles: regional councilor for Region 1 and Healthcare Division secretary.
Dunwoody completed his bachelor’s degree in 1998 and MBA in 2001, both conferred by Thomas College. He holds two ASQ certifications: certified manager of quality/organizational excellence and certified quality improvement associate.
He is the director of systems development and analysis for Delta Ambulance, a not-for-profit ambulance service with offices in Waterville and Augusta, ME. He began his career in emergency medical services in 1978 with the Lyndon State College Rescue Squad in Lyndonville, VT.
During his employment as the Director of EMS at Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan Maine, Dunwoody became involved in the hospital’s initiatives for quality management to meet the requirements of the accreditation standards of the Joint Commission.
Dunwoody became involved in ASQ after transitioning to a new position as director of operations at Delta Ambulance and while searching for alternatives to the Joint Commission approach that would be applicable to a non-hospital based ambulance service.
In his role with Delta Ambulance, Dunwoody headed an initiative that led to a 2000 Margaret Chase Smith Maine State Quality Award, a Baldrige based performance excellence award.
Throughout his career, Dunwoody has worked for several volunteer, not-for-profit, for-profit and hospital based ambulance services in Massachusetts and Maine. Additionally, Dunwoody has been active with several local agencies, including the executive committee of the Kennebec Valley EMS Regional Council, and he was appointed by Maine’s governor to three terms on the Maine Board of EMS.
In addition to conducting regular research and developing systems to improve EMS delivery to the local communities served by his company, Dunwoody is involved in supporting the development of systems nationwide as a charter member of the National EMS Management Association where he serves on the board of directors as the treasurer.
He believes there are several challenges healthcare, in general, faces and emergency medical services face specifically with regard to the promotion of quality management and systems excellence. These challenges include: acquiring an awareness of and a common definition of quality or excellence; achieving buy-in and a commitment for excellence from all levels of the organization; and changing the focus of the organization from fulfilling the needs of the practitioners to exceeding the needs of the customers.
“The best way to achieve awareness is through collaboration with existing healthcare organizations,” he says. “Because of the traditions and ‘brotherhood’ mindset that exists in emergency medical services and other areas of healthcare, the best approach to breaking down barriers to change involves an insider’s approach. Through collaboration with recognized industry leader organizations the message of quality management and performance excellence can be communicated more effectively.”
