ESD Hires EMS Leaders
Bastrop, Texas – June 11, 2025
Bastrop County Emergency Services District #3 announced the hiring of two Austin-based EMS industry experts to help lead the newly formed ESD and work closely with Acadian Ambulance, the ESD’s contracted EMS provider to optimize operation and clinical performance.
After a three-month search, Ernie Rodriguez was named the ESD’s Executive Director. Rodriguez is a 40-year EMS and fire service professional. He began his career in 1982 with the Corpus Christi Fire Department and served as the Texas Department of Health Assistant State EMS Director from 1991-1995. He spent ten years in executive leadership at MedStar Fort Worth. In 2021, Rodriguez retired from Austin-Travis County EMS after 15 years leading the organization.
Rodriguez has a strong reputation for developing strategic partnerships, data analysis and performance improvement. He is known to be a thoughtful, servant leader. “I thought I had hung up my stethoscope,” Rodriguez told the Commissioners. “But the idea of helping the Commissioners and Dr. Abadi work with Acadian to build a cost effective, innovative EMS system that can keep pace with the explosive growth coming to Bastrop County motivated me to throw my name into consideration.”
ESD President James “Scooter” Green said “Ernie brings enormous wisdom and experience to the system. He is familiar with the regional health system. He has managed both operations and clinical aspects of EMS. His quality improvement background will enable us to understand the EMS performance and partner with Acadian to optimize the system.”
Rodriguez’s primary functions will be administration of the ESD’s business functions, relations with the ESD’s public safety partners and management of the ESD’s contract with Acadian EMS.
In March, the ESD named Dr. Kevin Abadi to serve as the District’s Medical Director. Dr. Abadi’s primary responsibilities include advising the Board on clinical matters and working closely with Acadian’s clinical team to ensure high quality care for the County.
Dr. Abadi attended medical school at Florida Atlantic University. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at the Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida. He is concluding his EMS Physician Fellowship through the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. As part of the fellowship, Dr. Abadi serves as an EMS Physician for Austin-Travis County EMS.
Dr. Abadi got his introduction to Bastrop County as the Medical Director for the Bastrop County First Responders organization. “EMS is my passion and I love the passion the ESD commissioners bring to the table,” Abadi said. “Bringing the ESD and the first responders under common clinical leadership makes sense. I am looking forward to working with Acadian to ensure a seamless experience for our shared patients.”
Although both have spent time with Austin-Travis County EMS, Rodriguez assured the commissioners that he has no plans to replicate that service. “I am very proud of what we accomplished in Austin, but this is a very different community with very different system needs. We need to find similar communities that are doing EMS very well and learn from their experience.” Abadi agreed, “while the medicine may be the same, the system design needs to meet Bastrop County’s needs. Being smaller and administratively more agile, we have the potential to have a model system.”
About ESD #3…
Bastrop County ESD #3 was formed in January 2025 as a special purpose district to fund and oversee EMS service in Bastrop County.