Derrick Oaxaca, MD, MBA, MS is a board-certified EM physician, clinical professor, and healthcare leader dedicated to advancing patient care through innovation, education, and operational excellence. Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, Dr. Oaxaca earned his Doctor of Medicine from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and a Master of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Texas at El Paso. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Indiana University School of Medicine and later the Vituity Administrative Fellowship.
Since 2023, Dr. Oaxaca has served as the medical director for a Level 3 trauma facility, Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, Oregon, and serves in this same capacity at Lower Umpqua Hospital, a Level 4 trauma facility in Reedsport, Oregon. He also serves as the medical director for the Southwestern Oregon Community College Emergency Medical Services program. In these roles, he has led initiatives that have transformed emergency care for the institutions he serves: reducing the Left Without Being Seen (LWBS) rate to under 1% for 14 consecutive months, eliminating wait times through the implementation of lean workflows, and cultivating a culture of collaboration between providers and nurses that has steadily improved patient experience scores. Dr. Oaxaca has also spearheaded multiple mass casualty simulations, strengthening hospital readiness and emergency medical services coordination across the region.
Serving rural Southwest Coastal Oregon has instilled in Dr. Oaxaca a profound respect for the critical role that hospitals play in sustaining the health and resilience of underserved communities. His leadership has demonstrated that even in the most resource-constrained settings, modernized systems and intentional culture-building can drive high-performance outcomes. By aligning operational efficiency with compassionate care, Dr. Oaxaca is helping redefine what’s possible for rural emergency medicine in Oregon. Outside the hospital, he finds clarity and renewal in Oregon’s natural beauty by logging miles along the coast, refining his golf swing, or breathing in the crisp Pacific air.
About This Award
The Community Emergency Medicine Excellence Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to advancing emergency care and/or health care within the community in which they practice.
