It is truly an honor to participate in the care and lives of my patients. My passion is driven by the bonds I build with my patients over the course of their lives and the enjoyment and satisfaction I hold in treating them to be as healthy and pain free as possible. It is to the extent that I feel that  "I truly have the best job in the world."

William Tollefsen, MD is the EMS and MIH Medical Director for South Shore Health. Dual-boarded in Emergency Medicine and EMS Medicine, Dr. Tollefsen works clinically as an Emergency Physician at South Shore Health in addition to his role as EMS Medical Director.

One of few physicians in the country to receive the prestigious "FAEMS" recognition, Dr. Tollefsen is also the Medical Director for OEMS Region IV, serving 61 cities and towns of the Metro-Boston EMS Council. As the current EMS Medical Director for eight municipal and three private ambulance services on the South Shore, Dr. Tollefsen interacts and provides oversight for over 400 Paramedics.

Dr. Tollefsen graduated from New York Medical College and completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's, and Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services and Critical Care Transport at the University of Massachusetts, where he worked as an Emergency Physician and Flight Physician for UMASS LifeFlight. He completed an MBA at the Isenberg School of Management at UMASS Amherst, and holds a Master of Medical Science degree from the Boston University School of Medicine.

A former pre-hospital provider, he is actively involved in EMS system design, paramedic education and Critical Care Transport Systems. He works closely with multiple EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement agencies throughout Massachusetts.

His research interests include systems of care, resuscitation, airway management, and paramedic education.

My goal is to establish open communication with patients so we can work together on taking ownership of their health and wellness.

I enjoy the meaningful relationships I have built and the inspiration I draw from patients every day in clinic. A healthy dialogue is an important part of the provider-patient relationship. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, writing, and staying active outdoors.

I am originally from Russia. I underwent undergraduate and medical school education in Texas, and moved to the Boston area for postgraduate training in 2001. 

I have practiced in Dorchester and Weymouth, Massachusetts since 2006. I joined South Shore Medical Center and South Shore Hospital in the Fall of 2017.

I am an experienced pulmonologist who provides care for multiple pulmonary diseases, including COPD, asthma, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, lung nodules and lung cancer.