Overview

Section Chief’s Welcome

Welcome to the Section of Emergency Medicine website. In existence for over thirty years, the Emergency Medicine program at the University of Chicago has a distinguished history, playing a leadership role in the development of pre hospital emergency care in the city of Chicago, serving as “medical control” for the Chicago South EMS System, initiating the city’s only hospital-based aeromedical transport system, serving as a level I trauma center for the care of injured children, and becoming one of Chicago’s “leadership hospitals” in disaster and terrorism preparedness. Recently the Section has also supported the development of the highly collaborative Emergency Resuscitation Center focused on sudden cardiac death and equally creative work in health services research, which together have made the section one of the premier emergency medicine research programs in the country. We are currently in the process of supporting initiatives in medical informatics, patient safety, international health, and EMS research.

The Section is also home to one of the country’s oldest emergency medicine residency training programs, and the education of housestaff and medical students remains among our highest priorities. We invite you to explore our website and encourage you to contact us if you are interested in learning more about our Section.

About the Section

In existence for over thirty years, the Section of Emergency Medicine is comprised of 27 full–time and 14 part-time faculty members, as well as an outstanding staff of research, administrative and clinical personnel who are devoted to the mission of excellence in patient care, education and research. The Emergency Medicine faculty cover and maintain the staffing and operation of the adult emergency department (ED) at The University of Chicago Medicine.  In December 2017, the Section began treating patients in its new, state-of-the art adult ED.

Research Accomplishments

The Section supports the development of the highly collaborative and innovative research focused on sudden cardiac death, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and oxygen sensing. In January 2007, the Center for Systems Biology of Oxygen Sensing was established under the direction of Dr. Nanduri Prabhakar, a world expert on oxygen sensing and the physiology of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Dr. Prabhakar and his colleagues are interested in assessing the effects of CIH at systemic, cellular and molecular levels and in identifying the mechanisms underpinning the CIH-induced morbidities. In addition, equally creative work in health services research is being developed that is focused on issues relating to health risk screening, domestic violence, and access to care, which together have made the Section one of the premier emergency medicine research programs in the country.

The Section of Emergency Medicine  also supports initiatives in medical informatics, patient safety, international health, and EMS research.

Education and Training

The Section of Emergency Medicine is home to one of the country’s oldest emergency medicine residency training programs. Education of housestaff and medical students is one of the Section’s highest priorities. The residency program, which attracts the country’s best applicants, is committed to the development of future educators and leaders in the field, and a remarkably large number of graduates have achieved leadership roles in the academic, teaching, political, and practice arenas of emergency medicine. A clinical rotation in emergency medicine became a requirement for University of Chicago medical students one year ago and has received very high ratings. The Section is also home to a Geographical Medicine Scholars Program that offers an international health curriculum and in-country practicum for residents and medical students.

Patient Care

The Emergency Medicine program has a distinguished history, playing a leadership role in the development of pre-hospital emergency care in Chicago. The Section serves as “medical control” for the Chicago South EMS System. We were the first to initiate the city’s only hospital-based aero-medical transport system (UCAN), serving as a level I trauma center for the care of injured children. We are also becoming one of Chicago’s ‘leading hospitals’ in disaster and terrorism preparedness.