Department of Emergency Medicine

Age-related factors can complicate stroke diagnosis, but signals in blood could help clinicians make a clearer and more rapid determination.

On Aug. 26, the University of Michigan announced 37 projects that will receive $40 million in initial funding from the Strategic Initiative Fund to pursue bold ideas.

Michigan Emergency Medicine evolved from a small emergency service into an independent department and national leader in care, research and education.

As the emergency room boarding crisis continues, researchers examine how long admitted patients wait to be seen by an inpatient team even while they wait for an inpatient bed.

In February 2002, Brian Campbell suffered a heart attack and became critically ill at a Kalamazoo hospital. With his condition rapidly worsening, a University of Michigan Survival Flight team was called to transport him to Ann Arbor for advanced care. Flight nurse Elaine Philipson and her partner worked through subzero temperatures and deep snow to safely prepare Brian for the flight, overcoming several challenges along the way. Brian spent two weeks hospitalized at U-M and later suffered a stroke, but survived. Philipson continued checking on Brian and his wife, Sue, even after the transport was complete—an act of compassion the couple never forgot. Twenty-four years later, Brian continues moving forward despite ongoing challenges. Each year on the anniversary of his flight, the Campbells contact Philipson to express their gratitude, a lasting reminder of the profound impact healthcare teams can have on patients and families long after an emergency ends.

U-M researchers led the ICECAP trial, the largest U.S. study of therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, finding longer cooling offered no benefit.