Emergency Medicine Fellowships

The University of Michigan’s path to establishing emergency medicine as an independent department took decades of persistence and innovation. In the 1970s, Emergency Services operated from a small fourth-floor space, staffed by physicians rotating from other specialties. Richard Burney, MD, and James Mackenzie, MD, were among the early leaders who pushed for emergency medicine to be recognized as a distinct academic discipline. Their efforts helped transform emergency care at Michigan, including the launch of Survival Flight in 1983. The program continued to grow as emergency medicine gained national recognition as a specialty. In 1992, William Barsan, MD, was recruited to lead Emergency Medicine within the Department of Surgery. He expanded the residency, research program and faculty with the goal of establishing an independent department. That goal was realized in 1999, when the University of Michigan officially created the Department of Emergency Medicine, laying the foundation for the nationally recognized program it is today.

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.

Key tips for getting through an outbreak if you or your loved ones get sick.

As e-bikes and e-scooters grow in popularity, Michigan Medicine experts are warning families that many riders and parents may not fully understand the speeds these devices can reach or the injuries that can follow when things go wrong.