Health & Wellness

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.

The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center has named Samuel Kaffenberger, MD, as deputy director for cancer clinical services.

With strong ties to U-M athletics, Bill and Sally Martin have made a gift to kickstart fundraising for the Nathan and Catherine Forbes Sports Medicine Institute at the University of Michigan.