Message from the Chair:
As we approach our 2nd Anniversary as an academic Department, I want to recognize the incredible accomplishments of our teams. One of many things I am sincerely grateful for is the extraordinary ability of our faculty, staff, and trainees to maneuver through increasingly complex landscapes, punctuated with what, at times, seems to be insurmountable barriers. And yet, our group consistently finds ways to look at problems in a new light so we can continue to elevate the care we provide for our patients and community, and ensure those who follow have the necessary foundation to tackle whatever comes next. As with many substantial accomplishments, our wins are the result of a spirit of collaboration, intentional focus, some trial and error, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
This month, our education team welcomes a brand-new EM resident class, which has now fully expanded our residency program to 36 residents! This represents several years of hard work by our education group to not only expand our training program, but continue to offer exceptional training opportunities, and interact with our growing community in new ways. We also celebrate the success of our core clerkship in Emergency Medicine, still in its first year, and already being embraced by our Medical Students as a top-notch experience!
Our small, but mighty, research team has been hard at work securing vital funding, building collaborative relationships outside our department, and laying the foundation necessary to better support scholarly work within our Department. This summer, the resuscitation group will take an important step forward with a much-needed renovation to the translational resuscitation research lab. This will allow for expanded research opportunities and collaborative efforts with other internal and external research groups.
Additionally, we celebrate the efforts of Dr. Austin Johnson, who is spearheading the Rural and Austere Conditions Grand Challenge, the first project of its kind for the for the University of Utah!
Clinically, we have continued to be challenged by space constraints, and we are very proud of all the work our clinical teams have done to find innovative ways to better manage ED throughput. The roll out of the Rapid Assessment Zone (RAZ) has already had a positive impact on our ability to better care for patients presenting for care. We recognize and take stock in the immense effort required to get such a large initiative to the finish line – which speaks to the passion and dedication of our teams to be the very best we can be.
On the horizon, we look forward to continued growth and opportunities, and are pleased to welcome many new, fantastic EM faculty, fellows, and residents to our robust team!
Please enjoy, and help celebrate, our team’s highlights below!
Dr. Christy Hopkins