UAB DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE BACKGROUND

Organized in 1996, the Department of Emergency Medicine grew out of the former academic division of the Department of Surgery known as the Division of Emergency Services. This new organization provided for enhanced response to patient care, attention to quality assurance, and resident training activities.

The major responsibility of the Department is the provision of patient care in the University of Alabama Hospital Emergency Department including all instructional and quality assurance activities. Although the faculty members at the Children’s Hospital are not members of the Department of Emergency Medicine, the Department provides instructional support activities with joint educational conferences and enjoys an excellent relationship with the faculty in the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

Faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine provide on-line and off-line medical direction to the Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System. For more information on the Emergency Medicine Faculty, Click here.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ULTRASOUND

The UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has a very active Emergency Department Ultrasound program in place, with participation by attending and resident physicians in focused emergency department ultrasound for a number of indications, including trauma, abdominal, cardiac, and pelvic ultrasound (including use of endovaginal ultrasound). Residents receive didactic instruction in ultrasound techniques and indications, and perform supervised ultrasound exams in the ED. These studies are digitally recorded for archiving and review. An emergency ultrasound elective is also available for interested residents.

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EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

Essential to the complete training of any emergency physician is comprehensive experience in pre-hospital care. The quality of this residency program is enhanced by the availability of an outstanding emergency medical system in the Birmingham area. Several of its key components include:

The Division of Emergency Services

The Department of University of Alabama at Birmingham Emergency Medicine maintains a self-contained Division of Emergency Services which functions in the capacity of providing educational resources to more than 2000 EMS providers every year. Educational venues include Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Basic Life support and educational courses for training EMT--Basic, EMT-Intermediate and Paramedic pre-hospital providers. The Division of Emergency Medical Services is staffed by faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine, as well as 3 to 5 full-time Emergency Medical Services educators.

Birmingham Regional Emergency Medical Services System (BREMSS)

The framework for emergency medical care in the Birmingham metropolitan area is provided by BREMSS, which is the six-county emergency medical system, as designated by the State Health Department. In addition to Birmingham and Jefferson County, this system is responsible for care in Blount, Walker, St. Clair, Shelby, and Chilton Counties. This provides the emergency medicine resident with a wide variety of urban, suburban, semi-rural, and rural EMS units, all contained in one region. This agency is actually an affiliate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which provides financial support and equipment for EMS activities. BREMSS is entrusted with the smooth operation of all advanced and basic life support units in the region, and has a full-time staff of eight personnel including an executive director and medical director. It is responsible for monitoring all aspects of EMS quality assurance, including medical control and accountability, and coordination with the State Emergency Medical Services office for ambulance and paramedic unit equipment inspections. Its main role is the maintenance of communications equipment, provision of continuing education and additional planning for EMS education through Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support courses for EMT’s. The staff at this agency is responsible for the coordination of the EMS experience of the house-staff in the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. The region contains approximately 62 advanced life support services and an additional 18 Basic Life Support services with well over 120 pre-hospital care vehicles involved in this complex and comprehensive system.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS)

The largest pre-hospital provider in the BREMSS region is the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service operating seven paramedic units to service the city of Birmingham proper. The rescue units of the Birmingham Fire Department are the busiest in the region, and run on approximately 900 advanced life support calls per block. One of the earliest paramedic programs in the nation, many of the Birmingham firefighters/paramedics who serve on these units have had over 12 years of EMS experience. They are a valuable source of information for the Emergency Medicine resident as he/she gains pre-hospital experience in this setting.

In addition to the well-equipped rescue units, the Fire Department maintains a comprehensive hazardous materials unit (HAZMAT) responding to dozens of hazardous materials spills per year. This unit contains many types of advanced equipment, as well as a comprehensive library of information on every known toxic material. Another major unit is the Division of Drills and Training, an educational unit for the Fire Department, provides many classes on pre-hospital care, in which the Emergency Medicine resident can become involved.

Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency

Formerly known as the Jefferson County Civil Defense Agency, this unit has been renamed the Emergency Management Agency and responds to all natural and man-made disasters, and provides public education about disaster preparedness. As the lead agency responsible for disaster planning, it interacts with all major pre-hospital care providers, law enforcement, and fire and rescue agencies in the metropolitan area. The comprehensive stock of learning materials in the area of disaster management are invaluable to the Emergency Medicine resident in learning this phase of his-her career.

Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)

Faculty of the Department of Emergency Medicine serve as the primary director for the Alabama Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT). DMAT has the responsibility of participation in local, state, regional and national disaster assistance when called upon by state and national authorities. DMAT has responded to such emergencies as the World Trade Center attacks and assisting in medical care for flood and hurricane victims.

CENTER FOR EMERGING INFECTIONS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (CEIEP)

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Emerging Infections and Emergency Preparedness (CEIEP) was formed to address issues associated with preparation for biological terrorist attacks and other disasters through broad-based, multidisciplinary research, training and service programs. The Center's goal is to provide a formal structure to facilitate collaborative efforts between experts from a wide range of disciplines in order to address the issues surrounding disaster preparedness. The Center's five cores focus on disease agent basic research, disease agent clinical research, medical response issues, pharmaceutical preparedness and public health surveillance.

Center members from the UAB Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Health Related Professions, Engineering and Education participate in education, research and service opportunities. Center leadership also collaborates with external agencies that have a role in disaster preparedness. For example, the CDP has established relationships with many regional, state, and federal agencies including the Alabama Department of Public Health, Alabama-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team, National Office of Emergency Preparedness, Public Health Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.