Welcome Message
Theodore C. Corbin, MD, MPP, Chair
Greetings!
Welcome to the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rush University Medical Center, where our mission is to provide exceptional emergency medical care to every patient, within an internal culture of support, kindness, excellence and equity. I am so proud to lead this remarkable team of skilled professionals who work together seamlessly in one of the most dynamic and challenging areas of medicine.
Our mantra is “We were built for this!” That includes being prepared to take care of anyone at anytime, manage any bioterrorist attack/exposure or infectious disease outbreaks, and create a supportive and compassionate environment that acknowledges and addresses the complex needs of a diverse and vulnerable patient population in more than 75,000 patient visits each year.
Building a top-notch academic emergency medicine department requires a focus on trauma-informed care, health equity, collaboration, wellness, and inclusivity. We are also committed to remaining connected to and deeply engaged with our local community. We feel privileged to have the opportunity to overcome mistrust and other barriers that have disadvantaged certain individuals and negatively impacted their health and social outcomes. We constantly strive to make a positive difference in their lives.
Please take some time to explore our medical education and training programs, research initiatives, innovations in holistic supports and clinical care services to our valued patients from Chicago and beyond.
Four pillars are the foundation of our work, and we are committed to pursuit of excellence in each of them:
Our Academic Affairs pillar is led by Vice Chair Braden Hexom, MD. As physician-educators, we are excited about training the next generation of top-notch leaders, practitioners and scholars in emergency medicine. Determined to be a nationally recognized leader in medical education, we have built a rigorous and competitive residency program that uses a well-rounded learning experience to develop exceedingly qualified emergency medicine physicians. They take not only comprehensive medical knowledge but compassion and applied clinical and interpersonal skills honed with a diverse patient population wherever they go in their future careers. We also have fellowships in the areas of ultrasound, simulation, Health Equity and social emergency medicine, and psychiatric emergency medicine.
The next pillar is that of Faculty Affairs, led by Executive Vice Chair Yanina Purim-Shem-Tov, MD, MS. This pillar reflects a deep investment in our faculty, to ensure that they grow in their professional interests, thrive in their careers and have equal opportunities for advancement and recognition of their contributions. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences enrich our department’s amazing makeup. Through our commitment to practicing the wellness we “preach” to our patients, we also ensure that our providers have what they need to show up as their best and authentic selves, to take the best care of our patients and to care for each other. We ensure that our emergency medicine department is a supportive and equitable environment that delivers a vibrant and inspiring work experience.
The Health Equity Research pillar is led by Vice Chair Michael Gottlieb, MD. The Emergency Medicine Department is aggressively growing a research infrastructure that focuses on promoting health equity and eliminating the daunting health disparities in our nation and surrounding community. That infrastructure includes robust scholarly work in peer-reviewed publications, grant proposals at the national, state and local level, and studies and evaluation of our programmatic implementation, all through a health-equity lens. We know that many of the patients who are seen in the emergency department are from marginalized and vulnerable populations, and all of them represent a myriad of backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to developing new insights and innovative practices that meet patients where they are and deliver exceptional care that meets their needs. Our faculty members have engaged in innovative, cutting-edge investigatory research, funded by competitive grants from our nation’s top federal health agencies, as well as privately endowed foundations and funds. We also actively seek collaborations with other researchers nationally who are committed to innovations that raise the standards of care in our field.
The final pillar is Clinical Affairs, led by Vice Chair G. Carolyn Clayton, MD. Here, we focus on ensuring that our patients are seen in a timely fashion, and that our team of in-house providers has what it needs to take the best care of them. Our thriving clinical practice delivers patient-centered care in a range of areas, including, radiology, hospital medicine, cardiology, surgery, otolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, dermatology, and all the specialties that go along with our comprehensive Medical Center. In this pillar, which intersects with and builds upon all the others, we ensure that there is collaboration, not only with our nurse partners, but also with our advanced practice practitioners, our patient-care technicians, our volunteers, our registration and registrar staff, our patient-access partners and our social workers. Through this commitment to collaboration, communication, and participation, we ensure our patients are given the best care, with quality at the core.
Innovations
We thrive on innovations to address the social determinants of health and other challenges facing patients who present with life-threatening or complicated illnesses, or who have witnessed or been victimized by traumatic events. Our onsite community health workers screen patients who are seen in the emergency department. Then, we connect these patients to interventions and resources that address their identified challenges, barriers and needs.
One of our more recent endeavors is the installation of our in-house Food is Medicine pantry in the emergency department. Patients who are unhoused or a facing food insecurity are provided with a package of healthy proteins and produce.
We also have a team of specially trained nurses and providers (SANE/SAFE) that empathetically address the needs of sexual-assault victims/survivors who come into the ED. They not only can perform the specific, deliberate sexual assault forensic examination to provide evidence appropriately to law enforcement, they also coordinate a range of services and supports to help survivors start the healing process.
Another unique offering is the Advanced Trauma Training Program (ATTP). This program has trained nearly 5,000 civilian first responders, military personnel, nurses, physicians assistants and others to provide appropriate life-saving skills in the field. A team of our emergency medicine department providers provide medical response members with state-of-the-art knowledge and hands-on skills for advance acute management for trauma patients in a combat environment.
We established Healing Hurt People @ Rush in partnership with several Rush institutes and departments. This innovative violence intervention program identifies people through the emergency department who have been exposed to, witnessed and survived gun violence in Chicagoland. This intervention program gives patients the necessary tools, through evidence-based behavioral therapies, to decrease symptoms of trauma. At the same time, our social work partners support patients through case navigation and management to support their healing journey.
Additional gears to our engine are the other divisions, programs, and services that make our emergency medicine department run seamlessly. They are the emergency medical system and disaster preparedness division, pediatrics, chest pain center, toxicology and addiction medicine, on-demand and dispatch health, Clinical Decision Unit, and most recently, our Urgent Care Center located in River North.
Thank you for your virtual visit to this amazing place doing amazing work. I am honored to serve as Chair of this department, with a passionate and committed team of colleagues. Together, we look forward to expanding our reach and impact in the coming years. Whether you are a medical student, researcher seeking collaborations, a patient, potential funder, or a member of the community, we encourage you to join us in defining a more healthful and equitable future.
Advanced Trauma Training Program (ATTP)
Substance Use Intervention Team (SUIT)
Stop the Bleed
SAFE/SANE