About the Department

The Department of Emergency Medicine at OHSU is home to 119 full-time faculty, 16 part-time faculty, and 30 adjunct faculty, led by Dr. Tanski. Our faculty, residents, and staff serve approximately 49,000 patients per year in OHSU’s Level 1 Trauma Center.

• Staff an onsite Pediatric ED and the Oregon Poison Center
• Ranked 4th in NIH-funded research
• Home to the Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine (CPR-EM), including faculty Craig Newgard, M.D., and John McConnell, Ph.D.
• Residency Program – Led by Program Director David Jones, M.D., currently trains 33 residents
• Fellowship Programs – Specialized training in Research, Education, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Administration, EMS, Toxicology, and Ultrasound

We proudly serve OHSU’s mission of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery.

Education

• Undergraduate Medical Education: Rotations in emergency medicine and subspecialties for OHSU and visiting students
• Residency Program: PGY 1-3 Emergency Medicine Residency Program, established in 1978
• Fellowships: Seven competitive programs in Education, Research, Administration, Toxicology, Ultrasound, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Faculty teach across the School of Medicine, residency program, fellowships, and the Division of Healthcare Management

Research

• Nationally recognized research program; consistently ranked top ten in NIH funding among emergency medicine departments
• Center for Policy and Research in Emergency Medicine (CPR-EM) – Established 2003, coordinates research and informs health care policy; faculty with backgrounds in medicine, public health, epidemiology, economics, and statistics

Center for Health Systems Effectiveness (CHSE)

The Center for Health Systems Effectiveness (CHSE) focuses on improving healthcare delivery and policy through rigorous research and evaluation.

• Examines health systems, healthcare quality, and patient outcomes
• Provides evidence-based guidance on health policy, spending, and program effectiveness
• Collaborates closely with CPR-EM to integrate clinical research into system-level decision-making
• Supports faculty and trainees in conducting studies on healthcare delivery, economics, and population health

EMS Support

• OHSU DEM has led regional EMS initiatives for over 20 years
• Faculty serve as EMS medical directors and provide didactic and experiential EMS education
• Lead federally funded, multi-center EMS research projects, establishing national leadership

Oregon Poison Center

• Established by the Oregon Legislature, managed through the DEM
• Board-certified Medical Toxicologists on call 24/7 for complex toxicologic cases
• Hosts learners and provides professional education for healthcare providers statewide

Learn more about the Oregon Poison Center here.

Critical Care Medicine

The OHSU Critical Care Medicine team works closely with the Department of Emergency Medicine to provide advanced care for the most critically ill patients.

• ICU Services: Adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units
• Collaborative Care: Coordination with emergency medicine, surgery, and specialty services for seamless transitions of care
• Education & Training: Critical care fellows, EM residents, and medical students receive hands-on experience in high-acuity care
• Research: Faculty engage in critical care research focusing on patient outcomes, resuscitation, and innovative therapies

OHSU Critical Care Medicine ensures that patients receive timely, evidence-based treatment in the emergency and critical care continuum.

Emergency Medicine Simulation

The OHSU Emergency Medicine Simulation program provides hands-on, experiential training for residents, fellows, medical students, and faculty.

• Simulation Labs: State-of-the-art facilities for procedural skills, team training, and critical scenarios
• Interprofessional Education: Collaboration between EM, critical care, nursing, and other healthcare professionals
• Innovative Scenarios: High-fidelity simulations for trauma, resuscitation, toxicology, and disaster response
• Research & Evaluation: Uses simulation to study team performance, clinical outcomes, and best practices in emergency care

Simulation is a cornerstone of OHSU’s training philosophy, preparing learners for real-world emergency and critical care challenges.

Oregon POLST Registry

The Oregon POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) Registry helps ensure that patients’ end-of-life care wishes are available to healthcare providers in emergencies.

• DEM faculty and staff participate in education and guidance around POLST forms and their use in emergency care
• POLST forms allow patients to document preferences for resuscitation, medical interventions, and comfort-focused care
• Healthcare providers can access the registry to honor patients’ wishes promptly during emergencies
   

Emergency Care

OHSU is Oregon’s 24-hour resource for complex medical emergencies and trauma care.

• Adult Emergency Care: Comprehensive evaluation and treatment of adult emergencies at OHSU Hospital
• Pediatric Emergency Department: Specialized emergency care for children at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
• Specialty Services: EMS, Ultrasound, Toxicology, and Wilderness Medicine
• Regional Impact: Faculty provide emergency services and leadership at partner hospitals across the state

For more details, visit the OHSU & Doernbecher Emergency Care website.

Giving / Donations

Support the OHSU Department of Emergency Medicine and help advance patient care, education, and research:

• Contributions help fund residency programs, fellowships, innovative research, and emergency care initiatives
• Donations support faculty development, simulation labs, and patient-centered care programs
• Learn more or give online at the Emergency Medicine Giving page

Your support directly impacts the care we provide to patients across Oregon.