Dear UCSD DEM Family, Friends, and Colleagues:

I hope this e-newsletter finds you and your family having a festive and happy holiday season.  Its hard to believe that we are now winding down 2023 and looking forward to a brand near year with 2024 just around the corner. 

This year has been one of remarkable achievements and growth for the Department of Emergency Medicine and UCSD Health.  DEM faculty received numerous federal grants to support our growing research portfolio including $9.5 from the federal ARPA-H grant to improve healthcare cybersecurity, a real threat to our nation’s medical infrastructure, and a $2.5m NIH U award to study cerbroprotective interventions in acute stroke.  Our institution was selected as one of 14 international sites (and 1 of only 2 in the U.S.) for the $60m Wellcome Leap Dynamic Resilience program focused on aging.  DEM faculty were featured in the national media on CNN, CBS This Morning, and NBC News Now; and faculty member Jorge Fernandez was elected incoming President for Cal-ACEP.

This past year was also one that was truly transformative for UCSD Health overall, which again was ranked #1 in the San Diego region (and top 5 in California) by US News and World Report.  This Fall, the University of California Board of Regents approved UCSD’s purchase of Alvarado Hospital, a 302-bed medical campus in East County that will expand our inpatient capacity by more than 30%.  Similarly, just a few weeks ago, the Tri-City HealthCare District Board selected UCSD as its strategic and operational partner to transform healthcare delivery in the North County.

Please read below for more highlights from the Department this past year (or visit our website at Emergency Medicine).  As always, thank you for your interest and support of our Department.

Wishing you all the best during the holidays and for a safe and joyous 2024 –

Ted.

Dr. Dameff received a prestigious grant rom the federal ARPA-H program (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health) as part of the DIGIHEALS initiative, that supports innovative research to improve the US health care system, particularly against hostile cyber threats.  Read more.

This $60 million initiative will study markers for and drivers of resilience in aging with UCSD selected as one of 14 international sites, and one of only 2 U.S. sites, as a collaboration between UCSD Geriatric division research faculty (Molina) and DEM faculty (Castillo, Tolia, Chan).  Read more.

DEM faculty Drs. Coyne, Nene, and Lasoff were awarded multiple California Bridge grants to support substance use navigator programs, and ED screening Syphilis/HIV/Hep C screening programs at our EDs at UCSD and El Centro Regional Medical Center.  

Dr. Hu’s $2.5m award focuses on studying potential cerbroprotective interventions for neurology stroke as part of the Stroke Pre-clinical Assessment Network (SPAN).  Read more.

On September 20, 2023, the Regents of the University of California approved UC San Diego Health’s request to purchase Alvarado Hospital Medical Center from Prime Healthcare. The acquisition of the 302-bed medical campus is expected to be completed in late 2023.  Read more.

Two public organizations look to unite around full-service community hospital vision and commitment to producing quality health outcomes for all patients.  Read more.

UC San Diego Health has once again ranked No. 1 in San Diego, according to the 2023-2024 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” survey, and for the first time in the academic medical center’s history, it was also placed on the 2023-2024 “Best Hospitals National Honor Roll,” a distinction awarded to only 22 hospitals nationwide that are recognized for outstanding patient care. Read more.

San Diego Council member Marni von Wilpert recognizes UCSD Department of Emergency Medicine for efforts to address the opiate crisis and care for patients with substance use disorder seen in our EDs.

• DEM Professor Vaishal Tolia featured on CNN’s “The Whole Story – Weed 7: Senior Moment” with Anderson Cooper in cannabis use in older adults.

• DEM Assistant Professor Christian Dameff featured on CBS This Morning regarding recent healthcare cyberattacks and also featured on AMA and National Health Sector Coordinating Council educational video series.

• Wrexham Striker Paul Mullin Thanks UCSD Health for care in the ED following injury reported in The Daily Mirror, and see DEM Professor Chris Sloane providing care on the playing field (ESPN FC - YouTube).
• DEM Professor Karen Van Hoesen interviewed on national NBC News Now regarding Titan submersible loss.
• DEM Resident physician Dr. Zach Fica part of Mercy Air crew recognized for saving life of 10 year-old ( cbs8.com)
• UCSD resident alumni, critical care fellow, and new attending, Mike Self, Awarded 2023 SAEM Fellowship Excellence Award 
• Associate Professor Allyson Kreshak and Assistant Professor Alan You awarded UCSD Quality Improvement initiatives awards for their 2 projects – developing a virtual home care program for ED discharges, and pain management initiative for sickle cell patients seen in the ED
• Assistant Professor Dan Lasoff authors SD Union Tribune Op-Ed piece on the opioid epidemic. 
• ED faculty Jay Park featured as one of UC San Diego’s Trailblazing Innovators (Meet UC San Diego’s Trailblazing Innovators )
• Associate Professor Jorge Fernandez elected President-Elect for Cal-ACEP (Leadership and Staff - California ACEP)

Under the leadership of Associate Professor Gabriel Wardi, the Department has established a new division focused on EM Critical Care Medicine with a vision to advance care of critically ill patients cared for in the ED through innovative research, world class clinical care, and training the next generation of physicians.  Division faculty provide care at UC San Diego hospitals, Rady Children's, El Centro Regional Medical Center EDs, as well as Medical, Surgical, and Cardiothoracic ICUs.  Read more: Division of Critical Care at UCSD

The DEM had another banner year for scholarly work and research with a number of prominent publications in the leading journals in not only EM, but medicine and healthcare at large.  Department faculty and trainees published over 150 studies this past academic year, covering important topics for our discipline including the regional impacts of hospital cyberattacks in JAMA Open Network by C. Dameff (Ransomware Attack Associated With Disruptions at Adjacent Emergency Departments in the US ), Artificial Intelligence and Sepsis Analytics in Critical Care Medicine by G. Wardi (Bringing the Promise of Artificial Intelligence to Critical), and increasing ED visits by elderly patients after Cannabis use in California by E. Castillo (Trends in emergency department visits associated with cannabis use among older adults in California) and mentoring in EM by J Sobel, S Hayden, and G Wardi (The Knowledge Gap: Mentorship in Emergency Medicine Residency).  

Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Submit Feedback

This email was sent to mpflaum@health.ucsd.edu.

To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.

410 Dickinson 3-360 | San Diego, CA 92103-8676 US

Copyright 2023 Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.