History

History

Academic Emergency Medicine began at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1978 with the recruiting of Ronald D. Stewart, M.D. Dr. Stewart started as Medical Director of the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety Bureau of EMS; with the support of the University, Dr. Stewart founded the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania to advance emergency care, research and training.

In 1981, the University of Pittsburgh Affiliated Residency in Emergency Medicine began as a conjoint effort with Mercy Hospital, West Penn Hospital, and Presbyterian University Hospital. Dr. Paul M. Paris was the inaugural Director of the Affiliated Residency Program and Associate Medical Director of the City of Pittsburgh EMS. In 1988, Allan B. Wolfson assumed the Program Director role, and in 2008, the name changed to the University of Pittsburgh Residency in Emergency Medicine, signaling a common structure and home for all participating sites.

Over the next 15 years, the Emergency Medicine programs at the University of Pittsburgh and the Center for Emergency Medicine gained national prominence by becoming the most prolific, measured by training excellence, research impact, and the creation of leaders regionally and nationally. The maturation of the division earned the privilege of full departmental status in July 1995, with Paul M. Paris, M.D. appointed Chair of the Department. Donald M. Yealy, M.D., an Affiliated Residency Program of the University of Pittsburgh graduate, became Vice Chair. In 2009, Dr. Yealy became the second Pitt EM Chair, with Clifton W. Callaway serving as Executive Vice Chair, Charissa B. Pacella as Vice Chair of Operations, Allan B. Wolfson as Vice Chair of Education, and Paul E. Phrampus as Vice Chair of Quality.

Each year, our faculty provides teaching to 48 EM residents and many non-EM resident trainees, over one hundred medical students, and 4-6 fellows. We live our mission - improving acute care while creating and sharing the knowledge to do this even better.