Nancy Brown
Dr. Eugene “Gene” Saltzberg, MD, is a seasoned emergency medicine physician and academic with over 30 years of experience in clinical care, medical education, and healthcare leadership. A board-certified physician since 1987, Dr. Saltzberg was part of the first generation to practice emergency medicine as a recognized specialty. He currently teaches emergency diagnostics and clinical decision-making as an associate professor at Chicago Medical School. A co-founder of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Saltzberg has contributed to national policy discussions on physician wellness and ethics, authored peer-reviewed articles, and led hospital teams through critical transformations. His deep commitment to community care is reflected in his role as medical director for Lambs Farm and past leadership at Condell Medical Center.
The field of emergency medicine is a medical specialty that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of unexpected injuries and illnesses. Emergency medicine practitioners must develop a wide range of skills, as described by the Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. In addition to the diversity of conditions that practitioners must prepare for, the field of emergency medicine encompasses the complete spectrum of care, from the initial assessment and diagnosis through all facets of treatment, including medical, surgical, and psychiatric procedures. Services may be provided in various settings, including freestanding and hospital-based emergency departments, urgent care clinics, and medical response vehicles. Emergency medical professionals may also render care at the site of a disaster or accident. Practitioners of emergency medicine are also involved in related clinical and administrative processes, such as authorizing out-of-hospital medical control systems and coordinating on-site emergency medical response services. They often assist community leaders with matters of disaster preparedness and drive emergency department strategy and leadership, which includes optimizing patient intake processes and ensuring compliance with the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act. As emergency medical practitioners advance in their careers, they take on emergency department budgeting and staffing responsibilities and help develop departmental policies and procedures, which are critical to optimizing patient outcomes. They also must stay current by meeting continuing education mandates. Perhaps most importantly, emergency medical professionals function as the bedrock of the national healthcare system’s patient safety net. With this in mind, practitioners must coordinate emergency department patient care across numerous healthcare providers and medical facilities. They should also leverage their deep knowledge of the healthcare delivery system to help elevate local, regional, and national health policy initiatives. While the history of treating seriously ill and injured patients in the United States can be traced back hundreds of years, the concept of organized emergency medical care is relatively new, beginning late in the 20th century. The field did not achieve specialty recognition until 1979. Several factors motivated the development of emergency medical care in the US, but the driving force involved the increasing quality of life and standard of living throughout the country. As time progressed, more Americans benefited from the mobility of cars, making it easier to seek out unscheduled medical care. Similarly, many Americans gained access to increased financial support to fund these unplanned visits. The healthcare delivery system of the past could not handle the influx of unscheduled patient visits and had to change, resulting in the development of the emergency medicine specialty. Established in 1968, the Emergency College of American Physicians was the first organization that dedicated itself to emergency medical education and service. Two years later, the nation’s first emergency medicine residency program opened in Cincinnati. The American Board of Emergency Medicine began operations in 1976, quickly followed by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. The American Academy of Emergency Medicine has also made significant contributions to the field, including the development of the aforementioned Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. Interest in emergency medicine has swelled since the turn of the century. From 2000 to 2010, the field grew more than any other medical specialty. Nearly 50,000 American doctors practice emergency medicine. With new residency programs being created at an increasing rate, researchers believe America can achieve a 20 to 30 percent surplus of board-certified emergency physicians by 2030. This compares favorably to a national physician shortage, which is predicted to grow to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
