For Health Professionals

Research

National Health News

Emergency Medicine Research

In the Department of Emergency Medicine, research is a critical pathway to better patient care both in and out of the hospital. Whether it's training everyday citizens to use life-saving automatic external defibrillators (AEDs); testing new drugs to fight wound infections; equipping paramedics with new advanced monitoring capabilities; or exploring the latest minimally invasive techniques in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), investigative studies offer patients access to the latest life-saving technologies and procedures.

Key areas of research

Currently the department is participating in over 40 different research projects, including several multicenter clinical trials, as well as interdepartmental and investigator-initiated studies. The Emergency Department routinely collaborates with Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, Cardiology, and Infectious Disease on research projects.

The results of many of these studies have been presented nationally and are published in the scientific peer-reviewed literature. Topics cover a broad spectrum of research including trauma/critical care, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and infectious diseases, neurologic disorders, pediatrics, diseases, cardiology, resuscitation, respiratory disease, pain management, preventive medicine and public health screening, as well as Phase I - IV devices and drug studies. Additional areas of focus include ultrasound, administration, and education. Through data collection, analysis and testing, evidence gained today will benefit countless numbers of patients who visit the emergency room in the days and weeks to come.

Resident research

Residents have the opportunity and support to explore their research interests on widely published projects at the cutting edge of science. Each resident must complete at least one publishable research project.

Emergency Department research staff

Departmental support is provided by Melissa Bollinger, RN, Manager of Emergency Medicine Research. Clinical support is provided by four dedicated full-time Research Nurses.

Fifteen research faculty serve as investigators and/or advisors to residents working on both departmental and industry based research projects.

Key investigators include:

Brian Burgess, M.D.
Chris Cox, M.D.
Heather Farley, M.D.
Anita Hodson, M.D.
Neil Jasani, M.D.
Steve Kushner, M.D.
Brian Levine, M.D.
John Madden, M.D.
Ross Megargel, D.O.
Brent Passarello, M.D.
Charles L. Reese IV, M.D.
Robert Rosenbaum, M.D.
Paul Sierzenski, MD, R.D.M.S.
Thomas Sweeney, M.D.

For inquires or information about current Emergency Department research studies, contact Melissa Bollinger, RN, Manager EM Research, at 302-733-4198 or mbollinger@christianacare.org.