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In This Issue:
Ron Walls, MD, speaks to emergency medicine care providers from around the world.
Most of the Emergency Department directors from around the world who attended a BWH-led course last month are facing an uphill battle.
Emergency medicine is not yet an officially recognized medical specialty in many of their countries, and other physicians have a low opinion of emergency medicine and its practitioners, said Stephanie Rosborough, MD, MPH, director of the International Emergency Medicine Fellowship at BWH.
That reality is difficult to imagine in a city and country where emergency medicine is highly respected and among the most sought-after residencies for physicians in training.
Thats why physician, administrative and nursing leadership of BWH Emergency Medicine and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center offered the first and only course of its kind to more than 40 physicians, nurses and administrators from 13 countries striving to foster the development of emergency medicine as a specialty and ensure that their emergency departments provide quality care.
Over the course of five days, participants attended in-depth sessions on emergency department management and leadership, design, patient flow and triage, risk management, communications, disaster operations, quality measurement and more.
In addition, Ron Walls, MD, BWHs chair of Emergency Medicine, gave the group insight into major political issues related to emergency care, drawing on his own challenges and experiences over 25 years in three major academic medical centers.
I think the attendees were both amused and comforted by the similarities between their current struggles and those faced by U.S. emergency physicians only two decades ago, Walls said, They seemed heartened by how far emergency medicine has come in such a relatively short time.
We were surprised at how many people said they were relieved to hear that, Rosborough agreed. They got a very clear view of their destination, and a renewed energy to work toward it.
Learning to communicate emergency medicines central role in the hospital and community is especially important today as new global interest in terrorism and disaster preparedness makes these care providers even more vital to medical systems.
This course will continue on an annual basis, and coordinators are considering adding a second course elsewhere in the world. For more information, visit www.iedli.org