About the Department

The UC Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati has been an independent academic unit within the College of Medicine since 1984. It is responsible for the medical direction of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Center for Emergency Care (CEC) and the Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program.

The UC Department of Emergency Medicine features the oldest residency training program in the United States and was founded in 1970. The UC Emergency Medicine department has enjoyed a reputation of excellence in the field for over 55 years and continues to attract top medical students. Nationally recognized faculty are leaders in clinical teaching and research.

Most of the Emergency Medicine training occurs within the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a 726-bed facility completed in 1969. It is designated a Level I Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons. The emergency department sees over 75,000 adult patients annually. The emergency department has access 24/7 to the following: a satellite laboratory specific for running ED patient tests, a pharmacist to answer questions and review medications just for the ED, and x-ray and CT areas that are for ED patients specifically during the daytime and shared with the rest of the hospital at night but are physically located in the ED and easily accessible.

The Emergency Department offers multiple care pathways tailored to patient needs, including pathways for minor complaints, general medical and surgical conditions, and critically ill or injured patients. To support comprehensive, patient-centered care, dedicated Social Services and Psychiatry specialists are available 24/7 to address mental health concerns and social determinants of health, ensuring patients receive the appropriate clinical, behavioral, and community-based resources throughout their care journey.

In addition to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Emergency Medicine residents rotate to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Chester Hospital, and Jewish Hospital. Cincinnati Children's Main Campus sees approximately 66,500 patients per year, and is the regional referral center for all pediatric emergencies.

Our faculty physicians are dedicated to providing outstanding patient care at UC Health and within a structure that encourages excellence in education and discovery. We are committed to exceeding the expectations of our referring attending physician staff, as well as our patients.  Our faculty physicians are residency trained and board certified/eligible in Emergency Medicine, with most having four years of post-graduate training in Emergency Medicine.

As the first Emergency Medicine Resident Training Program established in 1970, our program attracts the country’s top medical students. We are proud of our clinical environments and happy to work in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The faculty of UC Emergency Physicians staff the Emergency Departments of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (75,000 visits/year; 49% of direct admissions), the Jewish Hospital (30,500 visits/year; 79% of direct admissions), and the West Chester Hospital (42,000 visits/year; 65% of direct admissions) – total 147,500 patient visits/year.

Some of the department's recent milestones in emergency medicine include:

• Opening the state-of-the-art Emergency Preparedness & Response Center (EPRC) in Fall 2024. The EPRC was specifically designed to support large-scale incident and mass casualty response, including natural disasters, active violence events, infrastructure failures, and future pandemic preparedness.
• Launching a new 75,000-square-foot Emergency Department featuring 81 patient care beds. This modern facility enhances capacity, patient flow, and the delivery of high-quality emergency care.
• Successfully implementing the EPIC electronic health record (EHR) system across all three clinical sites. This integration improves care coordination, clinical documentation, patient safety, and operational efficiency.
• Advancing emergency medicine research and academic excellence. During the 2024–2025 academic year alone, the department produced 176 peer-reviewed publications, underscoring its commitment to innovation, discovery, and evidence-based patient care.