Department Head Update
- Kurt Isenberger, MD
The Regions Hospital Emergency Center plays a critical role in emergency care throughout the Twin Cities east metro and western Wisconsin communities. This significant impact is made possible through the efforts of dedicated staff, medical students and emergency medicine residents. With the Regions Hospital Expansion 2009 moving towards completion, we anticipate the grand opening of our new state-of-the-art emergency department (ED) in July 2009. I look forward to seeing our emergency medicine residents experience the future of emergency care in the new ED.
Our ED faculty continues to be on the forefront of emergency medicine. Drs. Emily Binstadt, Cullen Hegarty and Jessie Nelson participated in SAEM's national consensus conference on simulation medicine and have published their works in Academic Emergency Medicine. Additionally, with faculty leaders Drs. Peter Kumasaka and Michael Zwank taking the lead, we have celebrated strengthened ultrasound education for faculty, residents and medical students. We continue to excel in the areas of simulation and educational methodology, ultrasound, toxicology, EMS, quality, operations and sexual assault nurse examiner programs.
One reason I enjoy working at Regions Hospital is the diverse group of faculty leaders and the commitment to quality care and quality education. Dr. Felix Ankel continued to serve on the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers' (AIAMC) national initiative to improve patient care through graduate medical education. He chairs the planning committee for the 2009 CORD Academic Assembly, with the theme "GME as a Strategic Asset." As co-chair of the University of Minnesota curriculum committee, Dr. Cullen Hegarty has been instrumental in MED 2010, a new approach to medical student education. Our research program also continues to flourish. This year, Dr. Joel Holger received the prestigious HealthPartners Medical Group Clinical Excellence in Research Award.
The year 2008 was filled with many successes and some changes. Dr. Bob Knopp retired from clinical practice after 14 years of service and continues to work with the residency in an educational capacity. We have added faculty members Drs. Kelly Barringer and Drew Zinkel (immediate past president of EMRA). I have stepped into the interim department head role with a national search underway for a permanent replacement. I look forward to handing over a new ED and another excellent resident class to the next department head of emergency medicine at Regions.
