The Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center (AEMRC) is a collaborative statewide Center of Excellence dedicated to improving the health-care outcomes of patients with acute illness and injuries. The center’s research focus extends from the prehospital environment, including 911 and emergency medical services (EMS) care, through the emergency department and critical-care settings.
History
AEMRC was founded in 1990 by Harvey Meislin, MD, whose vision included the need to dramatically improve emergency systems and the care of patients with emergent problems in the emergency department or in the field. Today, the center is a national leader in emergency medicine research and training, including the application of new resuscitation techniques and hazardous event-preparedness medical training.
Areas of Emphasis
The center brings together collaborative teams of multidisciplinary experts to achieve critical impact in areas affecting lives in Arizona today. Current areas of emphasis include improving outcomes in prehospital cardiac arrest, prehospital traumatic brain injury, emergency preparedness, prehospital systems, pediatrics, clinical-translational medicine and sepsis.
Impact
AEMRC, together with the University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine, ranks 18th in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding among U.S. academic centers and emergency departments.
The faculty of the UA Department of Emergency Medicine and the center regularly contribute research presentations at top scientific meetings in the United States and internationally. In addition, UA Department of Emergency Medicine residents participate in mentored research leading to national presentations and the publications.
The center has established a statewide clinical research network that conducts numerous studies, including clinical trials investigating neurological emergencies and cardiac arrest. The center has formed research collaborations with many UA colleges and departments and with other universities in Arizona, the Southwest region and internationally. In addition, AEMRC has developed innovative collaborations with major and rural hospitals in Arizona serving diverse populations.