Department of Emergency Medicine News and Stories

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine continue to inform medical practice on military battlefields and provide time-sensitive solutions. Faculty in the CU Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Department of Anesthesiology, and their research teams are leading a myriad of projects to improve care for critically ill, trauma, and burn patients, as well as investigating mental health and resiliency care for military communities.

Colleen Miracle | August 25, 2023

The University of Colorado Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research and the El Pomar Foundation this week held a joint event to showcase the center’s research and mission to save and improve lives on the battlefield and at home.

University of Colorado | August 10, 2023

For patients with severe respiratory failure, tracheal intubation is a life-saving procedure. Health care providers perform intubation in critical care settings using one of two devices: direct or video laryngoscopes.

Colleen Miracle | July 10, 2023

Following worldwide concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health, Ian Stanley, PhD, assistant research professor of emergency medicine in the CU School of Medicine and psychological health lead for the Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research, began investigating whether the pandemic impacted military veterans differently than non-veterans.

Colleen Miracle | June 26, 2023

Kathleen Flarity, DNP, associate clinical professor of emergency medicine and deputy director for the Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research, was interviewed about her work in military resiliency research on MarketScale's Holistic Leadership podcast.

MarketScale | June 15, 2023

The University of Colorado School of Medicine has officially launched the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, bringing CU Anschutz experts together to serve as a trusted community and national resource for firearms-related research and solutions.

Colleen Miracle | April 24, 2023

On Monday, the Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research welcomed NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, MD, to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he presented at a distinguished leader seminar on “The Challenges of Medical Care in Space: A Perspective From Low Earth Orbit and the Future of Human Spaceflight."

Colleen Miracle | April 12, 2023

According to the 2020 Department of Defense (DoD) Annual Suicide Report, approximately 60%-80% of suicides among service members are enacted with a firearm. The DoD and other stakeholders recommend lethal means safety counseling (LMSC), a type of intervention intended to reduce firearm suicide risk among military service members.

Colleen Miracle | April 06, 2023

On Wednesday, The Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research hosted leaders from Uniformed Services University (USU) on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus for a research affiliation agreement ceremony to highlight the continued research partnership between USU and the CU School of Medicine.

Colleen Miracle | March 17, 2023

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has identified firearm suicide prevention as a key priority, but critical gaps remain in preventing deaths by firearm among service members. According to the 2020 DoD Annual Suicide Report, approximately 60-80% of suicides among service members are enacted with a firearm.

Colleen Miracle | December 06, 2022

U.S. Rep. Jason Crow visited the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on Monday to learn more about current programs and research on the campus that address the U.S. military’s medical needs, including solutions in combat casualty care, critical and emergency care, surgical trauma, and acute mental health. The Center for Combat Medicine and Battlefield (COMBAT) Research hosted the visit that included additional CU leadership and research groups for a supportive discussion on current military medical challenges.

Colleen Miracle | December 02, 2022

On Veterans Day, we honor those who serve and have served in the U.S. military. For two University of Colorado School of Medicine researchers, Veterans Day is also a time to reflect on the importance of mental health support for veterans at risk for suicide. Through intervention strategies and close collaboration with veterans and clinicians, they are working on strategies and tactics to prevent veteran suicides by firearm.

Colleen Miracle | November 11, 2022

Mental health experts say locals responding to Hurricane Ian need to watch for signs of PTSD. “First responders’ instinct is going to be to help other people. It’s in their training, it’s in their character, and it’s really important they take stock of their own stress levels and mental health and lean on each other for support,” Stanley said.

Fox 31 | Channel 2 | October 02, 2022

The focus on providing care for those on the front lines continues to grow with more investments in research to improve care for service members on battlegrounds. That research was on full display at this year’s Military Health Science Research Symposium (MHSRS), hosted by the Department of Defense (DOD), where researchers and faculty members from the University of Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine presented new scientific findings. 

Colleen Miracle | September 30, 2022

EDITORIAL: Recriminalize deadly fentanyl in Colorado

The Gazette | February 20, 2022

Dr. Bebarta was awarded a highly competitive NIH R21 research grant to study the use of thiosulfate for chlorine gas exposures, which can cause deadly respiratory symptoms in military or industrial exposures.

Unknown Author | August 19, 2021

“We say we are working on solving the Department of Defense’s toughest clinical problems so it benefits the service members,” service member and UCHealth Doctor Vik Bebarta said. Bebarta also leads the CU Anschutz COMBAT Center. “We also want to benefit our Colorado community as a whole.”

9News | March 31, 2021

Kathleen Flarity, DNP, PhD, the Deputy Director of the COMBAT Center, was recently promoted to the Rank of Brigadier General and will serve as the interim Command Surgeon for the US Air Force Air Mobility Command (AMC). 

AMC is one of the largest commands in the US military, and oversees a budget of $781M with $1.6B in assets in support of 6,250 personnel to lead en route combat casualty care for the future battlefield.  She is the first woman to hold this senior leadership position.

Unknown Author | October 22, 2020

Dr. Bebarta shares his philosophy and principles as a leader in the Department of Emergency Medicine.

CU Anschutz Medical Campus | January 25, 2019

Dr. Bebarta shares his philosophy and reason for choosing Emergency Medicine as a career. The ACEP video takes us through an interview with Dr. Bebarta and a day in the life of his work in the emergency room.

American College of Emergency Physicians | September 27, 2018

Join Dan & Howard as they chat with Dr. Vik Bebarta and learn about cyanide infused bacon, hydrogen sulfide, detergent suicide, military teletoxicology and the variety of antidotes and therapies to make you well. Chock full of smoky goodness, this is a delightful listen for your holiday weekend.

The Dantastic Mr. Tox and Howard Podcast | August 31, 2018

"As an American Emergency Physician with over 14 years' active duty in the US Air Force and four combat deployments, I have treated a myriad of military and civilian victims including those from chemical weapons. I have in fact seen and treated virtually every type of war and civilian injury but nothing is quite a jarring as caring for someone burned by chlorine or choked by a toxic gas." - Vik Bebarta, MD, professor, emergency medicine- medical toxicology and pharmacology

International Business Times | April 28, 2017

Lt. Col. Vik Bebarta, who served as a military doctor in Afghanistan, Iraq and Jordan has treated troops exposed to chemical weapons. He's now at the University of Colorado School of Medicine at the Anschutz Medical Campus researching an antidote to chemical exposure.  

CPR | April 17, 2017

A doctor from the 59th Medical Wing received multiple honors recently for his research in treating wounded service members.

Lt. Col. (Dr.) Vikhyat Bebarta, the director of the 59th MDW En Route Care Research Center (ECRC) and chief of medical toxicology at the San Antonio Military Medical Center on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was notified he will receive the Air Force Association's 2014 Paul W. Myers award and the National Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Basic Science award for his contributions to medicine.

U.S. Air Force | October 12, 2014