Department of Emergency Medicine News and Stories

In 2023, the University of Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine celebrated the launch of the CU Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and the Program for EMS and Prehospital Care, while introducing brand new research in emergency airway management, mental health, critical trauma care, and more.

Emergency medicine faculty grew education and collaboration efforts by bringing renowned, national leaders in medicine to campus, hosting seminars and discussions on firearm injury prevention, leading a toxicology fellowship, presenting research at conferences worldwide, and mentoring military collaborators, researchers, and students.

Colleen Miracle | December 18, 2023

Preventing suicide among military service members and their family members is one of the top priorities for the United States Department of Defense (DoD). The 2021 DoD Annual Suicide Report found that 70% of suicides among service members are enacted with a firearm, as are 60% of suicides among service member spouses.

Colleen Miracle | September 22, 2023

The negative impacts of opioids and drug overdoses continue to rise, and toxicologists are helping to lead the way to address the crisis.

Colleen Miracle | August 16, 2023

In her two decades of working in emergency medicine, Jacqueline Ward-Gaines, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has devoted much of herself to almost every patient scenario imaginable and seen dozens of cohorts graduate medical school and complete their residencies. Consequently, she has also come face-to-face with disparities and biases that exist in health care.

Colleen Miracle | February 01, 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

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