Augusta University: Founded in 1828, the university includes nine colleges and schools with nearly 9,000 students, over 1,000 full-time faculty and nearly 7,000 staff. It houses the nation's eighth-largest and 13th-oldest medical school, the state's sole dental college, an aligned and integrated health system, a growing intercollegiate athletics program, the highly respected Hull College of Business, the diverse Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, among other units. With a campus of approximately 150 buildings, the university is a $1 billion-plus enterprise with statewide and national reach. The Medical College of Georgia includes a partnership campus in Athens, Ga., and satellite campuses in the Georgia cities of Albany, Rome and Savannah.
Augusta University Medical Center: Augusta University houses a 40-bed full-care trauma and emergency medical service. The Emergency Department is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by emergency medicine faculty and residents - all of whom are board certified or residency trained in emergency medicine. In the past year, the Emergency Department cared for more than 76,000 patients. The department is supported by EMS helicopter service, LifeNet, and ground transport. In addition, Express Care Services provide rapid treatment for minor injuries and sicknesses.
Trauma Services: The Trauma Center specializes in the treatment of traumatic, critical care injuries 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Augusta University Medical Center has the region’s only Level I Trauma Center (highest level), with an emergency helicopter transport team and Emergency Communications Center. The physicians and nurses in the trauma center serve a 13-county region including the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA). With helicopter transport, the center also treats trauma patients beyond the 13 counties. The trauma center coordinates care for more than 1,500 trauma victims each year by following them through their hospital stays and coordinating their care after leaving Augusta University Medical Center. The center includes a 12-bed shock/trauma intensive care unit and a specialized trauma resuscitation area within the Emergency Department.
Pediatric Emergency Department: The Pediatric Emergency Department of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia is adjacent to the main Emergency Department. The Children’s Hospital of Georgia is the region’s only pediatric tertiary care referral hospital and our physicians include subspecialists in all areas of pediatrics. The department has 13 beds, with two trauma beds. The Pediatric Emergency Department is staffed by pediatric emergency medicine physicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and has equipment and furniture sized just for children.
Center for Operational Medicine (COM): Since its inception in 2003, the COM has earned a reputation as one of the foremost institutions in the nation for operational medicine training. COM staff and instructors include highly experienced emergency physicians, emergency management specialists, and paramedics with strong backgrounds in prehospital critical care, military and law enforcement special operations, disaster medicine, international humanitarian assistance, and wilderness medicine. Through our ongoing operational activities with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of Defense, the COM continues to develop and deliver the most up-to-date operational medicine training available. Fellows will have the opportunity to work with tactical and disaster agencies for training, education and instruction locally and internationally.
Richmond County/Augusta Fire: The Augusta Fire Department, responds to an average 0f 8,850 requests for medical care annually. This is accomplished by staffing 19 fire stations throughout its 300 square mile coverage area with 335 personnel. The area covered includes urban and suburban regions with a nighttime population of over 200,000 residents. During the daytime the population increases significantly due to industrial, medical, and military businesses.
Gold Cross EMS: Gold Cross Emergency Medical Service, Inc. is the ambulance provider for a three county area, plus General Transport ambulance transportation and is the largest ambulance service in the Augusta EMS Region. Gold Cross EMS responded to 42,475 request for services in 2013. These calls were accomplished by staffing 22 full-time ambulances and 5 peak-time ambulances. Gold Cross owns, maintains, and runs out of fire stations for a total of 15 locations which service 1,141.7 square miles (the service area includes urban and rural areas). Gold Cross EMS employs 300 personnel and this includes 260 EMS licensed medics. The nighttime non-peak population is 341,570 residents (based on the 2012 US census).
Richmond County 9-1-1: Richmond County 9-1-1 services 911 calls average about 215, 000 annually with over 23,000 being for medical/EMS reasons.
Richmond County Public Health: a East Central Health District’s Annual Report 2011 summarizes the activities that occurred during FY 2011, from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The report provides information about our services as well as health status information for each of the 13 counties’ health departments.
The East Central Health District 6 is one of 18 public health service districts in the state, operated by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Public Health District 6 consists of thirteen counties: Burke, Columbia, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, Taliaferro, Warren, and Wilkes. During FY 2011, District 6 employed 325 individuals; 81 nurses; 22 environmentalist; 15 nutritionist and many other health professionals who support Public Health’s mission. These counties encompass a total of 5,198 square miles. Burke County is the largest county and Glascock County the smallest. Although this area is mostly rural, Columbia and Richmond Counties are designated metropolitan counties. The total district population is 448,991. Richmond is the most densely populated county, and Taliaferro has the fewest residents. In terms of race, the district population is approximately 56% white, 40% black, and 4% other. Public Health improves the health status of all Georgians through health promotion and disease prevention activities. Health education is directed at individuals, families, and entire communities to improve living conditions and promote healthier lifestyles. Health Prevention services reduce infectious diseases and environmental health hazards through immunizations, investigations, and inspections. Public Health is committed to reducing health risks through community leadership, expertise in health information and surveillance, and assurance of a safe environment. Public Health’s mission is accomplished by providing ten essential services to our communities.
National Disaster Life Support (NDLS): The National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc. (NDLSF) oversees the National Disaster Life Support (NDLS) courses, a series of educational programs to better prepare health care professionals and emergency response personnel for mass casualty events. The NDLS courses are comprehensive, all-hazards, competency-based, standardized, and multi-disciplinary. These courses assist health professionals respond to mass casualty events regardless the cause. The NDLS courses were developed by four academic centers Augusta University, University of Georgia, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, and Texas A&M School of Public Health. The NDLSF provides administration and oversight of the NDLS courses, offered at more than eighty NDLS training centers nationwide. The NDLSF is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501(c)3 organization located at the Augusta University.
Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS): BDLS is course is a 7.5 hour competency-based, awareness-level course that introduces concepts and principles to prepare health professionals for the management of injuries and illnesses caused by disasters and public health emergencies. The course builds upon, applies, and reinforces information presented in the Core Disaster Life Support® (CDLS®) course. This includes application of core principles and concepts in emergency management and public health as introduced in the CDLS course through the PRE-DISASTER Paradigm™ and DISASTER Paradigm™. The primary focus of the BDLS course is incorporation of an “all-hazards” approach to mass casualty management and population-based care across a broad range of disasters. Measures to ensure and enhance health workforce readiness are emphasized throughout the course. This includes a consistent and scalable approach to workforce protection and casualty management, as well as, mass casualty triage and fatality management. The BDLS course is designed to engage participants through interactive scenarios and group discussion. The overarching aim of the BDLS course is to teach a common lexicon, vocabulary, and knowledge base for the clinical and public health management of all ages and populations affected by disasters and public health emergencies, through a standardized curriculum that is practical and relevant for all health professionals. Knowledge gained in the course can then be reinforced and expanded through application in the Advanced Disaster Life Support™ (ADLS®) course. The BDLS course is aimed at a broad range of audience categories that share a common likelihood of providing clinical care and assistance to casualties during a disaster or public health emergency, including healthcare, public health and allied health professionals; emergency medical services personnel; and other medical first responders and receivers.
Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS): ADLS is an intense 15-hour course that allows participants to demonstrate competencies in mass casualty management. Core education elements include the ADLS manual and five interactive lectures (Disasters and Public Health Emergencies; Triage in Disasters and Public Health Emergencies; Health System Surge Capacity for Disasters and Public Health Emergencies; Community Health Emergency Operations and Response; and Legal and Ethical Issues in Disasters). Essential training components include population scenarios discussion; mass casualty triage tabletop and situational training exercises; surge tabletop scenario for a health care facility; personal protective equipment skills performance and decontamination video review; casualty management in small groups with simulated scenarios; and emergency operations center situational training exercise. ADLS requires learners to apply knowledge learned in the Core Disaster Life Support® (CDLS®) and Basic Disaster Life Support™ (BDLS®) courses. Successful completion of the BDLS course is a prerequisite for attendance at the ADLS course. The ADLS course target audience includes physicians, nurses, physician assistants, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), paramedics, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and students in health professional schools.
Translational Research Program (TRP): The goal of the TRP is to foster interest in translational medicine among faculty, fellows, residents and medical students within the Department of Medicine. The vision of the program is to assist in the conduction of successful translational research projects for individuals at all academic levels, with the ultimate goal being to develop a sustainable TRP that engages the next generation of translational scientists. The overarching goal of the TRP is to assist in the development of a core group of translational scientists resulting in an improvement in health care , the production of scholarly work (publications), and the generation of extramural funding. To attain this vision, the TRP will act as a resource for interested investigators including students, postgraduate trainees (MD and PhD), attending physicians, basic scientists, statisticians, and others.
NAEMSP: NAEMSP In 1984, insightful emergency medical service leaders from a cross-section of the U.S. came together to form a new organization for the EMS physician responsible for medical care in the out-of-hospital setting. Their vision was to create a peer group organization which would serve as a resource and advocate for the EMS physicians and other EMS personnel. In the following months, a National Steering Committee and Advisory Board, comprised of well-known academic and community leaders in out-of-hospital care, established the groundwork for the National Association of EMS Physicians® (NAEMSP®).Since its inception in 1984, the NAEMSP® membership has grown from a handful of dedicated founders to over 1,100 physicians, paramedics, nurses, administrators, educators, researchers and key EMS personnel. The membership continues to increase as the NAEMSP® represents the out-of-hospital emergency medical care community. As part of its ongoing commitment to improving out-of-hospital emergency medical care, the NAEMSP® promotes meetings, publications and products that connect, serve and educate its members. In addition, the Association acts as a resource and advocate of EMS related decisions in cooperation with organizations throughout the country and the community at large, including agencies of the Federal Government. Since the birth of the NAEMSP®, EMS systems have continued to grow and develop. However, despite the best of intentions, many systems have developed enthusiastically without maintaining the perspective that EMS is the practice of medicine (by medical personnel) in the out-of-hospital setting. Since EMS physicians emanate from various disciplines (such as emergency medicine, family practice, pediatrics, surgery and cardiology) and non-physicians encompass an unlimited range of professions, it is the continuing role of the NAEMSP® to coordinate and focus advances in medical care, research and training in each of these fields as they relate to EMS.
Center for Disease Control: EMS workers include first responders, emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics and others whose occupational titles may not always clearly indicate their EMS duties. For example, firefighters and nurses may provide pre-hospital emergency medical care as part of their routine job duties. The 2011 National EMS Assessment reported a total of 826,000 licensed and credentialed EMS professionals in the U.S. This estimate includes both paid and volunteer EMS workers. The 2013 Current Population Survey estimate for full-time employed EMTs and paramedics was 194,800. In collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Emergency Medical Services NIOSH collects data on nonfatal injuries and illnesses among EMS workers by using the occupational supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS-Work). In 2011, there were an estimated 27,800 injuries and illnesses among EMS workers that were treated in US hospital emergency departments. The most recent injury and illness data are described in the data section of this topic page. In addition to the collaboration between NIOSH and NHTSA, there are a number of other ongoing coordinated efforts by various Federal agencies to improve occupational safety and health for EMS personnel. Visit the EMS website for more information.
American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP):The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the oldest and largest national medical specialty organization representing physicians who practice emergency medicine. With more than 32,000 members, ACEP is the leading continuing education source for emergency physicians and the primary information resource on developments in the specialty. Founded in 1968, ACEP achieved a major milestone in 1979 when emergency medicine was recognized as the nation's 23rd medical specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The independent certifying body for the specialty, the American Board of Emergency Medicine was installed at that time as a member of the ABMS. The College continually monitors trends in the health care environment and analyzes issues affecting emergency physicians and their patients.
American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM): ABEM is the 23rd recognized medical specialty in the United States. In the early 1960s, the United States public began to demand improved quality of care in hospital emergency departments. In response, hospitals developed full-time emergency services. As a result, a number of physicians began developing the training and practice of EM. To support this growing physician group, new organizations formed, such as the ACEP and the University Association for Emergency Medical Services (UA/EMS), which is now the SAEM. These organizations became the focal point for emergency physician education and the development of high-quality training programs. Learn more about EMS certification.
Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA): SOMA, Founded in 1987, the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) is the only medical association in the world that brings together the unique blend of pre-hospital, tactical, wilderness, austere, disaster and deployed medicine. Our primary goal is to advance the art and science of special operations medical care through the education and professional development of special operations medical providers. SOMA provides a forum for military and civilian medical providers, academia and industry from around the world to meet and exchange ideas in our Scientific Assembly, through our official publication, the Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM), and our Mini-SOMA Conferences. SOMA advances the science, technology and skills of unconventional medicine.
Georgia Association of EMS: GAEMS a is a statewide membership organization that represents over 14,000 EMT's, Paramedics, Nurses, Physicians, and businesses that support emergency medical services. GA EMS administers grants that benefit EMS services which in turn benefit our communities across the state. The association also offers continuing education credits at two conferences held every year.
The Masters Golf Tournament: The Masters Golf Tournament, also known as The Masters or The US Masters, is one of the four major championships in professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be played each year. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta, Georgia, USA. The Masters was started by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones. Jones designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie. The tournament is an official money event on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour. The field of players is smaller than those of the other major championships because it is an invitational event, held by the Augusta National Golf Club. The tournament has a number of traditions. Since 1949, a green jacket has been awarded to the champion, who must return it to the clubhouse one year after the time of that player's victory. In most instances, the green jacket is only removed from the club's grounds by a first-time champion. A golfer who wins the event multiple times uses the same green jacket awarded upon his initial win (unless he needs to be re-fitted with a new green jacket)
Players Golf Tourney: The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Since its start in 1974, with Jack Nicklaus’ historic victory over J.C. Snead at Atlanta Country Club, THE PLAYERS Championship has been one of the PGA TOUR‘s most coveted titles. Held annually in March, THE PLAYERS is one of the most anticipated tournaments on the PGA TOUR calendar, boasting not only the strongest field but also the biggest purse on the PGA TOUR.
The Aiken Steeple Chase: The Aiken Steeplechase Association is a semi-nonprofit organization that hosts two steeplechase racing events sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association each year, the Imperial Cup in March and the Holiday Cup in October.
The Iron Man: Nestled along the banks of the Savannah River, the intermedix IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta takes a page straight from American revolutionary history and is an annual event held in late September. Established in 1736, Augusta is not only one of Georgia’s oldest cities, but also a historical remnant resulting from the most revolutionary chapter in American history. Offering its guests tours throughout the city, authentic southern cuisine, access to the boyhood home of Woodrow Wilson, and the sight of majestic antebellum mansions, Augusta merges classical and contemporary culture with charm and style. Spectators and athletes can expect an unforgettable and fierce day of competition. Athletes will start their day swimming with the current and should anticipate record breaking times as they venture 1.2 miles in a point-to-point swim in the Savannah River. Located at the Augusta Rowing Complex, athletes will enter transition and prepare to start their single-loop, 56-mile bike ride throughout Georgia and into the countryside of South Carolina. The hilly terrain of this one-loop course will spread out the field and be a true test of stamina, proving it to be anything but "peachy." Lined with spectators, athletes can expect to be cheered on from start to finish of the 13.1-mile, two-loop run throughout downtown Augusta. Participants will conclude their day with a strong finish on Broad Street, adjacent to Augusta Commons, the former home to the finish line.
