Division of Education

There are several academic Sections contributing to a well-rounded faculty and educational experience at York Hospital:

Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Program

We are proud to announce the exciting addition of our new Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Program.  This one-year program is our first Emergency Medicine-based fellowship program and will provide a wonderful new academic addition to our program.  Thomson Kehrl, MD, RDMS is the Program Director for the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship and will provide training, mentorship, and research collaboration opportunities along with C. Heather Rumsey, MD.  We will be accepting our first Emergency Ultrasound Fellow in 2011 and we look forward to the exciting opportunities provided by this program.

Section of Emergency Ultrasound

C. Heather Rumsey, MD  and Thomson Kehrl, MD, RDMS are the Co-Directors of the Section of Emergency Ultrasound, and Dr. Kehrl recently earned the prestigious RDMS title for his ultrasound work. They have worked diligently to continuously enhance and expand our ultrasound training opportunities.  A weekly Emergency Ultrasound Quality Assurance (QA) review and educational session has been established and a new formal Emergency Ultrasound rotation have added to increase our residents' exposure to this important diagnostic skill.  In addition, there is a renewed emphasis on organization to allow residents to meet the required ultrasound scan numbers to satisfy the latest ACEP and other guidelines.  This additional training and documentation will allow our graduates to become credentialed in Emergency Ultrasound upon starting their post-residency jobs.  This should result in highly "marketable" residency graduates following graduation.  Drs. Rumsey and Kehrl have also designed a comprehensive six session Basics of  Emergency Ultrasound course that is presented over 18 months.  The sessions are hands-on and interactive, and cover basic ultrasound scanning techniques, as well as ultrasound use for vascular access, central lines, and other procedures.  Each resident will have the opportunity to go through the course twice during his/her residency.

Under the expert leadership of Drs. Rumsey and Kehrl, we continue to look for ways to enhance our Emergency Ultrasound experiences.  Three Sonosite ultrasound machines are available for resident scanning while working in the ED/trauma bays, and on ultrasound rotations, and a dedicated Sonosite teaching ultrasound machine is avaialble for use in our Medical Simulation Center.  Residents are able to use ultrasound clinically for trauma, abdominal, vascular, Ob/Gyn, skin/soft tissue, ocular and many other applications.  The recent approval of our Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Program will allow continuing additions and enhancements to our ultrasound curriculum as well.

Robert Stuntz, MD (Residency class of 2011) has accepted a position as our first Emergency Ultrasound Fellow.  Dr. Stuntz will begin his fellowship training immediately following completion of his residency in July 2011.

Brent Becker, MD (Residency class of 2010) flourished under the tutelage of Drs. Rumsey and Kehrl and is our first Residency graduate to pursue Fellowship training in Emergency Ultrasound.  He will be training at the highly-regarded University of California-Irvine Emergency Ultrasound program with J. Christian (Chris) Fox, MD as his program director. In addition, Beatrice Hoffmann, MD, PhD, RDMS (Residency class of 2003) is currently the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Director at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.  Dr. Hoffmann is also the current Chair of the SAEM Ultrasound Interest Group and the developer of the www.sonoguide.com ultrasound educational website.

In addition to their work with our Residency Program and Residents, Drs. Rumsey and Kehrl were both actively involved in planning, organizing and running our first Emergency Ultrasound Course in June 2009.  Dr. Rumsey served as the Course Director for this course and Dr. Kehrl participated as a faculty member and lecturer.  This course drew attending physician participants from throughout the Northeast and also from several local institutions.  We are fortunate to have two such talented ultrasonographers and teachers at York Hospital.  We are also looking forward to future regional ultrasound courses in coming years.

Section Co-Directors: C. Heather Rumsey, M.D. and Thomson Kehrl, M.D.

Section of Prehospital Care and Disaster Medicine 

The York Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency is keenly aware that Emergency Medical Services (EMS)  is an important component of education in Emergency Medicine.  The experiences offered throughout the three years serve to ensure that the graduate is able to become actively involved as a well-rounded Emergency Physician.

The Emergency Medical Services experience at York Hospital includes a one-month second-year rotation that is combined with Research, as well as numerous exposures to the many facets of prehospital care throughout the resident’s three-year program.  Residents are given the Base Station Medical Command Course near the end of their first year, and attain recognition as Pennsylvania Medical Command Physicians at the start of their second year of training. Residents function as Medical Command Physicians throughout their second and third years of training in conjunction with attending staff supervision. Ground-based ride-alongs are a required part of the second-year EMS rotation, with the opportunity to participate in aeromedical responses with either Life Lion or Stat MedEvac (optional).  Active involvement with the management, Quality Improvement process, and education of the hospital’s Advanced Life Support operations form a cornerstone of the rotation.  The department also serves as a resource for many of the volunteer EMS organizations in the area. 

Residents observe the workings of the County communications center, which coordinates emergency communications in York County.  Exposure to regional and state-level planning and management is offered thorough the staff’s active involvement at these levels, as well as disaster planning, response, and exercises.  Active staff roles in nuclear response, urban search and rescue, and tactical EMS further enhance the education.  

EMS Skills Day - an exciting new addition to our prehospital experience for this year is our EMS Skills Day. All incoming EM-1s spent a day at the York County Fire School participating in carefully selected hands-on activities, including intubation, IV placement and other procedures in moving ambulance, patient extrication techniques, triage and immediate medical care concepts, and ambulance/helicopter orientation/safety sessions. This experience was considered a success by all who attended, and Skills Day proceeded without problems, even with 100 degree heat.  This event also garnered media coverage via local TV stations/news broadcasts, as well as local print/online media.  The event achieved national recognition on JEMS.com   http://www.jems.com/video/news/wellspans-ems-day    Plans are currently underway for Fourth Annual EMS Skills Day scheduled for July 2011.          

Section Director:  R. Daniel Bledsoe, MD, HP, FACEP, FAAEM

Section of Simulation, Procedural Education, and Competency (SPECS)

The purpose of the Simulation, Procedural Education, and Competency Section (SPECS) is to provide York Hospital’s emergency medicine residents with the best possible procedure education experience in an enjoyable, well organized, user friendly and competency based format.
The section provides an integrated approach to teaching the broad spectrum of procedures in which emergency physicians are expected to be proficient.  One of the primary goals of the section is to provide residents with a clear picture of what is expected from them and what will determine competency for any given skill or procedure.  The majority of the teaching takes place in the state of the art Medical Simulation Center which opened in June 2008. 

Task trainers for procedures such as central line placement, intubation/difficult airway, suturing, ultrasound guided central line placement, chest tube insertion, pacing, etc. are available. In addition to task training, scenario-based simulation is also available.  All of our current EM-1s are participating in a research project evaluating the benefit of a brief simulation based course in improving emergency medicine intern confidence and competence with rapid sequence intubation.  In addition to many other new scenarios, we plan in simulating neonatal resuscitation scenarios in the emergency department in case of a precipitous delivery using our wireless newborn simulator.  Simulation is a rich field for research and we currently have multiple ongoing projects.  Plans are also being made for a simulation elective for residents who may have this particular interest. Please click here for Simulation Center video.

Jerome Bacasnot, MD is the section director.  Dr. Bacasnot coordinates several skills day sessions throughout the year for the residents and students.  At these sessions, skills such as cardiac pacing, central venous catheterization, fish-hook removal, intraosseous line placement, cricothyroidotomy and ultrasound are taught to residents in a small group, interactive format.

Walter Schrading, MD and Aizad Dasti, MD are actively involved in the teaching of airway management.  Drs. Schrading and Dasti are the principle instructors at the cadaver labs which are held twice per year at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD.  During these sessions, residents and students have the opportunity to practice airway management skills and critical but rarely performed procedures on several fresh cadavers.  Just some of the skills that are practiced at cadaver lab include bougie assisted intubation, laryngeal mask airway, lighted stylet intubation, cricothyroidotomy, lateral canthotomy, thoracotomy and tube thoracosotomy.  These sessions have been overwhelmingly well received by both residents and students.

Andrew Kepner, MD, FACEP is the medical director of the York Hospital Medical Simulation Center.  He works closely with members of the SPECS section and with the Medical Simulation Center's technical director and other staff, to ensure outstanding educational experiences. 

Residents are formally evaluated on the prescribed skills every December and April on Competency Days.  This will provide true competency-based evaluation of skills in accordance with the current ACGME guidelines.

Section Director: Jerome Bacasnot, M.D.

The The faculty, residents, and staff of the Department of Emergency Medicine at York Hospital pride themselves on providing outstanding educational experiences for medical students.  We host approximately 60 students per year from a variety of medical schools.  The unique community teaching hospital environment allows students to evaluate and manage a large number of patients during their clinical rotations.   Most patients are presented directly to attending faculty in emergency medicine, with the remainder of patients presented to senior-level emergency medicine residents.  Emergency Medicine provides some of the best opportunities to manage undifferentiated patients, allowing you to be the first provider to see the patient.  Our talented and accessible faculty is here to facilitate your learning.

Some highlights of our student rotations include:

• Excellent exposure to a wide range of patient conditions and complaints
• Busy, efficient Emergency Department (79,000 visits/year)
• Level 1 Trauma Center
• Exposure to emergency ultrasound (4 machines – 3 in ED, 1 in Trauma Bay)
• Tuesday medical student Didactic Days
  • Case-based sessions
  • Procedure and skill sessions (suturing, airway, etc.)
  • Participation in regular resident conferences (including skills labs)
• Availability of EMS ride-alongs
• Participation in Emergency Medicine research projects (if desired)
• PACS digital imaging system
• Free room, board, and parking

Please see the York Hospital Medical Student page for more details

Please click here to inquire about completing an Emergency Medicine rotation at York Hospital.

Section Director: David Vega, M.D.

Medical Student Rotation Co-Directors: Noelle Rotondo, D.O.  and Erik Kochert, M.D.

Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine

The Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine is directed by David Turkewitz, MD, who holds board certification in both Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics.  The academic strength of the residency program’s pediatric training is greatly enhanced by his many years of experience.  Dr. Turkewitz coordinates the residency’s didactic program, concentrating on the core pediatric topics culled from the Model of the Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine.

Michael Bohrn, MD, David Vega, MD, Dean Johnson, MD, and Karen DiPasquale, DO, FAAP are Course Directors for APLS: The Pediatric Emergency Medicine Course, and the APLS course is hosted yearly by the residency program.  At the beginning of their training, residents also take both the Neonatal Resuscitation Program and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) courses.  In addition to the didactic curriculum and the pediatric experience in the Emergency Department at York Hospital, residents complete rotations in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The neonatal experience will be augmented in this year’s curriculum with the addition of simulated neonatal resuscitation scenarios held in the simulation center.

Section Director:  David Turkewitz, MD, FAAP

Section of Research/Scholarly Activities

York Hospital’s large and diverse patient populations and supportive faculties provide numerous opportunities for clinical research.  The York Hospital Emig Research Center provides valuable research support including research assistants, statistical advisors, multiple computerized databases and bench laboratories.

From study design through statistical analysis and manuscript presentation, residents are guided by experienced Emergency Medicine faculty.  Our residents are encouraged to answer their own questions trough scientific study or to participate in a project already underway.  Time off and funding are provided for those who are successful in having their studies accepted for presentation at regional, national or international meetings.

The Emergency Medicine Research Program lead by Marc Pollack, MD, PhD, Ronald Benenson, MD, Associate Research Director.  They are assisted by a full-time ED research coordinator, Barbie Stahlman, MS, dedicated to research protocols and clinical trials specific to the Emergency Department.

All Emergency Medicine residents are required to complete a scholarly project.  The objective is to learn the process of clinical investigation, including literature search, project design, medical writing and presentation.  This includes, but is not limited to, a prospective research study, a retrospective research study, a case report, a collective review or book chapter, or a survey study. Any project that has “career value” to the resident will be considered. The final project should be presented at the York Hospital’s Residents’ Research Day and, ideally submitted for presentation at a regional or national Emergency Medicine conference.

York Hospital’s Emergency Medicine Department has affiliated with the Department of Biology at York College of Pennsylvania to offer a Student Research Assistant (SRA) Program.  The SRAs assist in the enrollment of ED patients into research studies.

Section Co-Directors:  Marc Pollack, MD, PhD; and Ronald Benenson, MD

Section of Wilderness Medicine

The Section of Wilderness Medicine is the newest addition to the Education Division of the York Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine.  With the founding of the Wilderness Medicine Society over 25 years ago and the initiation of the Fellowship of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) a few years ago, the inclusion of the Section of Wilderness Medicine within our Division of Education seemed to be a natural.

The Section of Wilderness Medicine will act as the forum for the formal academic activities related to Wilderness Medicine.  The first major activity was the organization of our first annual Wilderness Medicine and Survival Skills Seminar.  This was a three day event attended by physicians, nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists.  Plans for the second annual conference are underway.  The Section will guide any publications or research relevant to this field.  Currently there are several ongoing projects.

The Wilderness Medicine Interest Group will be the less formal arm of the Section.  Plans will be to offer several annual trips to include skiing, whitewater rafting, inner tubing, etc.  We also hope to branch out and offer backpacking, skiing lessons and rock climbing. Involvement in medical student interest groups and themed Journal Club will also occur.  The group will be available to assist interested members on working towards obtaining their FAWM credentials. Our goal will be to provide our residents with the opportunity to complete at least half of the needed requirements to complete the Fellowship.

Section Director:  Eric Bowman, MD, FACEP, FAWM