This year signifies a remarkable milestone for the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine—30 years of delivering life-saving care, excellence in clinical training, and driving innovation.

While emergencies have always existed, the field of emergency medicine didn't emerge until just prior to the 1960s. Patients requiring emergent attention were cared for by general practitioners, surgeons, or other physicians that might be available and accessible at the time. Dedicated emergency departments were rare, and when they did exist in communities, they were often staffed by interns or rotating physicians with little continuity. Formal training in emergency care as a specialty was also not provided as part of medical education.

As incidents such as motor vehicle crashes increased, advances in medical technology and pharmaceuticals evolved, and WWII soldiers returned home from war, the need for emergent, unscheduled care became evident and necessary. In 1968, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) was founded, bringing legitimacy and advocacy to the field for the first time in history. A decade later, in 1979, emergency medicine was officially recognized as a medical specialty, becoming the 23rd specialty of its kind.

At UAB, the field of emergency medicine initially organized under the Department of Surgery as the Division of Emergency Services. In 1995, just 16 years after its inception as a specialty, emergency medicine was granted full department status by the UA System Board of Trustees and departed from Surgery with 11 faculty members serving the University Hospital location.

Growth soon followed. In 2006, UAB acquired Highlands Infirmary, expanding our community footprint, and in 2019, the department extended its reach once again with the completion of the Gardendale Freestanding Emergency Department, located just north of downtown Birmingham.

Over 30 years, the Department of Emergency Medicine has made tremendous strides and grown into a cornerstone of Alabama’s emergency and critical care landscape. The department’s clinical excellence is evident in several standout achievements. We are proud to have attained and celebrate these milestones together. 

• Geriatric excellence: In 2006, UAB Hospital-Highlands Emergency Department became the first in the Southeast to receive Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department accreditation.
• National recognition: UAB Hospital Emergency Department became the first Gold Level Accredited Department of Emergency Medicine in the U.S. by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
• Educational prowess: The residency program complement increased to 42 residents for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Research Distinction: In 2024, two of our faculty landed on the rank list for The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research in 2024.
• Advanced educational opportunities: Our fellowship program offers nine different fellowships in emergency medicine each year, including Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound, EMS, Global Emergency Medicine, Healthcare Administration Leadership and Management (HALM), Medical Education, Point-of-Care Ultrasound in Resource-Limited Settings (PURLS), Research, Simulation, and Social Emergency Medicine.
• Undersea and hyperbaric medicine: We house four hyperbaric oxygen chambers and boast the only board-certified physicians in hyperbaric medicine in the state of Alabama.
• Medical toxicology: Our department provides medical direction for the Alabama Poison Information Center (APIC) at Children's Hospital of Alabama and fields all incoming calls. Our toxicologists also provide direct care to those who present with toxicology-related illnesses in the emergency department, including substance abuse, snakebites, and chemical exposures, among others.
• Endowed Professorship: In 2021, the department established its first departmental Endowed Professorship and in 20215, the Janyce M. Samford Endowed Support fund was created following a generous gift from Dr. Sanford, former chair and professor emerita.
• Expansion in progress: In 2023, the State of Alabama allocated $50 million to support a major expansion of UAB’s University Hospital Emergency Department. Construction began in early 2025, with all projected milestones met to date.

For 30 years, the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has exemplified compassion, skill, and innovation—and its impact continues to shape the future of emergency care across Alabama and beyond. We are proud to have achieved these milestones and to celebrate them together!

To commemorate this milestone, the department gathered on August 24, 2025, for a special celebration at the Birmingham Barons baseball game at Regions Field. The event honored the department’s legacy, and Andrew Edwards, M.D., professor and interim chair, proudly threw out the game’s first pitch.