In today's connected world, diseases don't respect borders. For instance, the Ebola and Zika viruses are two recent examples of dangerous diseases that can pose a serious threat to people who've traveled to certain areas. So it's important for individuals and physicians to be aware of global health threats.

At Yale Medicine, our emergency medicine physicians study health problems across the world to understand how such problems affect the health of people abroad and here in the United States. This experience equips them with exceptional skill and insight to deliver superior care.

According to Yale Medicine emergency medicine specialist Hani Osama Mowafi, MD, MPH, exposure to a depth and breadth of medical experiences gives Yale Medicine’s emergency doctors a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise. The training helps them in intense situations, where they can quickly diagnose patients and make swift, calculated decisions regarding care. 

“We are fortunate at Yale to have access to every cutting-edge technology and a wealth of diagnostic information, but ultimately it’s not the technology that takes care of the patient,” Dr. Mowafi says. “It’s having the experience of caring for patients from all over the world.”

Yale Medicine’s many global health projects are helping to shape how emergency medicine is thought about and delivered globally. One research project examines nutritional policies in lower-income communities to see their effect on how emergency conditions develop. Another focus is the dramatic increase in  traffic injuries in low- and middle-income countries. Yale Medicine researchers are also investigating the provision of trauma care to populations in Syria that are under siege.

“This research is changing how emergency medicine is characterized and practiced around the world,” says Dr. Mowafi. 

The benefits of this work are universal. Having access to a wealth of insights on global epidemics such as Ebola, or isolated diseases such as malaria, equips  the emergency medicine teams with skills to deal with whatever they encounter.

Technology allows doctors to deliver emergency medical care in remote locations. Point-of-care emergency ultrasound, a small device used at a patient's bedside, is an example of how innovation can help address complex issues with few resources.  

“It allows for more rapid diagnosis of emergency situations,” says Dr. Mowafi. “In just a few minutes, it allows clinicians to make life-and-death decisions that could otherwise take hours or even days.” Easily used in remote areas, this technology allows Yale Medicine doctors to address complications, such as internal bleeding, with scarce resources and, consequently, to provide care that saves lives.

Emergency medicine at Yale Medicine is rooted in a philosophy of always striving to know more and do better for the good of patients globally. “As a core mission, we are focused on advancing the science and practice of emergency medicine. We do this not just to learn how to do what we’re already doing, but also to push the envelope in terms of new knowledge, new science and new ways of taking care of patients around the world,” Dr. Mowafi says.