Department of Emergency Medicine

The Department of Emergency Medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital is responsible for emergency and rescue services within the hospital. Since its establishment in 1983, the department has developed a comprehensive service system, becoming a specialized platform with a reasonable talent structure and clinical emergency capabilities, leading in medical technology, emergency medicine education, and academic research in China. It is currently the president unit of the Emergency Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the former chair unit of the Emergency Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the chair unit of the Beijing Emergency Quality Control and Improvement Center, and the chair unit of the National Health and Family Planning Commission's Emergency Quality Control Center.

In 1983, Professor Chen Minzhang, then president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, approved the establishment of an independent emergency department, the first of its kind in China. Dr. Shao Xiaohong served as the first director and is recognized as one of the founders and pioneers of emergency medicine in China, also serving as the first and second chair of the Emergency Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association established in 1987. In 1992, Professor Zhou Yushu took over as department head, followed by Professor Ma Sui in 1997 and Professor Yu Xuezhong in 2005. Through years of development, the dedication and efforts of generations of emergency personnel have led to its growth from inception to a robust department. All emergency staff uphold the spirit of 'rigor, excellence, diligence, and dedication,' writing a glorious history of emergency medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital with their unwavering medical aspirations, noble ethics, superb skills, and rigorous academic attitudes.

The Department of Emergency Medicine currently has over 30 emergency physicians and more than 100 emergency nurses, including 3 chief physicians, 5 associate chief physicians, 3 doctoral supervisors, 3 master's supervisors, and 35 emergency specialists, with over 70% of physicians being young and mid-career professionals, and more than 90% having international training experience. After moving into a new emergency building in 2012, the working area expanded to over 8,000 square meters, including 7 areas: emergency triage rooms, emergency resuscitation rooms, emergency observation rooms, emergency comprehensive wards, and emergency ICUs, with over 150 beds, including 70 monitored beds. The department handles a significant clinical workload, with an average of about 200,000 emergency patients annually and a daily emergency volume of 500-600. By establishing a comprehensive triage system, emergency monitoring protocols, emergency response plans for sudden incidents, and green channels, the department has improved work efficiency, providing more convenient and humane services to patients, firmly adhering to the principles of 'high speed, high efficiency, and high responsibility.'

In addition to clinical responsibilities, the emergency department also plays an active role in education. As early as 1985, Professor Shao Xiaohong edited the first major textbook on emergency medicine in China, 'Emergency Clinical Medicine.' Subsequently, Professors Ma Sui and Yu Xuezhong edited several large textbooks, including 'Emergency Medicine,' 'Modern Emergency Medicine,' 'Modern Diagnosis and Treatment of Emergency Conditions,' 'Peking Union Medical College Emergency Rescue Manual,' and 'Differential Diagnosis of Critical Conditions,' making significant contributions to the development of emergency medicine in China. The department trains 10 doctoral and master's students annually, 20-30 residents, and 29-30 fellows. In recent years, it has gradually introduced E-Training core courses in emergency clinical practice and iTEACHER training courses for emergency physicians, currently serving as the training base for emergency medicine residents in Beijing, the American Heart Association (AHA) CPR training base, the clinical skills training and assessment center in Beijing, and the National Emergency Medicine Quality Control Center.

In terms of research, the emergency department has recently received funding from various sources, including the National Health and Family Planning Commission's industry fund, the National Natural Science Foundation, the Ministry of Education's innovation team fund, the Peking Union Medical College innovation team fund, and the '12th Five-Year Plan' major infectious disease special fund. It has conducted in-depth research in areas such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, severe pneumonia, and poisoning, publishing over 10 SCI articles and more than 30 articles in core Chinese journals annually, and obtaining several international and national patents.

The emergency department consistently adheres to a clinical foundation, characterized by addressing critical conditions and complex diseases, prioritizing emergency medical safety and quality as vital, fostering a culture of emergency medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital as a driving force, maintaining a leading position in the overall level of emergency clinical practice in China, and setting this as its development goal. In the future, it will continue to focus on medical practice, strengthen teaching and research efforts, promote talent development, and continuously improve its medical quality and standards through more refined systems, scientific management, smooth workflows, and a rational talent structure, striving towards the goal of becoming a world-class emergency medicine department.