Abu Dhabi Emergency Department Standardization Collaboration 2022-2024

The challenges related to providing continuing education and competence management for emergency nurses are not unique to any one organization, health system, or geographic location. These shared challenges, along with a desire to ensure high-quality practice of emergency nursing, were the catalyst for an international collaboration between emergency nurse leaders in Region Zealand, Denmark and nurse leaders and educators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

HMFP formed an academic collaboration with two organizations in Casablanca, Morocco, The Fondation Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zaid and the medical school of Universitè Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santè (UM6SS). Collaborative programs included a research program development training workshop in Casablanca and educational programming for UM6SS medical students in Boston.

In 2013, we launched a collaborative project with the Region Sjaelland in Denmark and two of its emergency departments, located at the Slagelse and Nykobing Falster Hospitals. The goal of this project was to advance emergency care education and the status of emergency medicine in the Region Sjaelland. In 2015, the project grew to include two additional regional hospitals, Sjaelland University Hospital Køge and Holbaek Hospital. In 2019, after the establishment of the EM specialty in Denmark, the project focused on residency program development and residency faculty training.

HMFP collaborated with the University of Florence and the Tuscan Ministry of Health to develop an intensive EMS training program for Tuscan ambulance workers to improve clinician training and patient care. This two-year project included curriculum development, leadership training in Boston for the Italian project leaders, as well as on-site training and course quality control on-site in Italy.

HMFP collaborated with the University of Florence and the Tuscan Ministry of Health to design and implement a pilot project for a mobile simulation program which would offer emergency department team training to regional hospitals throughout Tuscany. This two-year project included project planning, curriculum development, logistical support, and simulation instructor training on-site in Italy.

HMFP collaborated with the Tuscan Ministry of Health to create a pediatric trauma center (PTC) at the Meyer Pediatric Hospital in Florence, Italy, in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Boston. On June 15, 2009, after a 3-year planning and training period, the PTC officially opened to become the first pediatric trauma center in Italy. The goals of the PTC are to improve clinical treatment of pediatric patients and to function as an efficient hub of pediatric trauma care for the region of Tuscany. HMFP continued to collaborate with Meyer during its first years of operation to ensure that quality was maintained and training initiatives continued.

In 2013, we launched a collaborative project with Helsingborg Hospital in Region Skåne, Sweden. The goal of this project is to advance the emergency care delivery system in the Helsingborg area and position the hospital as a ‘Center of Excellence for Emergency Care’ within Region Skåne.

The Tuscan Emergency Medicine Initiative (TEMI) is a collaborative effort between HMFP and the Tuscan Ministry of Health to create standardized training in emergency medicine for the region of Tuscany. Between 2007 – 2009, the program trained more than 625 Tuscan emergency physicians. The training resulted in a transition to a single-provider model of emergency medicine in the region. HMFP also collaborated with the local university system to develop a Master’s degree in Emergency Medicine and, subsequently, an emergency medicine residency program. This residency program was recognized by the Ministry of Health in Rome and has now been adopted at universities throughout Italy.

Between 2008-2011, HMFP worked with the Landspitali University Hospital in Reykjavik on several projects: first, the development of a post-graduate, 24-month training program in Emergency Medicine which prepared Icelandic physicians for formal EM residency training programs outside of Iceland; second, the curricula development and implementation of training programs for the 12-month post-graduate EM nursing program; and, third, the establishment and oversight of various EM research projects for both physicians and nurses at Landpitali University Hospital.

Fellows and BIDMC fellowship faculty were invited by the State of Alaska to function as evaluators and researchers for Alaska Shield, a statewide disaster drill involving local, state, and federal agencies in numerous scenarios designed this year to mimic the 1964 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake. The events had more than 10,000 professional personnel involved in the drills, with more than 100,000 civilian participants.