The goal of the International Emergency Medicine and Humanitarian Action Program is to facilitate a rich exchange of emergency medicine practice, training, and infrastructure among high and low-income countries. Our physicians also respond to acute domestic and international emergencies. Our residents and faculty volunteered their services during the recent Tsunami in Indonesia and during Hurricane Katrina, working with various relief organizations including the American Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee. Faculty from both NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center have ongoing interests in emergency medicine development in the Dominican Republic, India, Guatemala, Montenegro, Sri Lanka and Ghana.
Committed to expanding our interest and understanding of complex humanitarian emergencies across the world, the Program aims to promote dialogue among the students of Columbia University's many affiliate schools and institutes, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the School of Law, the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and the Earth Institute.
The Program provides opportunities for medical students, residents, attending physicians and other medical staff to participate in challenging environments in low income countries, identifying roadblocks, seeking solutions, and facilitating change. The program strongly encourages the provision of training, and development of infrastructure, in pre-hospital and emergency department settings, in both rural and urban areas. We promote an evidence-based approach to the development of emergency medicine curriculum and disaster preparedness in low and middle income countries.
